Maybe because I’ve been reading too many books about the Congo lately, or maybe because of my growing despair over humans destroying the earth, my quilts have recently taken on a darker character. This quilt, made from recycled men’s shirts and ties, started out with some elephants playing peacefully by the water. But then I learned that six million tons of bushmeat are killed in the Congo Basin alone each year, the equivalent of Brazil’s annual beef production. The unsustainable torture and slaughter of elephants, porcupines, chimpanzees and pangolins harms the ecosystem and pushes many of the country’s animals to the brink of extinction. Reveling in utopian fantasies, I wondered, what if things turned around? What if animals won the battle and were free to play and multiply at the expense of humanity?

This king-size quilt is 92x86 inches. It is made from pure cotton and a little bit of silk. It is lightweight and made for the summer months because it doesn’t contain batting.

Photos: Carrie Villines