When I married Eric in 1970, I didn’t change my last night from Lyman to Nadelstern for a full year. After too many people said, “Oh, no wonder you didn’t take that name” – implying it wasn’t as easy or pleasing as my maiden name --  I became Paula Nadelstern.

When you’ve been married for 52 years, you know every one of your spouse’s stories. When Eric was in the Boy Scouts, he figured out his last name translated into Starpoint or Needlestar. Also indicative of a long marriage, I remember him telling me this but he doesn’t remember this particular origin story. 

Whenever I’ve taught and exhibited in Germany, the lovely, creative quilters have asked: “I hope you don’t mind but did you make up your last name?” Because when I introduce myself, they hear me say: “Hello, I’m Paula Needlestar.”

I proudly introduce to you my namesake fabric collection: Needle Stars.    

NEEDLE STARS consists of 5 lively patterns (20 skus). NEEDLE STAR PANEL 13470, BYZANTIUM 13471, SQUARE DANCE 13472 and CHANDELIER 13473 fit into the category I refer to as Prima Donnas, charismatic prints that yield well balanced, fluid symmetries. Engineered to behave as symmetrical and mirror-imagined motifs,  these designs are the exact duplicates of one another and make gorgeous fussy cuts although they can also be cut randomly

Allovers play a vital supporting role. Compared with the exacting prima donna, they are versatile and forgiving. The nondirectional design of the allover looks the same from any angle because there is no implicit top, bottom, left, or right.

STARDUST (13474-seven colorways) is an allover, inspired by an elegant silk ex-tie of my husband (meaning, it’s not in his possession anymore and it’s not tie-shaped anymore because I ripped out the stitches to repurpose it as yard goods). The name was inspired by a comment Claire said to Jamie -- yes, I’m talking about OUTLANDER, I’m a big fan. I love when dots go bonkers, splattering into randomly tossed speckles.  A fabric peppered with spots energizes the most disheartened design.

CHANDELIER (13473-seven colorways) continues my love affair with well marbled designs. See Poured Colors https://paulanadelstern.com/fabric-intro.php?line=24 Rather than a random layout, this time the pattern is divided by an imaginary vertical line into two identical halves that are the mirror images of each other. Actually there are two lines of symmetry 5” apart, traveling north to south, offering double the possibilities. Here's a painless way to conceptualize this kind of symmetry. Impose the form of a butterfly on the design, two wings filled with patterns that are each other’s mirror image. Or, if you’d prefer, cut randomly. It’ll be gorgeous.   

In SQUARE DANCE (13472-two colorways) graceful, intricate black markings party against tones of color that shade into each other, graduating from light to dark. I think harvesting this pattern is going to yield some fabulous surprises. The deft transitions from light to dark will add a satisfying glow to your patchwork. Note there is a 2.25” border along each of the selvedges. I see sashing in my future.     

NEEDLE STAR PANEL (13470-two colorways) is a re-coloring of the PATTERNISTA panel from 20 collections ago, a fabric I often revisit and repurpose. It’s a major design element in KALEIDOSCOPIC XLV: Omani Arches, finished September 2022. This quilt premiered in my solo exhibit: PAULA NADELSTERN: I AM A PATTERNISTA at the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, NE, November 9, 2022-April 9, 2023. You can see the quilt plus details on my website: https://paulanadelstern.com/gallery.php

Here’s the link to the instructions for the Opulent Ornaments which are a lot of fun to make. https://paulanadelstern.com/opulentornaments.php Remember, you can always cut into these mandalas and create fabulous patchwork. I do it all the time anbd I'm still here to tell the tale.   

I consider myself lucky when an older quilt or fabric triggers a  “What If” question that leads me to a new idea. BYZANTIUM (13471-2 colorways) was inspired  by my STARSCAPE quilt  made from the 2021 HEARTSCAPE collection. Byzantium is luscious, detailed, and complex —when combined judiciously these ingredients produce my best-loved patterns.  

Someone once told me  that plagiarizing yourself is the height of conviction. I look forward to the answer to my next  “What If” question, wherever it comes from.

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