Play Sail Workshop

The NYKE Play Sail Project

NYKE PlaySail Workshop – Part I

January 11^th 2003

The first time I met Pauly Berard he had a duffel bag with him, with four handles sticking out… We unfurled a 20’ X 30’ rectangle fabric, with 100’ of 500# line attached to each corner. I grabbed two line and Pauly the other two… The wind gusted up and the Play Sail pulled me onto my chest and was pulling me along the ground. I knew at that moment that someday I must have one of those…

Four years later NYKE is working as a group to produce a play sail that is 27’ X 40’ This collaborative project was a long time in the works. The Thursday night prior to the workshop Robin, Jim Johannesen and myself cut the bulk fabric into panels. Each panel was 54" X 81" unfinished.

Gary & Maggie Engvall made the trip up for the workshop. About 7:45 am Jim & Gary pulled up the driveway and we added my gear to theirs in Dad’s van and away we went. Now that the new building is open at St.Rose the parking lot closest to Albertus Hall was now available, thus making the gear schlep a lot less painful. The room was set up for production in short order, although we were a bit worse off (Mike Stratton had the day off, we weren’t as connected as last time…)

Warren A and Warren C Richardson were early on the scene sporting their new Kenmore sewing machines, Christmas was good to them. Gary Sharp & Deb Borg was close behind them and each setup a work station. Mike Coons rounded out the field of participants… Once the spaghetti of lead cords was run all around the room, we were ready to roll. Thanks to our good friend Ron Young, of Ron’s Sign Shop, who provided the opaque project, that allowed us to enlarge our designs to large by huge. Gary Engvall, and Jim came with a leg up, they had traced out their designs in advance. Everyone pitched in some of their stash of scraps so that there was a pretty wide assortment of colors to choose from.

Before getting started Warren A and Warren C received a crash course in how a sewing machine works from Gary Engvall. After threading their machines and getting the tension tweaked for ripstop, the Richardson boys were off and running. By the time we broke for lunch everyone had a good jump on their project. The traditional pizza was delivered just in time to feed a hungry bunch of kite builders.

Kudos go to all those who took on the challenge. This was a large and trying piece of material to manage, and everyone faced it head on… The designs were quite impressive. Gary Sharp and Deb Borg created several panels with a native American theme. Jim Johannesen used a image of an 8’ bol, Gary Engvall recreated Taz, in NYKE colors… I added the Red hand to a panel. Many panels went home with people to be finished and returned.

Photos from Part I

Debby Borg hard at work.

Mikey Sewing a bunch...

Panel design by committee.

Jim Johannesen sewing away.

Mikey's finished panel.

Gary Sharp's finished panel.

Jeremy giving us a hand...

NYKE PlaySail Workshop – Part II

February 22nd 2003

At the annual planning meeting it was agreed that Saturday Feb. 22nd would be a good day to assemble the PlaySail panels. Robin & Jim Johannesen graciously offered the use of their home for this ‘smaller’ than usual workshop. Since the original panel workshop on Jan. 11th, panels had been arriving in drips and drabs and I know for a fact that some weren’t finished up till the morning of the big assembly day.

Mike Coons arrived on my doorstep around 8:30, we loaded up my gear and headed for my parents. By 10 am we had a full crew in place and had a strategy meeting on how to tackle this beast, over some yummy cinnamon rolls that Warren C. Richardson’s wife made for us…

With a layout drawing that I had sketched out the night before in hand, we began the task of located panels and grouping them… Three sewing stations were set-up. Jim Johannesen was assisted by Warren A. Richardson. Mike Coons had Warren C helping him out. Gary Engvall had Debby Borg’s aide, and Gary Sharp and I floated around helping out where needed and snapping photos… The three sewing teams joined the individual panels into ‘rows.’ Gary E. rose to the challenge and did two rows…

Once the rows were joined the next step was to join them. Mike Coons tackled one pair and Gary E. the other pair. (Only after a minor bit of debate regarding what types of seams would be best used, especially to hide our sins…) Round about this point Robin made her importance in this process known, and let us all know it was time for lunch. She had whipped up a big batch of chili and a stock pot full of homemade soup. With freshly feed troops we once again attacked.

With two assistance (Warren A rolling the excess and Debby Borg helping feed) Gary E. joined the two halves… We now had all the individual panels joined into one monster piece… Now the solid blue top and bottom rows needed to be added. Gary E. made a brake for it and Mike Coons was forced into duty. The blue panels was uncut and attached to the sail right as it came off the roll… I took a brief turn at the machine while the bottom row was being attached, but quickly ran away. There was a moment of panic when I thought we were woefully short of material, which turned out to be me simply looking along the wrong edge. We ended up with us over a yard of excess blue…

During the process the number of required hands slowly declined, in order to entertain those who were not working on the PlaySail, we popped in The Secret Life of Machines, Sewing Machines tape. It was a big hit for all those who were viewing the giant human sewing machine for the first time… Once the VCR was fired up it ran continuously with kite videos for the rest of the afternoon.

By now it was pushing toward 5 p.m. and the Richardson boys headed home. We had some more to eat, and planned out our final assault… I had ordered 150’ of ½" nylon webbing to run inside the seam of the outside edge. After our dinner we all watched and tried to help as Gary took on the task. In a first pass he added the webbing, and them went around a second time rolling the seam and adding the corner reinforcements… A mere 280’ of sewing… I should mention that at this point fatigue had set in on the troops and Debby fell victim to the tee-hees… brought on my Gary Sharps invention of the Jemarime. (Don’t ask, even some on hand didn’t get it…)

Gary and Debby headed for home as Mike, Gary, Jim and I planned, cut and added the line attachment loops to each corner. It was every bit of 8:30 when it was complete. Gary and Jim celebrated with a glass of 12 year old Scotch. The finished unit was carefully stuffed into a trash bag for safe keeping.

I would like to offer my thanks and congratulations to all those who participated in this HUGE project. It is truly a symbol of what we can accomplish when we work as a group. There have already be requests for this piece to be brought to upcoming festivals in order for it to be displayed.

Once it is ready to fly, with line and handles we will discuss the new burden of insuring that it is always used safely and wisely… ‘With great power comes much responsibility’

Photos from Part II

Warren A and Jim J joining panels.