American Kitefliers Association

Nice kite and a great one to teach many skills without being overwhelming.  The applique decoration will probably take longer than doing the rest of the kite.
If you allow 4 hours for applique and back cutting, that leaves 4 hours for kite assembly. To accomplish that, you need some experience and a lot of concentration.
At some workshops, socialization is more important than actually finishing the kite.
For real beginners, that is, haven't sewn much if at all before, you might want to do a solid color kite, no applique. One choice would be to do white or light color, then add design with Sharpie type markers.
For those that have  made a kite before, or have extensive sewing skills, again, you could use a light color background to eliminate the back cutting of the applique. Or, you could simplify the design to one color instead of 2. Also, since none of the design touches the edge, back cutting could be saved until last.
Your prep work will be important. My rule of thumb is whatever time it takes me working alone without distractions, multiply that by 3 for a workshop situation. Precut panels, pockets, reinforcements all help to speed along the process.
If you want to help your students learn how to make all the pieces to repeat later, good directions with lots of pictures or diagrams help. A demo showing how you do it, without expecting 10 people to do their own helps too.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

Thanks Barbara,

I will be promoting the workshop as one for people with some kite making and or sewing experience.  You are right, the applique will take most of the workshop.  I did a simple applique workshop last winter with 2 colors on the sail and that was slow but fun.  Here is a link to that workshop:  http://picasaweb.google.com/youflykites/KiteWorkshop#

For this one I do have a template for the applique and will have pre cut colors ready.  I thought about using a one color applique but I want to add to the multi layer techniques I taught last winter.  Perhaps I will offer both, the single layer for the less experienced as I did last year.  I have limited space so I can only allow 8-10 participants and, if some are good, I will have time for the others.  I like the suggestion of written directions and diagrams and I have time to put that together.

I have had the pleasure of teaching several workshops for beginners and there you are lucky to get the kite hemmed but you sure get some smiles from the people who finish their first kite.

Hi Tony, I echo what Barb has mentioned.  I like for all kite makers to be finished by the time the workshop is over. However,,, it's not always the case. Some like to socialize,some are very meticulous ,some are speedy but the important thing is that everybody goes home learning something and being happy. And that's wether they finish their kite or not. Oh, and some that attend "never" finish a kite at a workshop but finish at home ,they are not comfortable outside their own work place. And that's fine.
    It's good to have pre made parts to help move the project along and it's a balance between doing too much and how much learning is involved. Don't forget,the more pre made parts, the more work for you.  I think teaching  techniques is an important part of any workshop. To show different way's to acomplish a task, different materials, different tools to make jobs easier improves kire makers skills.
   Teachers also learn at workshops, students exchange things they do and share with others ,including instructors,,,lol.
     Have fun ,and yes tell us how it went.

CLIFF

One more thing Tony, thanks for posting information about your workshop,,, that's exactly what we need to make this AKA forum a better place .

CLIFF

Hi Cliff,

Thanks for the advice, I have only done 4 workshops so far so I am still learning how best to conduct them.  I learn things every time too, both about making kites and about holding workshops.  I like the pre=made materials so we don't waste too much time with the stuff they can all do on their own.  Since I will hold it in late January or early February, I will have time to prep.  Hopefully I will even have time to print out detailed instructions for building the kite.  I just bought a nice new laser printer so I won't be killing half a dozen ink jet cartridges printing out the pages.

Hi Tony,  since you have done a few workshops you have discovered that construction plans are a good thing. However ,when the class starts folks will first look at the show and tell kite and return to their station and do what they saw. when in trouble they put their hand up and hollar,"I need help" and the last thing they do is read the instructions,,,HAA HAA,,, that's normally how it goes. I can deal with that. When the class starts  I hand out the project materials followed by a detailed description of the project , I dont schedule planed discussions because everybody works at a different pace. Circulating around the room is normally sufficent to put fires out.  LOL.
    Isn't it a great feeling when you see people going home with a great big smile and being proud of their masterpeices .

CLIFF

I have finally gotten my workshop scheduled and it is almost filled.  I am limiting the workshop to 8 people (I could probably squeeze another one or two in depending...) and have only one more spot at this time.  Now if the weather cooperates.  January in Maine is always a risk.  I have been working 7 days a week since Thanksgiving (at LL Bean) so don't have much more done other than getting it on the calendar and opening it up to registration.  After Christmas I will have time to get all the material prepped and organized. 
I will post pictures of the workshop.

We held the workshop yesterday and it went well.  I had limited the registration to 8 kitemakers and one canceled at the last minute so we had 7 people sewing kites, ranging from beginners to well experienced.  All 7 finished their kites and they looked great.  One of them had the courage to go out to the park in 15 F weather and test it.  He was a newish kite maker and was pleased that it flew right away.  Nice work Jens!

They look great Tony!

Look forward to seeing them in Dieppe in August.