Those of you who have enjoyed The Fort Worden Kitemakers Conference before, know what the same old problem is—too many great teachers, too many intriguing projects, too many friends to visit with, too much to learn, and only three quick days to do it all. This coming year will not break the pattern. The often heard complaint is “there are too many projects to choose among! I want to do more than there is time for.” Fort Worden, for those of you who have not been before, is possibly the oldest kitemakers conference on the continent. This next one will be number 27, and there are still several folks who haven’t missed one yet! I wish I was one of them, but we didn’t start attending until about 17 years ago. I think of all I missed!
Fort Worden is also a movie star, serving as the location for the movie “An Officer and a Gentleman.” The new Dining Commons is the home of two notable things—the food, and the raffle. Food at Fort Worden has been, in years past, the butt of many well deserved jokes. The last several years have seen much improvement, though if I were looking for a sure bet, the food quality wouldn’t be on my list. That said, it has at times been very good, and most times very acceptable.
The weekend can be as busy as you want it to be. Some folks try to pack in every class they can fit. Other folks take no classes, and just wander around visiting with friends we see too seldom. Most folks are somewhere in between, taking as many classes as they feel comfortable with. And the time involved varies. Some classes are four hours. Some are eight hours. They may even be twelve or sixteen hours. Our teachers have a lot of flexibility. In ’09 we will have eighteen teachers picked from among the world’s best. Besides the local favorites from Washington and Oregon we will have several teachers from foreign countries—Germany, England, Japan, Canada (sure it’s foreign—just not very foreign) as well as foreign countries like Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. (Not foreign? Well, they are a long way from here!)
Besides our most used modern materials, ripstop fabric and epoxy spars, we will also work with string, Tyvek, Washi, tissue paper, bamboo, and--coffee filters?!!!!! Sewing, no sewing, painting, dying—you name it, we will be doing it. The folks lining up these teachers try to make sure there is a big variety of types of projects. If you are a raw beginner, or a kitemaker with years of experience, there is something here for you.
I have heard folks say “it is an awful lot of money to attend Fort Worden.” Well, yes and no. Check out what it would cost to stay three nights in a motel. Add up nine meals in a restaurant. Check what your local fabric store charges for a sewing workshop. Add these all together, and Fort Worden comes out as a screaming bargain! Are you bringing along someone who really isn’t into kitemaking? No problem. Port Townsend is a treasured tourist destination. A town built on two levels, the lower level by the water is packed with wonderful shops. Shops full of art and craft things in wonderful old buildings. The area is paradise for boaters, so there are always plenty of boats to enhance the landscape. Want to see pictures? Go here-- http://www.ptguide.com/phototour/photographers/index.html In case you haven’t already done it, check us out at www.kitemakers.org There you will find more details, pictures of many of the projects, with more to come, and pictures of the fun from past years. You will also find the information you will need to sign up, and what you need to know if you have not attended before. See you in Port Townsend, March 26-29, 2009! Now—get that sewing machine out, take it to your local sewing machine service man for an oil change, lube job, and tune up. If you feel rusty, get out those fabric scraps and practice a little. Then start gathering together the things you will need to take with you—it is, after all, only three months away! See you there... John Freeman
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The conference is held in the For Worden Conference Center, which is part of the Washington State Parks system. Located on Point Wilson, the fort itself has a long history. It was living quarters for hundreds of soldiers who manned the huge gun emplacements. Built at a time when America feared an invasion from the sea, it was one of several Forts guarding the entrance to Puget Sound and access to Seattle. The massive concrete gun positions are still there, though the guns, of course, are long gone. The renovated dormitories and classrooms are what now constitute the conference center.
And the raffle—ah yes, the raffle. Under the guidance of the world renowned Marla Miller it is a thing of wonder. At the end of most meals the “are you ready to raffle” cry goes up, and the fun is on. I suspect this is the biggest kite-related raffle in the world, having hundreds of items, including a large number of fine kites built by prominent kitemakers. No auction here—if you have a buck to spend on tickets you have a chance of winning any of it. Over the years the system has been refined so it goes very fast—it has to in order to get through the massive amount of goodies.
We even have a couple of kites that are not other kites. What—you don’t understand? Most of us are familiar with the “Not a Peter Lynn” kite, designed by Greg Greger. This year we will be introduced also to the “Not a Cody Kite” and “The Uncorner Kite.” Add to that a kite that can be flown as a stable single liner, or as a Buka fighter; a kite that can be flown with the rear segments either of two ways; a kite that can be flown vertically or horizontally, and a kite that can look totally different depending on how you slash the fabric. All this and two birds too!
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