Out of this world
San Rafael woman's quilt gets gifted to retired NASA astronaut
While at an assembly at Mark Day School in San Rafael, where she taught art for 14 years, Patricia Bruvry hung on to every word when then-NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao came to speak to the school in the 2000s, sharing photos and stories from his adventures in space.
She had no clue that more than 15 years later they would reunite in Houston, where she'd gift him a mini quilt she made of an image of him in space after showcasing it this month at the International Quilt Festival — Houston, one of the largest quilt shows in the United States.
The San Rafael resident has been making art quilts since 1990, and usually finds inspiration from her global travels. She teaches quilting at the College Marin.
Q
What made you make the quilt?
AFrom an assignment from the Mt. Tam Quilt Guild that I am a part of. The assignment was science. I called my son, who is a scientist, and asked what I should do and he said, “Outer space, of course.” Then I remembered Chiao and his great photographs. I emailed him and asked him if he would like a quilt, and he agreed and sent me a couple of pictures. I really admire him. I didn't know how to get it to him. Then I thought, there's that big quilt show in Houston, and I've always wanted to go to that, maybe I'll submit it and I could give it to him in Houston, which is where he lives. I got accepted into the show and we had breakfast on our last day. He was very nice. And I brought my son with me, who was my collaborator, and we went the Space Center Houston, which was fabulous. I felt like I got to know Chiao in a way, looking at him while I was making this quilt.
Q
AHe loved it. He loved all the details in it. I had pieces of the spaceship that were coming out, which I didn't even know what they were. My son informed me what they were, and even pointed it out in one of the rockets that was hanging from the ceiling in one of the rooms. It was really cool. I felt really honored to do it. Chiao does a lot of things with kids and schools, so that's why I decided to give it to him as a gift. He's a really nice guy. I liked him a lot.
Q
What was his reaction to the quilt?
Had you ever done a quilt similar to this, surrounding space?
A
Not at all. I do a lot of landscapes, like places that I go.
Q
Is there a special trip that you've been able to memorialize in a quilt?
A
I went to France in 2019 to study indigo dyeing. I studied with this French master dyer. I've done a lot of that since. I've made a little studio in my carport, which I teach some lessons in it once a year. Every time I go somewhere, I'm always going to museums and looking for textiles or buying them.
Q
What got you into textiles?
AMy mother and I sewed together. She did beautiful tailoring and sewing. We'd get the fabric and she'd help me sew something. I really learned sewing from her garments. After I retired, I did a whole line of art to wear. Earlier in my career, I started weaving and got a job doing that. I did textile design and studied it more. I was working at San Francisco City College teaching weaving. And then they gave me a quilting job, which at the time I didn't know how to do. So, I started making quilts and I learned how to do it and I've been quilting ever since. I stayed at City College. for many years in the fashion department and taught a lot of other classes as well.
Q
I saw that you were part of a group that made quilts for people affected by Hurricane Katrina.
A
That was because of one of my classes at City College. One of my students had family who was in that Ninth Ward. We started making quilts for her family and others, which was really a nice thing. And they sent thank you notes. It was really touching. We made 35 quilts.
Q
What do you hope people learn about textile arts?
A
To think of it as art. All textile artists think that's true. It's hard when people don't think of it as art, they think of it as a grandmother's work or something. Everybody's says, “Oh, my grandmother had a quilt.” I get that all the time. It's so much more than that.