My fish quilt was inspired by a recent snorkeling expedition in Jordan’s Red Sea. The coral reef I visited featured schools of some crazy-patterned fish. It struck me that sea creatures such as jellyfish, seahorses, whales, parrotfish and boxfish rarely swim by themselves and that they all peacefully coexist in very close proximity as parts of an enormously diverse community.

Measuring 86 x 92 inches, my fish quilt emulates this dynamic. On a background of three layers of cotton (front, back and batting), the 50+ fish are hand-appliqued with Finca Presencia cotton thread and pieces from discarded men’s shirts from Goodwill. The fish quilt forced me to “upcycle” male, “white-collar” patterns: stripes, plaid and a bunch of little ‘nothings’ repeated mercilessly. Specific to a business culture that perpetuates gender inequality, fashion labels like Izod, Ben Sherman and Hugo Boss reinforce these patterns. By cutting and reconfiguring them I challenged (and poked fun at) the sexist, conventional concepts of fashion, art and quilt making.

The fish quilt can be machine-washed and line-dried.

Contact me at sabineheinlein@gmail.com for a price.

Photos: Rebecca Krasnik