"Thumbs Up" "T-Bird" "Dakota Diamond" "Wrinkles" "Thunder Shield"
March, 2005 July, 2005 September, 2005 November, 2005 December, 2005
Deb's Kites
HOME
"A special thank you to the friends that helped me
get here. You know who you are."
The kites pictured here chronicle my journey as a kitemaker. They all came off my sewing table after beginning life as rolls of 3/4 ounce ripstop nylon, a bundle of graphite spars, and a story needing to be told. Some have experienced the thrill of comprehensive kitemaking competition while others live a more valuable existence as gifts for friends. And some are here just because I wanted them to be. As a selfish kite wench, I tend to sew for myself first because of an idea that just won't leave me alone. The idea worries my mind and tugs at my heart until the project is completed. A couple kites have been donated to worthy causes but to date I have not enter the realm of "Kites For Sale". I imagine I will enter that arena someday, and always appreciate the compliments inherent in that dialogue, but kitemaking is still too new, I have too much to learn yet about the craft, and my kites still grab my heart like children.
"Thumbs Up"
"T-Bird" "Dakota Diamond"
"Wrinkles" "Thunder Shield"
March, 2005
July, 2005 September, 2005 November,
2005 December, 2005
The little rok was initially made for my festival raffle. I fell in love with it and couldn't give it away. So it became the way to determine good and bad days for a family member battling an illness. It took a third place trophy at the AKA National Convention in Ocean City in 2005. The Thunderbird crossdeck was made while on vacation in California. Like I said, Brian doesn't let me sit for long without sewing something. Dakota Diamond evolved out of the California kite wanting to explore color treatments and the use of o-rings. It took a fourth place finish in competition. "Wrinkles" is della porta done in squares of fabric put together with a piecework quilt treatment. "Thunder Shield" is another della porta that will be used for the Skydance raffle.
"Prairie Thunder" "Sentinel"
"Prairie Star" "Teal Thunder"
"Red White & Blue"
December, 2004 February, 2005
March, 2005 April, 2005
May, 2005
It was an honor to have been commissioned to do a kite for the Christmas celebration of my kite friends from Nebraska. Bruce Kenkel won custody of "Prairie Thunder". I think the kite now believes it has found heaven. No one takes better care of his kites than Bruce does. And I'll get to visit it every Labor Day in Callaway. Cool. My next kite was a copy of another Ramlal Tien kite, his "Sentinel". Brian talked me through the process while he made one in San Ramon. He remains my best motivator and doesn't let my sewing machine rest quietly for very long. Thanks so much Brian. "Prairie Star", "Teal Thunder", and "Thumbs Up for the Red, White, and Blue" were kites done for the raffle I do for Skydance Sakakawea kite festival. I lost money on the festival again not selling as many raffle tickets as I had hoped. Might be time to give it up.
"Native Totem"
"Lewis and Clark at Seaside"
May-Oct., 2004
October, 2004
"Native Totem" was made for competition at the AKA National Convention in Seaside, Oregon. The center spine is 20 feet long with a sail that is 17 feet in height and 4 feet in width. I learned a great deal with this project, mainly, to test fly a kite thoroughly prior to competition. Early flight tests had been in light winds and it flew well.. Competition winds ended up being a little stiffer and the noodle did not fly well. But it did receive the highest score in Craftsmanship of all kites entered, a 9.22. "Lewis and Clark", a five foot rokkaku, was made for the AKA auction and sold for $325.
"PA Lighthouse" "Coodle"
"Don's Thunder" "Purple Thunder" "WhiteBird"
February, 2004
March & April, 2004 April, 2004
June, 2004 July, 2004
The Point Arena Lighthouse Kite was a fun project. It was a unique challenge attempting to portray an actual building on ripstop. It was given to Jeff Gales, Manager of the lighthouse, to use as a fund raiser for the festival that will be held there over the 4th of July, 2004. Raffle tickets will be sold and the kite given away at the event. "Coodle", i.e., Cool Noodle, is 10 feet tall and 2 feet wide. It may someday grow up to be "Native Totem" but only time will tell. Thanks Brian for use of the photo. "Don's Thunder" is a 56"x50" della porta that was made for Don Murphy who won the raffle at my kite festival. "Purple Thunder, a 44"x38" della porta was donated for the Southern Oregon Kite Festival. The kite was won by Carl and Lisa Bragel. "White Bird" is patterned after the design done by Ramlal Tien of Zoone Kites. It and its twin were sewn in the Champie Studio in California. Unfortunately the twin met with a fiery demise but it sure flew sweet for a minute or two.
