Post 7 – Main Project and Alternative Aesthetics

I have decided that I will be making a dual lined stunt kite which I am very excited about. I have been learning lots about kites in my efforts to find a kite shape I like and also a kite sewing pattern that I can follow. Due to the fact that the lightweight ripstop nylon I am planning to buy only comes in neon or bold colors I am limited to aesthetics that work with vibrant colors. I would also love to have a kite that function well although that is not necessarily what I will end up making since I have no  prior kite making experience. Due to shape limitations of a kite suited for flying I am planning to implement my chosen aesthetic predominantly through the pattern on the face of the kite and less so by using the 3D shape or form of the kite.

The aesthetic I would like to pursue for my kite is a pop art kite because I want something that is really bright and playful in the sky. Since Pop Art makes use of dots I think I might make a stencil to add polka dots or half tone shading to the outer panels of my kite. I made a simple sketch of this idea:

An alternate aesthetic I considered is a Bauhaus aesthetic. In the air the shape of a parafoil kite is stretched into a curve, however on the each panel makes a nice series of parallel lines. Using the bold straight lines and primary colors of the Bauhuas movement I envisioned a Bauhaus inspired kite. While this kite would be possible to make with the typical types of fabric sold and would also be relatively easy to make as it would involve sewing extra straight lines, I decided that it is not as playful as polka dots.

An aesthetic that I only really considered for this post was an Art Nouveau styled kite. To make my kite Art Nouveau I would probably add French curves and floral patterns to the flyer facing side of my kite. One downfall to this type of design is that there would be a lot more sewing needed for the front face and the sewing would have to be curvy which is more difficult than straight lines. While my kite will be big one it is in the sky any detailed ornamentation on the kite would likely be hard to see and really appreciate especially since a pattern inspired by Art Nouveau panel would probably have many intricate, overlapping and entwined shapes. The Art Nouveau design I briefly imagined is shown below.

I have already gotten started on this project by searching for kite patterns and asking a worker at Into the Wind for advice on kite making. I have also flown a dual lined parafoil kite as well as a rigid triangular stunt kite to decide that I prefer the flexibility of the parafoil kite. Upon deciding that I figured out the process of sewing such a kite once I cut all the fabric I will need. I haven’t decided where I will be buying kite material but likely from Into the Wind since they are a local business I enjoy and will also offer advice.

Update a day later:

Using a kite pattern I made a better plan as I prepare to purchase fabric! After researching more about kites I decided sewing one large dot onto each panel would work well and achieve a Pop Art style.