Making Quilts With Men's Clothing
Designer Richard Killeaney recycles garments into on-of-a-kind quilts.
January/February 2007
By Leah Kaplan
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Quilt-maker Richard Killeaney at his 1918 historic Bridgeport, Connecticut, co-op, which was built to house WWI steelworkers.
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Not your granny's quilt: With his minimalist aesthetic and quirky choice of fabrics, Killeaney's needlework has a fresh, modern twist. A thrift-shop devotee, he made his first signature quilts from his collection of secondhand men's dress shirts. In his "Missing the Point" quilt-named for California's Point Loma-swatches of pinstripes, azure blues and the occasional brown are stitched together in an irregular pattern resembling wooden floorboards. His company, Ocheltree Design, bears his great-great- grandmother's surname.
Earning his stripes: Killeaney learned to embroider in the third grade, started knitting at 14 and sewed his first original quilt at 18. He rounded out his design background with a master of fine arts degree from the Rhode Island School of Design and a stint working for quilter Denyse Schmidt.
Bedspread or art? Killeaney's quilts are worthy of wall display, but he prefers customers use them on their beds. "I'm baffled when people spend hundreds of dollars on imported sheets or organic mattresses but ignore the bed top. A quilt is an investment akin to a beautiful rug," he says. Killeaney's quilts are machine washable and become softer and more supple with use.
Best thrift-store finds: Herringbone suiting, camelhair coats and Hawaiian shirts are among Killeaney's ever-expanding stash of recycled quilting materials.
On being a guy who quilts: In Killeaney's family, it was the men who sewed the pants. "Both my grandfathers were excellent with a needle and thread," he explains. He has fond memories of being the only boy in a room full of middle-aged women at "stitch'n bitch" sessions at the quilting store.
His inspiration: Killeaney's designs are often deeply personal and rooted in a sense of place. The theme of light reflecting on water appears again and again. A native of San Diego, he's captivated by the ocean and coastlines. "I'm fascinated by the way water affects landscapes," he says.
Find the goods: www.OcheltreeDesign.com