• It’s very sensitive to the tension setting on the sewing machine. Testing on scraps and adjusting is a must.
• Needle holes do not self-seal, so once you’ve punched a hole, it’s there. Use a small diameter needle, and make as few mistakes as possible.
• It handles more like paper than cloth. It’s fairly stiff, so it’s hard to keep lined up and flat under the needle while bundling up the excess kite sail that isn’t getting stiched. Again, practice helps a lot.
• It’s slippery and does not take to adhesives well. You can use a little bit of water and get two parts to stay together nicely long enough to sew, but don’t put too much strain on them. Spray adhesive tends to leave marks. Pins leave the holes. Glue doesn’t really stick. Melting methods are more reliable.
• I did have some success ironing Icarex, using a very low setting on the iron and keeping the iron moving. Be very careful.

My best advice for Icarex is practice, practice, practice. Even though it’s expensive, buy a little extra and get used to it.

This year’s theme is Green Environmentalism. As usual, there will be lots of fun kiting and kid-centric events for all of you spawners.

Our Rokkaku Fighting Team will be on the field seeking a fourth (? I’ve lost count) 1st place trophy. The combat is at 3pm!

Here’s the Smithsonian’s description of their theme:

This year’s festival is going GREEN.

The Kite Festival (Saturday, March 28, 10 am to 4 pm) will explore how being ‘green’ and utilizing natural resources can be a fun, creative, and fulfilling experience. What better way to celebrate our environment than by coloring the sky with kites fashioned from renewable resources and powered by the wind?

This year, honor planet Earth by creating both environmentally and thematically ‘green’ kites that positively reflect the beautiful resources we have available. In lieu of constructing with ‘green’ materials, you could create a traditional kite with a ‘green’ theme…The sky is literally the limit-so be creative and push the limits, have fun, and go ‘green’! Whatever you end up creating, please make sure that all kites fly according to AKA specifications.

(Ummm, wouldn’t “fly according to AKA specifications” just mean not flying into power lines and not crashing into crowds?)

Read more at the Smithsonian Kite Festival website, including a list of activity tents and a schedule that starts at 10 am.

For Kite-Flying Children

because there are so many of you nowadays. There’s a poetry contest for 1st-8th graders.

I didn’t see anything about a children’s kite-making workshop, but there’s usually one at the Smithsonian — the week before, I believe. Keep an eye open for it.