When I did a little research on the origin of "go fly a kite," I was surprised to learn that it doesn't always have a strictly negative connotation. It may have also been a referral to Old Ben Franklin and his experimentations with a kite, lightning and electricity. The phrase could mean a way of telling someone to get a better idea. Or make a new discovery.
This piece, made back in l998 for my husband's elementary school classroom, was inspired by a pattern I saw in a Fons and Porter quilting magazine and a song my daughter learned as a little tyke, "Let's go fly a kite, up to the highest heights . . . " Anybody remember that one?
I machined quilted the background with wavy lines to try to create the movement of the wind. The size of this wall hanging is approximately 36" wide and 29" top to bottom.
My question now is are kites a thing of the past? Do kids still fly kites?
If you're interested in having your name put into the hat for the drawing to win this wall hanging, say so in the comments and tell is if you've ever flown a kite? If so, when was the last time? Was it a fun experience?
I'll close entries this coming Tuesday night (March 25th) and post the winner Wednesday morning.
Now go out there and fly a kite!
29 comments:
I just looked thru my pictures to find the date of a kite flying from April 2012 when my family gathered for Easter. The weather in MN was warm enough to fly a kite that day. There was actually green grass and some of the braver ones had short sleeve shirts on instead of jackets. A nice family gathering and fun memory. I have many pictures of each of the kids holding the fancy string "thingie", not like when we were kids and it was just a ball of string. The kite itself was a shark.
I think they have a kite app to download now, no need to go outside and waste time in the fresh air.
Did you lay on the floor?
You have so much energy....
Doing all these gardening, quilting and canning. Etc
Wow, that is awesome! The last time I flew a kite was about 3 weeks ago :) Having no trees on this place, and the pasture around us, makes for awesome kite flying. The teenagers and I got out there and made Jack a very happy little boy with all those colors flying around to look at.
http://caffeinatedhomestead.weebly.com/blog.html
Interesting idea! I love when we go to the local park on windy days. There's a big open soccer field and the kids, and adult, fly kites. The Oregon coast have a kite festival every year... http://www.oregoncoast.org/2014-kite-festival-theme/
Hellooooo MP,
Long time, no commenting. So sorry! Over the past month I have been trying to catch up on the blogs I used to read so no time to post comments. However, who doesn't like kites? So please put my name in the pot. I can see this quilt on my grandsons' bedroom wall. Thanks! Nice to hear that you have survived all that white stuff. Nice to be reading your blog again.
I ve flown kites with my kids at the beach and other places. It's an art getting them up and staying up. I'd love to be entered for your drawing.
Kathy - When we flew kites as kids, the string was wound around a stick. We held onto the stick (parallel to our bodies) with both hands and unwound the string and turned the kite that way.
Sunnybrook Farm - ARRRGH! Just what kids today need!
DDD - It's past my bedtime right now so lying on the floor sounds kinda good!
Stephanie - That. Is. So. Cool!!!!!
Little Homestead in Boise - A kite festival! May it continue forever!
Karen L. - We all get excused absences every now and then. Good to have you back!
Lisa - Ha! And ever so frustrating when you run and run and run and can't get them up!
The last time I flew a kite was when my boys were little. They had so much fun and I got to run ALOT!!!!! Guess that is what moms are for.
i would love to win the wall hanging please add me to your drawing . lots of memories flying kites as a child. we always fly kites and i have purchased some for the grands for Easter.
I enjoy your blog. thank you for sharing lori J
We would fly kites down the shore every summer. Now I watch the grandchilden do the same. What happy times they were and are! Deborah M.K.
Yes! I love flying kites. I have a collection of nylon kites hanging in my basement. The tri-plane one is so big that it took my daughter (then 2) right off of the ground when she was holding on to it. :)
With -23 for a temp this morning, it may be a long time before I get to dust them off and let them fly.
That brought back such wonderful memories of art school in Cleveland - WAAAY back. In the spring, one of our finals was to form teams and create a kite. Then the teams would go down to the shore of Lake Erie on an appropriately fair and windy day, and have a kite-off. It was so much fun! And now, I must admit that I entirely covet that quilt. In fact, if I don't win it (boohoo), I might have to haul up my Big Girl Panties and make one!
Peggi - It should be easier for a taller person to get a kite up . . . but it doesn't always work that way, does it?!
Lori J - What lovely presents for your grandchildren for Easter!
Thanks for your nice words.
Deborah M.K. - The simplicity of kite flying! May it never go out of style. Wonderful memories you have.
odiie - Well, you beat us temperature-wise by a long shot. We had only -2°. But enough wind to get a kite launched, I'm sure! I love that you have a bunch of kites hanging in your basement.
Susan - What a GREAT class assignment! There must naturally be a lot of wind by water because that seems such a perfect place to fly kites. 'Course, hauling them back to shore wouldn't be so easy if they landed in the drink!
We still fly kites. WHAT ?? Grownups aren't supposed to have fun ????
I love that little wall hanging--you are so talented. I'll throw in the pathetic part about my poor wrist, and maybe the random drawing gods will take pity on me. lol
Akannie - Hey. we gotta work with what we've got, right? ;o}
*sigh* hopefully third time's the charm as Blogger has eaten my 2 previous tries at commenting. I remember flying kites, when I was a child, that looked similar to what you've quilted.... string on a stick too... then fast-foward to when my girls were little and the kites were more like mylar? material, and string on a plastic thingey. I like the 'old ways' of kite-flying best... paper kites with homemade fabric tails, string on a stick, a windy day, open spaces and bliss.
Lisa - I vaguely remember my grandpa making our kites, and I'm sure they were paper . . . of some sort. Seems that some of them didn't last more than one outing!
me me me-lol ,my lil ones love the lil quilts.Even tho its a wall hanging ,they enjoy them so much ,and they are indestructible
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