I
missed seeing a major event last year and in case you did, too, I am reporting
it here so we can all take part in the Block Challenge part of it. And maybe, if you can get to Houston in Oct-Nov 2014, you can go see the
results.
What
I missed was the fact that Quilting has gone out of this world – literally!
No,
really ... it has.
Astronaut
Karen Nyberg went on a routine 5-month mission to the International Space
Station in May of 2013 and, get this …, she took her quilting with her!!
Well,
of course, one would need breaks in between studying the human microbiome,
nutrition studies as they relate to bone loss in space and maybe how combustion
works in zero gravity – oh, and working on that pesky leaky space suit – even if
your free time is very limited. Wouldn’t
you want to turn to quilting?!
This
is Nyberg’s 9-inch block and her description:
“Now that I’ve tried my hand sewing in space, I can say one
thing with certainty: it’s tricky,” Nyberg said in a video sent down from the
space station. “This is what I’ve made. It’s far from being a masterpiece, but
it was made in space.
And
Astronaut Nyberg, a lifelong lover of sewing, has invited us all to join her in
stitching together a global community space quilt.
You
still have time to participate in the Astronomical Quilts! Block Challenge –
entries are due by Aug 1, 2014. The block is to be any 9.5 inch star-themed
(but not embellished) quilt block – one entry per person. All blocks will be made into a quilt to be
displayed at the Quilt Festival in Houston
in Oct-Nov, 2014. Check out details at
this link:
For
more about Nyberg’s personal hobbies, see:
And
for more about the troubles Nyberg encountered cutting, sewing and otherwise handling
fabric in space, this write-up by Helen Fields is very interesting:
Congratulations,
Astronaut and Quilter Karen Nyberg. Let’s hope we
always shoot for the stars!
No comments:
Post a Comment