OVER THE MOON

After the success of NASA's Artemis II recent trip, I made this quilt to mark the occasion.

THE STATS:  "Over the Moon", 2026, 26" x 25", Paper Pieced, Machine Pieced, Hand Appliqued, Machine Quilted.  

Not a student of mythology, I had to look up the meaning of the name, Artemis.  The Goddess Artemis symbolizes independence; her thirst for exploration not bound by norms; and her connection to the natural world including the moon.  She is the protector of nature and young women.  One of the mission goals of Artemis I, II, III, etc. is to eventually land the first women and the first man of color on the moon.

Not the best picture, but it gives an indication of just how big this rocket is in our local Veteran's Park.  This shows about half of the height of the rocket.

 Since this is the 150th anniversary of my home state, Colorado becoming the 38th state; my thoughts rambled into the contribution that our state has made in the growth of space exploration.  There have been astronauts from Colorado; the hub for the U.S. Space Force with three distinct Space Force installations is here; and several industries that manufacture rocket components are located here.  There has been a consortium of our colleges doing research on the space projects.  Back in the early 1990s, our son researched and wrote his Chemical Engineering master's thesis under a grant from NASA concerning the possible trip to Mars and converting nitrates into fertilizer for the possibility of growing food on board.  

JOYFUL JOURNEY

Making quilts has always been a joyful journey for me over eight decades.  Yes, I have been quilting a long time!   You can't imagine the amount of scraps (or quilts) I have.

What has always made it so enjoyable for me is the challenge of making the project from start to finish.  I usually start from an idea or inspiration and a piece of graph paper; drawing the design out; figuring yardages and patterns; choosing colors/fabrics; then making a test block.  The sewing together, then for me, is the easy part.  Once the top is completed, then I design a simple quilting geometric plan.  In the past, I quilted the top by hand, but my arthritic hands now protest.  I still use the same geometric (point to point, etc.) ideas for quilting on my domestic machine.  My binding process remains the same -- machine sewing the binding to the front; flipping to back sewing it down by hand.  I find so much creative joy in the whole process (good or bad), and am pleased that it is totally my creation. It doesn't have to be innovative; it can just be a traditional unit rearranged in your own way.  Or, excerise creativity, and do something entirely different.  No one else will have a quilt quite like it!

THE STATS:  Joyful Journey, 2026, 27" x 30", Paper Pieced, Machine Pieced, Machine Quilted.

I know that my process is not for everyone, but doing the whole thing from start to finish has been my preferred way.  So, you might give it a try -- grab a piece of graph paper and some colored pencils to start; then put those purchased patterns and pre-cut quilt kits to the side for the time being.  You might be rewarded with additional joy in your journey.