— Ten years after launching a patchwork of stars from her place in area, astronaut Karen Nyberg is asking for quilters to create the moon.
“The Subsequent Big Leap: Lunar Quilt Block Problem” is now accepting moon-themed quilt blocks created by American college students in seventh by way of 12 grade, in addition to particular person quilters, crafters and artists positioned throughout the USA. The perfect squares entered from every of the 50 states will likely be sewn into an official “Lunar Quilt” designed by Nyberg.
The finished quilt will likely be displayed on the Kennedy Middle of Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., as a part of the “Earth to Area: Arts Breaking the Sky” pageant within the spring of 2025.
“I’m thrilled to announce a brand new problem, this time celebrating NASA and humanity’s return to the moon,” mentioned Nyberg in a video posted to the competition’s web site. “Your design ought to symbolize what area exploration and returning to the moon means to you.”
NASA, along with its worldwide and business companions, plan to launch astronauts to the moon starting as quickly as presumably as late subsequent 12 months, marking the primary time people will fly to Earth’s pure satellite tv for pc for the reason that Apollo moon landings resulted in 1972. The Artemis program goals to determine a sustainable presence at and on the moon earlier than sending future astronaut crews to Mars.
To make sure that the chosen moon-themed blocks can come collectively to kind a single quilt, entrants are requested to make use of darkish blues or black inside the background of their designs and constrain their squares to be precisely 12.5 by 12.5 inches sq. (31.75 by 31.75 centimeters).
“Precision is vital in quilting, similar to in rocket science,” mentioned Nyberg.
All forms of quilting strategies or a mixture of them are welcome, together with conventional piecing, basis paper piecing and appliqué. Crafters also can use cloth dyes or cloth paints.
“Quilting cotton is a good alternative of cloth, however since upcycling is vital for each our planet and for future area missions, we encourage you to think about incorporating some upcycled materials into your design — like possibly a few of your previous garments,” Nyberg mentioned.
All squares must also embrace the title of the state from the place it was created.
People might enter as much as two blocks every. Crafters want to tell problem organizers of their intent to take part by Wednesday, Nov. 20, and must submit digital photograph(s) of their design by Dec. 10. Finalists will likely be notified by e-mail that their quilt block has been chosen by Dec. 20 after which have till Jan. 7, 2025 to mail of their bodily quilt block for Nyberg to stitch into the Lunar Quilt.
A toolkit and utility, in addition to additional particulars, can be found to obtain on the problem web site.
“This can be a fast turnaround challenge, the Lunar Quilt will likely be on show on the Kennedy Middle in March. So begin creating!!” Nyberg posted to her social media channels on Tuesday (Nov. 12).
Nyberg turned the primary particular person to quilt whereas in area when she stitched collectively a 9-by-9-inch (23-by-23-cm) crimson, white and blue sq. on board the Worldwide Area Station in 2013. Her star-themed creation served because the inspiration and later, the centerpiece, for the Worldwide Quilt Pageant’s “AstroBlock Problem.”
In response, greater than 2,200 quilters from all over the world despatched in their very own astronomical-themed cloth blocks, which had been then sewn collectively to create 28 quilt panels.
Since then, Nyberg has left NASA’s astronaut corps and utilized her expertise from spending 180 days off the planet to growing and promoting her personal cloth patterns, in addition to increasing her portfolio to incorporate work and portraitures.
For the Lunar Quilt Block Problem, Nyberg will function one of many judges, along with Bonnie Schrock, chief government of the Nationwide Quilt Museum and officers from NASA and the Kennedy Middle. Nyberg will then sew collectively the finalists’ squares and, including her personal artwork, full the quilt.
The Kennedy Middle’s Earth to Area Pageant will run from March 28 by way of April 13, 2025. Additional particulars in regards to the occasion, which may even embrace a family-friendly live performance, will likely be launched within the coming months.
