You want to go to a Kite Sewing Workshop. What will you need to take with you?
The Short List:
The Expanded Version:
*Sewing Machine: In a Kite Sewing Workshop, The Presenter in the front of the room is teaching how to sew the kite project. To get the most out of the workshop, a participant should be able to: Thread their sewing machine. Adjust the Stitch Length. Adjust the Top Tension. Adjust the tension of the Bobbin Race. Wind a bobbin. Change a bobbin. Change a needle. Switch to, and adjust the width and length of, Zig-Zag stitch (if the machine has it.).Use Reverse (if the machine has it.)
Someone who wants to get the most out of a Kite Sewing workshop will do ALL OF THE ABOVE on their machine, BEFORE the workshop, using scraps of the same material that will be used in the workshop, i.e., 3/4 ounce ripstop nylon.
Thread: Thread is important. The type, the quality, and the strength of the thread are all important. We are making kites, not clothes. There are consequences if the thread, the stitch, the seam, comes apart in flight. Cheaper, furrier, lumpier threads are harder to work with and more difficult to tension properly. Recommended threads, in order of preference, are: V-30, HB-33, Güterman, Mettlers Metrosene, or Mölnlycke polyester. V-30 (polyester) and HB-33 (nylon) are commercial threads used in industrial sewing machines. They run very consistently and very clean. Güterman, Mettlers Metrosene, or Mölnlycke are polyester threads that are usually available at Home Sewing Stores.
Rather than go out and buy a pound of V-30 or HB 33 for $20 to $30, bring 6 empty bobbins to the workshop and wind someone's V-30 thread on to them and you can sew just fine.
Scissors: There will be a lot of trimming of threads in the workshop. A small pair of sharp scissors for cutting the thread is very handy. The most popular are the 5" Fiskars. You don't need big fabric shears. (A) Usually we pre-cut the panels to save time in the workshop. (B) Panels are usually cut with a Hot Cutter or a Rotary Knife.
Needles: Always bring extra needles. The recommended size is #90 (European), Size 14 (Singer, et al), Regular (Universal) Point.
Blue Tape: Any masking tape will do, but the weight and the adhesive of Scotch Blue Masking tape make it the preference of most Kite Sewers.
Plastic Bag: A plastic store bag that can be thrown away at the end of the workshop is great to have to tape to your worktable. You can put all trimmed threads and small scraps in to this bag. That makes it easy to keep your work space clean and neat, and makes it easy to leave the room as good as we found it.
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