my first quilt show!
Tonight I finished my project for my first art / craft / quilt show. The Seamrippers craft collective in Vancouver is hosting a quilt show, which opens March 3rd. I submitted my piece last week, and the jury accepted it! Woop! So exciting!
My quilt is made out of close to 200 cardboard coffee sleeves. The majority of them came from my co-workers - surprisingly, in only a few weeks. My idea behind it is that traditionally quilts were made out of scraps of materials, making good use of everything you had available. These days, everything's readily available - and even more readily disposible. Coffee sleeves are an object that I feel exemplifies this - especially here in Vancouver, where there's a coffee shop (or two) on every corner. Coffee sleeves are something you really don't need at all, but are now conditioned to "need". They weren't even invented of until 13 years ago, and we survived just fine before then. What really gets me though is the sentence that Starbucks prints on their coffee sleeves: "Intended for single use only" - essentially, use it for 10 minutes, then throw it out. I wanted to merge these two ideas in the quilt.
Here are a few pictures of the process. I'll post a photo of the completed quilt tomorrow.
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That looks GREAT! Congratulations (but no surprise that you did) on getting into the show! Send pictures of the craftiness and glamour!! You're so impressive! :)
WOW, Siobhan, that looks sooo pretty...far more than I expected. Of course everything you make is beautiful, but I was wondering how you were going to make a quilt made out of coffee sleeves look nice...but, you've done it again! The time and patience you have to cut up all those pieces--you amaze me!
I came through Whip up.
So impressive. What a great idea!
Your quilt is absolutely gorgeous!!! Is is washable? I would think the cardboard would fall apart in the wash.
That is so fantastic! I really appreciate the use of "what is on hand". It makes me pause to think about the original craft of quilting, the Quilters of Gee's Bend (see http://www.quiltsofgeesbend.com/). The current movement within craft to embrace what has been cast off by others and to create a statement of sustainability may be the tipping point of change. We'll never know unless we try. Craft on!
Wow, this really is a neat concept. I love the whole idea of 'waste not, want not' and using and re-using just about everything. You've done a really fantastic job.
Wow! That is really an incredible work of art! & So creative!
I love the concept that it stands for too, getting more use out of objects considered for quick or temporary use.
Considering that you got all your supplies in such a short amount of time really makes it clear how wasteful those little sleeves really are.
Hopefully your piece will provoke some thought on this issue, and promote recycling and less wasteage of useful materials.
Thanks everyone!!! :)
Plaidhearts - no, I don't think it's washable. I actually keep it hung on the wall in my pantry, which is conveniently the exact right size! :)
heya, it's neil. totally random, i know.
so funny to see you and lindsay doing stuff like this.
the reason i'm commenting is because i have a pretty huge stack of sleeves from tim's. i've been hoarding them to recycle them all together in one great moment of recycling ecstasy, but if anyone who works downtown wants them, i'll gladly pass them along.
I saw your quilt in Vancouver and thought it was one of the best thing there.
Oh NEAT! I work in a coffeehouse. I also want to make a mat for my cement patio floor. I am thinking I may adapt your idea and start saving my customer's discards.
That's very cool.