Photos & Projects

In January of 1993 a committee was formed to create a logo for our newly formed club. Gail Erich, Phyllis Finger and Tony Reiser got together and came up with the design. Gail made the first logo of ripstop nylon which was put on a rokkaku made by Andy Gelinas. This is how the logo looks now on the 4′ and 6′ roks.

by: Tony & Steve Ferrel, Summer 1992

How many of you have seen this drogue flying in the Lehigh Valley? Answer.. All who have been to club events lately.
It was designed by Kite Studio and built by club members Steve Ferrel, Tony and Jim Reiser, Guy Gray, Bob James, and Tony Ferrel. The initial idea was to make a banner to fly off a large lifting kite. We wanted the letters to be fairly large so it could be read from a distance. The words also had to make sense to people unfamiliar with our club, so we could not use abbreviations. We soon discovered that Lehigh Valley Kite Society, Pennsylvania had too darn many letters for a banner. The next idea was to design something that created some lift of its own, and would remain inflated so as to keep the letters readable at all times. The solution was a nineteen foot drogue! The front diameter is approximately 4.5 feet; the rear diameter approximately 1.5 feet.

The drogue represents 38 man hours of cutting the 3/4 ounce ripstop body; cutting, gluing, and sewing 58 letters; sewing the edging; installing the semi-rigid tubing for the leading edge frame; and then cutting, knotting, and installing the eight point adjustable bridle.

It was a great learning experience for all involved. Because of the confidence achieved from the project we have a lot of homemade kites and feather flags flying the fields of the Lehigh Valley. Thanks again to all involved and for the support of the LVKS for the project!

by: Paul Keeler, Winter 1992

On August 13, 1992, it began! Tony & Steve Ferrel, Tony Reiser, Ron Dunn, Gail Erich and Paul Keeler met at Kite Studio and started on the club’s 4′ and 6′ rokkakus and 16′ banner/feather flag. After a few hours of planning, drawing, erasing, re-drawing and cutting, there emerged a pattern for a 4′ rokkaku. On the 19th, the paper pattern was transferred to ripstop and then pasted to the main body. Tony Reiser took the pieces home and sewed them together.

At the 3rd meeting of the group on the 26th, Tony had the pieces almost all together. The group started thinking again (not so hard this time) and enlarged the 4′ pattern to a 6′ pattern. Tony Ferrel sewed the 2 halves of the skin together. With the help of Jim Reiser, the pieces were cut and pasted to the skin. Again, Tony Reiser took the pieces to sew. Also at the 3rd meeting, a plan was drawn up for a 16′ banner/feather flag. Paul took the plans for the flag to cut and assemble. Tony Reiser and Gail helped at Burlesque Kites with the assembly.

After the kites were sewn by Tony Reiser, Tony and Steve Ferrel added the finishing touches, pockets, rods, bridling, etc. On September 10, 1992, the 4′ rokkaku could be seen in the skies above Luther Crest (battling it out with a hawk) and by the 14th (LVKS meeting) the 6′ was complete all but bridling. The flag was mostly done and completed on the 15th.

The Club now has a 7 1/2′ rokkaku (made by Andy Gelinas at the Maryland Kite Society Weekend Retreat Feb. 14-17, 1992), a 6′ rokkaku, a 4′ rokkaku, a Banner/Feather Flag and a kite bag (donated by Burlesque Kites and embroidered by Steve Ferrel). This is a good start! Thanks to all who helped with their time and knowledge.

This was the first club Rokkaku made in Feb. 1992. The 7.5′ tall Rok was made by Andy Gelinas. The center logo was made by Gail Erich.

Spring 1993

We needed some type of ground display to be like other clubs and groups. However we wanted to have more than the others. A simple design was created where the top section has a keystone, the bottom section has LVKS and the center section has a design by the club member who made the flag.

The flags were first displayed at The Smithsonian Kite Festival – March 27, 1993. We had 25 flags at that time. Becouse we set them up everywhere we go they get used a lot, wear out and need to be repaired or replaced every couple of years. We now average around 45 flags, along with all the other stuff we set up.

Winter 1993

At Maryland Kite Society’s Winter Retreat 1993 one of the projects was a flat six sided kite. When seven of the kites are connected together the larger kite is then called a “Seven Sister” kite. So seven if us got together and each made a single kite to be put together. We decided to enter the kite at Smithsonian Kite Festival, but first a tail was needed to stabilize the kite.

The matching tail was made at the clubhouse. The photos are the launching and flight of the kite on the mall in Washington DC. We didn’t win but we had a good time.

by:Donna Grable, Summer 1994

The secret club project was a HUGE success. During the past few months approximately 20 club members created a 21 foot by 12 foot flag. The flag consisted of panels that were 32 inches square. Each member made their own panels and then we got all of them together and put borders around each of the panels to connect them. It took about 17 hours and a lot of sewing by numerous members. Ken Hollor, Matt Reiser, Paul Keeler & Tom Grable & Paul Keeler.

The flag consisted of panels that were 32 inches square. Each member made their own panels and then we got all of them together and put borders around each of the panels to connect them.

The first official launching of the flag was Memorial Weekend at the ECSKC Festival in Wildwood, NJ. Thanks to Scott E. Spencer for his help in securing it to the kite line.

