Cetacean Ocean T-shirt Quilt/Picnic Blanket.

Cetacean Ocean T-shirt Quilt/Picnic Blanket. I learned about slavery message blankets and crazy quilts during my college freshman interdisciplinary arts seminar on the African diaspora and its impact. While using scraps and remnants has not always been out of necessity, and was even in vogue among wealthy Victorians, the sentiment of reuse and folksy nostalgia remains popular today. Unlike many scrap t-shirt quilts, I restricted the color palette and theme of this one, capitalizing on my love of the ocean and elementary school fascination with our highly encephalized marine relatives, dolphins.  

Rock Pocket for Windy Picnics. I detailed my quilt with machine-quilted waves to complement the theme and the uneven pieces (caused, no doubt, by my novice and impatient quilting and sewing skill) as well as utilitarian pockets at each corner. Tucking rocks or kicked-off sneakers into the pockets prevents the wind from upsetting a blustery picnic. I also insulated it with a thrifted ugly black fleece blanket which otherwise would have hit the dumpster, I suspect. This project is thus tuned to its environment as a picnic cloth, thermal energy-saving as a blanket, and versatile as either of these or a folk art piece.