Muddy Waters Quilt

Muddy Waters Quilt by Katie Longsmith, 2019 / Size: 60″ x 60″ / 100% cotton fabric from thrift-store shirts / modified Log Cabin block / baptist fan quilting design

This is the first quilt I made with “upcycled” materials. Rather than do much planning, I just jumped in and cut several thrift-store shirts into long strips and then assembled blocks in a modified log cabin style of construction. A bit haphazard in the design, the quilt reminds me of rivers – and due to the soft and low-contrast colors of the shirts, muddy ones. As I was deconstructing the clothing, I noticed from the manufacturers’ tags that all were made overseas, making me think of the winding journey it took for the fabric to cross my path.