"Lewis and Clark" "Purple Thunder" "Brule
Thunder" "Cool" "Lakota Shield"
November, 2003 December, 2003 December,
2003 Dec. '03 January, 2004
The Billings, Montana airport terminal will be the site of a special collection of kites depicting the Journal of the Corps of Discovery, i.e., the travels of Lewis and Clark exploring the Louisiana Purchase with the culmination at the Pacific Ocean. It is the highlight of my journey as a kitemaker to be included with the group commissioned to do a kite for the display. "Lewis and Clark" is my first rokkaku. It is a nine foot appliqued kite. I was also able to find enough time to make my first hata and offer it to the Northern California Kite Club to be auctioned at their annual Christmas party. Purple Thunder was purchased by Don King. "Don, it is an honor to have one of my kites in your kite bag." "Brule Thunder", a 38"x30" della porta, was suppose to be an auction kite but it ended up being reflective of a chapter of my life so it stays in my kite bag. "Cool Thunder" was donated to the San Diego Kite Club for their New Year's Day Kite Fly auction. "Lakota Shield" was a graphic I wanted to put in the sky. An oops of the scissors turned the black eagle into a surreal purple. Luckily the judges at Seaside didn't mind the purple eagle head because it earned a 2nd place trophy in the flat category at the AKA Nat'l Conv.
"Morning Star Blessings"
"Rio"
"Dan's Dakota"
September, 2003
September, 2003 August, 2003
The 26th Annual AKA National Convention in Dayton, Ohio was the motivation for "Morning Star Blessings" and for "Rio". Both were entered in the comprehensive kitemaking competition earning a 1st and 3rd place respectively. "Star" is five kites, 36 inches tall, framed and bridled as traditional hexes. Kites 1, 3, and 5 have 72 applique cuts made to look like a quilt piece. The tails are 30 feet in length and nine feet of bridle lines attach the kites to one another. "Rio" is a 48" x 42" della porta which was sold at the AKA auction and purchased as a birthday present for Teri Claycomb of Indiana. "Dan's Dakota" was made for Dan Whitney as a barter kite for his 150' Whitebird dragon. It is 36" x 30" and uses rainbow Icarex in the morning star pattern. And I still think I got the best end of the deal. But it is an honor knowing Dan wanted one of my kites. And cool that another one of my kites has found a home in California.
ZenII
American Eagle Trooper
Steve's Eagle ThunderFighter
March, 2003
May, 2003
April, 2003
June, 2003
June, 2003
A new signature kite is born. The North Star is still in the sky as well as a little yin yang, east/west, prairie/ocean, amethyst/jade, good/bad. A Camelot border was used again. The carnival mask had to be there because it does remind me of the Rio in Vegas and how much fun I had in Vegas. American Eagle was done for the raffle I did to help raise money for my festival. Trooper is the logo of the school I am employed at. Steve's Eagle was commissioned by Steve O'brian, the organizer of the Southern Oregon Kite Festival. ThunderFighter is an exchange for Al Stroh for the rainbox Icarex I received from him over New Years. Next up...Lewis and Clark.
Lakota Prayers Coastal Wisdom Apache Spirit
Comanche Pride
November, 2000 January, 2001
March, 2001 August, 2001
Ogallala
Dakota
Wasp
Snake
Strength
Blessings Numero Uno Made for
September, 2001 September, 2001
Made for David
Willis
Brian Champie
The hexes above are all very similar in size. Spar lengths are 48 inches
and all were sewn in the sandwich applique method. Putting five hexes together
results
in the train pictured below. Native Tribute was entered in the comprehensive kitemaking
competition at the AKA National Convention in Billings in 2001 and took second
place
in the train category and received the designation as having the highest score
in
visual appeal of all the kites entered for competition. (Surprised the heck out
of me!)
Zen Dakota Winds
Native Tribute
Native North Star
2001
Gift for Cindy McCurdy
2002
Zen, my signature kite. Dakota Winds is a della porta, 30" x 26" with 38' fuzzy tail.
Native North Star was my first attempt at quilt work. The design comes
from
the morning star quilt pattern seen most often in quilts of Native American
origin.
It is eight feet from star point to opposite star point and the applique/quilt
banner
tail is 36 feet in length. It didn't fair too well in competition in Ocean City.
Construction is marginal at best but it is a pretty thing in the sky.
Dakota Winds is a della porta, 30" x 26" with 38' fuzzy tail.
Dakota Spirit Ghost Delta Thunderbird Train Native
Colors Dakota Star
2002
2002
2002
2002
2003
Dakota Spirit is a 40" della porta that was done as an auction kite to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. The Ghost Delta is one of a set of twins that were sewn at Brian Champie's residence in July of 2002. Brian and I each made one. Yes, besides being one of the best sport kite fliers ever to have picked up two lines, he is a kitemaker as well. The pyro is six feet tall and 12 feet wide with tails 36 ft. long. Thunderbird Train took second place in the comprehensive kitemaking competition at the AKA National Convention in Ocean City, Maryland in October. The kites are 34" della portas with 40 foot fuzzy looped tails. Native Colors is an 11 foot by 30 inch noodle combining quilting and applique techniques. Dakota Star is a 38 inch della porta which is being donated to National Kite Month 2003 promotion activities.
(It is such an honor to find pictures of my kites on other web sites. No exposure as a kitemaker meant more or helped me gain more confidence than the page that Dan Whitney and Chris & Steve at GWTW did of my kites at WSIKF 2002. Thank you.)