source quilt, 2016
a quilt that tells the story of how it was made
materials and processes: organic cotton fabric, print design, pattern design, sewing, quilting
this project explored the story of the technology and people behind a simple “raw” material like cotton fabric.
each of the ten patterns helps explain how the cotton fabric used in the quilt came to be, from growing and harvesting all the way to processing, weaving, and transporting raw and finished materials.
the steps along the way
cotton seed bits that must be removed from fluff
lifting cranes at port of oakland
technical fabricators in a factory
threads being woven into a fabric
supervisors and employees
cotton plants ready for harvest
motorcycles used to transport bolts of fabric in india
cargo freight ships
harvesting tractor
rolled bolts of fabric
sketching and prototyping
i started by sketching out ideas and prototyping prints using adobe illustrator and printed paper “fabric”
fabrication
after using spoonflower to print the designs onto organic cotton fabric, i sewed and sewed and sewed!
