Portrait Quilts in Fly Me to the Moon

One of Susanne's requirements in quilt topic selection for this project was to have quilts related to all the Apollo missions and astronauts.  Elizabeth was amazed by the number of quilts depicting people and impressed to see all the human faces and figures created in fiber. 

Alan Shepard, by Margaret Williams of Tucker, GA.  Shepard was the first American in space.

Dr. Mitchell and Friends by Phyllis Cullen of Ninole, HI.  Edgar Mitchell served on the Apollo 14 mission.  He drew attention years after his space experience by stating  that "aliens prevented nuclear war on earth", hence the "friends" in the background.

Godspeed! July 16, 1969 Apollo 11 Liftoff is by Denise Currier of Mesa, AZ and includes President Lyndon B. Johnson and Mrs. Johnson in the crowd.

Roger Chaffee OBM (Of Blessed Memory) is also by Phyllis Cullen of Ninole, HI.  His Apollo 1 mission failed when a fire destroyed the module and took the lives of the 3 astronauts.

Ed White is by Margaret Williams of Tucker, GA.  He was the first American to walk in space in 1965.  Enlarge this to look more closely at the fabrics used in the space suit.

Captain James Arthur "Jim" Lovell, Jr.  was created by Ellen Icochea of Alexandria, VA, and Jayne Gaskins of Reston, VA.  Ellen began the project by creating Jim Lovell's face.  When she became ill, Jayne Gaskins stepped in to complete the quilt.  Great team work!

Tom and Alexei Share a Tube of Vodka by Luana Rubin of Boulder, CO, celebrates the friendship of Tom Stafford and Alexei Leonov.  They were commanders of the Apollo-Soyuz Test project.  Here Luana imagines a moment where a tube of space food is covered with a label from a vodka bottle.

1968 Honored Men is by Etta Stewart of Randallstown, MD.  Apollo 8 astronauts Lovell, Borman and Anders were honored by Time Magazine as "men of the year" for making it to the moon and back.

Do click on these photos to see a larger view, and/or go to Susanne's website gallery for a closer look at these remarkable portrait quilts.