I’ve had a clipping from the newspaper of a 1922 drawing by Paul Klee of “Snow Hens” or “Snow Chickens,” depending on how the Swiss-German is translated. I’ve always loved the texture and the lines; it’s been posted there for, dare I say, decades, but suddenly called to me. The tones are sepia, or is that the yellowing of the newsprint? I liked it still, no matter, and wondered if I could achieve the texture with deColourant on my hand-dyed Brazil nut brown cloth, first masking a few areas to remain dark. Free-motion quilting is like drawing, and so I set out to emulate the feel of Klee’s drawing, translating and transforming it into a textile work with the evidence of my hand. I enjoyed the process quite a bit, and it led to more works.
The first one carries the title.
Klee's Birds
11.25"w x 9"h (28.5 cm x 23 cm)
DeColourant on hand-dyed cotton with masking; Japanese yarn-dyed cotton; free-motion quilting
Details:
The second one I made especially for the
SAQA Spotlight Auction, coming up April 15-25, 2026. I will post the link again when it is ready for bidding.
Moon Song
8"w x 6"h (21.3 cm x 15.3 cm)
DeColourant on hand-dyed cotton with masking; free-motion quilting
The third quilt was actually begun earlier. What began as a miniature Harlequin quilt, like the previous
Harlequin, became a mashup of inspiration from Jasper Johns (1930-) and Paul Klee (1879-1940). I had initially thought I was making it to donate to the SAQA Spotlight Auction in April, but then realized they needed a .75” margin on all sides because the piece would be matted. This little quilt runs too close to the edges for that, so it will live with me for a while, unless someone calls for it.
Little Harlequin Bird
6"w x 8"h (15.3 cm x 20.4 cm)
Hand-dyed linen, cotton, velvet; Painted cotton; machine pieced, appliqué, and free-motion quilted
Detail:
Using linen I had stained with acrylic inks for the quilt
Home I made back in March 2025, I mapped out the idea of birds by the sea for the fourth quilt. The single piece of cloth had some yellow in it, suggesting sun, so I incorporated it. Ultimately it looks like they are on a mountain, but perhaps it is just the sand dune in front of them as they prod the wet sand for lunch. The free-motion drawing is inspired again by the art of Paul Klee.
Shorebirds Who Lunch
18.25"w x 14"h (46 cm x 35.5 cm)
Acrylic ink on linen; free-motion quilting
Details:
There. I've finally caught up with the last four quilts of 2025. Onward!
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