Quilters of the World Unite?

[Brian Gaff]

Is this the new in hobby then? October 31, 2013

Joshua Buck Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1100 [e-mail]

Nicole Cloutier/Susan Anderson Johnson Space Center, Houston

281-483-5111 [e-mail] / [e-mail]

RELEASE 13-320

NASA Astronaut Karen Nyberg Invites Quilters to Contribute a Star Block

International Space Station Expedition 37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA, a lifelong lover of sewing, is inviting fellow crafters to join her in stitching together a global community space quilt.

Nyberg, who is in the final weeks of her mission aboard the orbiting laboratory, recently shared a star-themed quilt block she was able to complete during her limited free time in space. She is now inviting quilters from the public to create their own star-themed quilt blocks to help celebrate her mission and passion for the quilting arts.

"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. I'm inviting all of you to create your own star-themed quilt block. We'll be combining them with my block to create a quilt for next year's 40th anniversary International Quilt Festival in Houston. I can't wait to see what we make together."

Nyberg's complete video and other video clips of her quilting aboard the space station will be featured in a NASA exhibit at the 39th annual International Quilt Festival Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 3 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Sewing and quilting include many of the principles and technical skills used in developing equipment for spaceflight missions. The exhibit will include sewn samples from spacesuits and parachutes, a cargo transfer bag and other soft goods from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The deadline for submitting a block for the quilt is Aug. 1, 2014. For more information about where to send your block, visit:

Nyberg and The International Quilt Festival will collaborate on having the squares stitched together for display at the 40th annual International Quilt Festival in 2014 and at other public displays. The Houston festival is the largest annual quilt festival in the world, attracting more than 60,000 guests annually.

Nyberg arrived at the space station with Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency in May. The trio is scheduled to return to Earth Nov. 10.

For Nyberg's complete biography, visit:

For more information about Nyberg's personal sewing hobbies visit:

To see video of Karen describing sewing in space and showing the quilt square in space, visit:

For more about the 39th annual International Quilt Festival, visit:

For more information about the International Space Station, onboard research and crew members, visit:

-end-

[Geoff Bache]

Sounds like a question for Grymma ?

[Brian Gaff]

Possibly,but I was also wondering what might be difficult about it in low gravity. surely it should be easier as it won't keep falling on the floor all the time?

What next. Model trains in space? Might be hard to lay the track and keep them on the rails though. Makes you think about other things up there. Juggling?

I note with interest the Olympic flame is briefly going to the station his November, lets hope they realise that flames in zero G do not burn in any one direction as there is no convection.

Brian

[harryagain]

Quilting is big in the USA. I have seen some amazing stuff over there.

[Murff]

I'd have thought that not being able to rely on gravity to keep parts you're not jbexvat on out of the way was one source of trouble - or at least of a need to develop new technique.

And losing needles in free fall probably isn't a good way to make yourself popular with the rest of the crew.

Magnetic track ? I used to have a Hornby OO layout, and I'm pretty sure the locos stuck to the track. Rolling stock would be more of a problem and might need re-wheeling with ferrous wheels.

[DaveG]

The convention on convection is considerably confusing.

[John Williamson]

Magnadhesion (tm). There was a magnet mounted in the chassis between the driving wheels below the axles. Totally useless unless you used the 'orrible Triang set track, or the rather expensive Peco coated steel flexible track and suffered the rust as soon as you cleaned it.

[canaldrifter]

IRTA Quitters of the World Unite

Tone

[Brian Gaff]

If quilts are, by definition made from all sorts of different kinds of yarn and thread, the washing instructions must be a real challenge. Brian

[Stanley Daniel de Liver]

[Sam Plusnet]

"SHEDS IN SPAACE!"

[Sam Plusnet]

Sorry, hadn't noticed the cross-posting.

Apologies

[damduck-egg]

A Japanese company uses a very similar system for the range it introduced at a scale of 1:450 which needs something to stop it blowing away when a passing cat sneezes. Clip here of one running inverted.

G.Harman

[John Williamson]

Now, that's a scale I might just about have room for...

Didn't someone make a live steam loco in about that scale a few years ago? I vaguely unforget reading about it in one of the magazines. Electrically powered through the track, it was.

[damduck-egg]

Maybe you are thinking of this chap.

His were propane powered at a different but still very small scale and electric ones close to the 1:450. There are some more steamer pics on the page for those. Probably passed on now as that article is about 40 years old.

G.Harman

[John Williamson]

Impressive. The 1/480 scale electric ones I like. I also like his description of the problems with the earlier 1/160 scale one when the petrol burner blew up. " The final catastrophe was when the lamp blew up. If I'd been working on a bigger scale I might not be here to tell the tale. "

There's nowt like living dangerously....

[Brian Gaff]

Hmm, well how about slot car racing in space. That world be more difficult in space. Mind you if you had track made of metal of the ferous kind.

Brian

[Adrian]

Scalextric relies on gravity, but I seem to recall there was a rival - Aurora? - which held the cars to the track magnetically, and advertised that you could even set the track up upside-down.

[RustyHinge]

"Jjjourneyyyy intooo Nnostalllgiaaaa"

Wot I hfrq to listen to when I should have been doing my homejbex.

[RustyHinge]

Sensible, there's much more room on the ceiling, and yer ma don't give yer hell when she trips over it, or wants to vacuum the crapit.