Baby Blanket, 2024
40”X40”

Using two Stanfield sweaters — iconic workwear worn across the forestry industry — I repurposed the wool into two toned half-square triangles. Forestry flagging tape (red and yellow) act as my quilting thread and the border is made from the grey reflective material of old safety vests.

Baby Blanket’s shape and size is typical of a blanket made for a newborn however, it is rough, drab and practical in its materials, suggesting what kind of life lies ahead. Many people who donated their clothing for this project also donated their voices, stories and pieces of their family history. A common through-line, amongst men in particular (including myself), was to follow their fathers or grandfathers into the industry.

How do we come to believe what is possible for us in the world of work? What opportunities do we feel are available to us and what opportunities are not available? How does classism operate across generations and families?