Pillow tail

This line decoration caught my eye during a kite festival in Titz (Germany). At first I didn't think it was special, but later after taking a few photos I came across it again. And then I was fascinated by it. By using your favorite colors, this can become a beautiful addition to your line decorations. This model is based on seven pillow shapes in a row.

MATERIAL

3.5 m1 spinnaker nylon

0.5 m1 spinnaker hem tape

3 m1 thin nylon line

1 swivel

PARTS

Cut out the required squares according to the drawing and remember the extra hem allowance of 7 mm. Variation in the size is possible and will not adversely affect the result, there have been examples seen with more than 20 squares. Beautiful! A soldering iron is not really necessary for cutting. At the moment I have good experiences with rotary cutters. A beautiful system in which a round blade is placed in a holder and therefore always ensures a sharp cutting edge. Cutting here works best on thick cardboard or possibly a stack of unfolded newspapers. Once all the squares have been cut out, the holes must be cut out. A template is needed for this. After marking with a compass, we cut a nice circle out of thick cardboard. Please note that we need a different size for the back square because the tail will be attached here. This tail is thinner than the air inlet. Once the templates have been made, we can cut the holes out of the spinnaker nylon. Press the template firmly onto the fabric and cut out the hole with a sharp snap-off knife. Once we have finished with this, the tail and air inlet must still be cut out. Also consider the extra hem allowance here. Once all the parts have been cut out, the hemming can begin. All the squares must be hemmed with the extra hem allowance of 7 mm. Do this with a large backstitch. Once this is complete, we can start joining. to the top

MEMBERING

Make a colour scheme for the squares for yourself and put them in order. To make it easy to work with, we first sew two squares together with the air vents. Pin the pieces together with the hemmed sides facing outwards and sew around the hole with a straight stitch. Fasten and unfasten well because later we won't be able to reach all the seams properly. When we're done, they will all be on the inside. The squares are sewn together two by two around the hole. What we have left are the first square where the air inlet will be and the square where the tail will be. The tail is first closed lengthwise. After which it can be attached to the square. Here too, pay close attention that the seams are on the inside. It may take some puzzling, but it can be done! By the way, sewing something in such a small circle is difficult, but still just about doable. If you've succeeded, pull the tail through the hole and shape it correctly; a stick can help here to push the point outwards. The air inlet follows now. Here is the same recipe and when everything is in place, the edge finish can be placed around the top edge. Simply fold the spinnaker hem tape over it and stitch it down about 10 mm from the fold. We can use a darning needle to thread a thin string through the opening. This will better absorb the tensile force later. We can now start stitching the squares together. Place two elements with the seams on top of each other and pin the edges. Temporarily fold away the top and bottom layer and make sure that it is not sewn along. By stitching 2 mm from the edge, we sew the elements squarely together. Yes, we are sewing on the outside of the line decoration. This stitching seam remains visible, so work neatly! If all the elements are attached to each other, the “pillow” is almost ready. What we still have to do is attach the bridle lines. Prick a hole behind the line in the edge finish with a darning needle and feed the bridle line through it. Secure with a sliding knot. Divide the air intake into four. Make a bridle point on each quarter. Include a swivel in these bridle lines. The “Pillow” line decoration can now be incorporated into the kite line.

Have fun with it, and show your variations on the kite field or mail your experiences.

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