The flag was designed to add more panels, so those LVKS members who would like to add a panel on can do so.
Thanks to all who helped to make this project a success: Andy, Paul, Dean, Joyce, Tony F., Gail, Steve, Jim, Tony, Sr., Tony, Jr., Ron, Tom, Glenn, Marty, Juan, Carmen, Ken, Matthew. Keep those minds thinking for another to do in the future.

by: Gail Erich, Winter 1994

This project originally got off the ground at the May club meeting when the members voted to okay moneys to create 24 Kimonos. Ron Dunn and I searched several craft stores for an appropriate pattern as did Joyce and Cliff Quinn down in their neck of the woods. Then after a tasty working lunch, Joyce and I searched for dazzling materials to make the prototype. With Joyce working a lot behind the scenes. The prototype was modeled at the club meeting and received an enthusiastic response.

So the search began to accumulate 91 yards of red jacquard (synthetic silk) and 66 yards of black patterned jacquard. So by late July enough was amassed to begin our massive undertaking.

At the first get-together in August, we cut out pieces and pieces and more pieces. But a great group was there to help. Newcomer Nancy Fried, Joyce Quinn, Joyce Gordon, Paul Keeler, Tony Reiser Sr. and myself. Well, I thought ripstop was the slipperiest material to work with, but I was wrong. We met for two weeks just to cut and pin Kimonos.

Then we sewed for three weeks, and the guys did a super job sewing. I believe as a group we could tackle just about anything now. Again, Joyce Quinn took home and pressed all the Kimonos. Some oriental type lettering was found and added the week before the AKA Convention, so we knew we were just about ready.

by: Tony Reiser

Have you ever been flying kites as a festival or just any public place when you will hear the question, hey mister can I fly your kite?

I would like to let the youngster or oldster fly my kite but many of my kites have won awards and some have taken many hours of tedious work and expensive material to make. I am reluctant to let someone who is inexperienced use them.

I made a proposal to the Club in August, 1999, that we should make several easy to assemble and fly kites. I decided that an eight foot Delta Conyne would be a good choice. So with some of our Club members, we made ten kites. We made five yellow and red and five black and red.

We have been loaning them to young and old alike. They not only save our kites but they give people their first experience at kite flying or perhaps bringing back the thrill once again at the wonderful world of kiting.

by: Paul Keeler, Fall 2001

For a while now, several of us have talked about making side for the Eazy Ups. When we got the new Eazy Up (10′X10′), I decided it was time to do more than talk.

I sat down and drew up a design on the computer of how I thought the “walls” should look. The size, 10′ Wide and 6′ Tall. A large Keystone logo in the center, with our web address across the top. This large of a surface would collect a lot of wind, so we used a white screening for the background surface. This way, some of the wind will go through, but enough wind is blocked to protect us from the high winds we sometimes get. Also, the walls give more shade to the area. The project was to be completed for Sunfest.

The first step was to get the materials, enough to build two walls. The fabric is 1.5 oz. ripstop for the yellow border, black lettering and multi-colored logo. A heavy white screening was used for the rest.

Next the letters had to be cut out and glued to the background, then each letter had to be sewn down. The logo was then cut out and sewn together. Then the logo was sewn to the center of the screen. The web address section was added to the top and a border was added on the sides and bottom. Finally, tabs were attached to the top and both sides of the wall. Thirteen Bungees are used to attach the wall to the Eazy Up.

We were able to finish one wall for Sunfest. Not only does it look great, it actually functioned like we planned. The second wall was not completed for another two week after Sunfest. I’m looking forward to seeing both walls attached to the Eazy Up.

Thanks to Glenn & Martin Bachman, Tony Reiser and Doug Logg for their help in making this project.

by: Paul Keeler, Winter, Feb. 2004

Late in 2003 while driving, I saw these spinning things outside of a store. I thought they would be neat to make in the club colors and put with our ground display. I stopped and took a few photos so I had something to work with.

After playing with the idea for a while, I came up with a paper design and came to a club meeting in November with the project. I said I would make one to make sure the design changes I made would work. The design was accepted and we set 2 dates in February 2004 to get club members together and build 12 units.

To make 12 units we had to make 72 individual flags, so several of us cut out pieces before the workshop dates. Tony cut out the red sections of the flags, I cut the yellow sections. Joyce, Andy & Sylvia cut all the letters and keystones. Tony also made the hubs which holds the thing together. At the first workshop, Deidre, Sylvia, Andy and Tony began sticking the letters and keystones on to the red panels. Joyce and I started to sew the panels together, Martie joined in when she and Glenn arrived. Saul cut the strips for the edge binding. Glenn, Ron and Sue folded the edge binding. We got most of the panels sewn together and even a few flags were edge binded. Joyce & Paul sewing.
At the 2nd workshop we completed (all but a few final touches) all 12 units. Tony put together the frames (tinker toys as Andy calls them). Joyce, Sylvia, Andy and I completed the sewing. Then we all got to assemble the final units.

At March’s First Sunday Fly, all 13 spinning flags were displayed for the first time. We didn’t have all the other flags to set up with the new spinning flags but they look good all by themselves. Next time you see LVKS at an event check them out.

Thanks to the members who were able to come to the workshop and help.