Chick-a-dee-dee-dee

Chickadees have always been a favorite of mine. As the Maine State Bird, they were frequently mentioned by my parents as favorites, too. Many moons ago, I made a hooked rug with Chickadees perched on pine branches as an anniversary gift for Mom and Dad. They always displayed it in front of their massive stone fireplace... Now that my parents are gone, the rug warms my hearth and I think of them every time one of these cheeky little birds flits by on its way to its next perch.

The black and white fabrics used in this piece are so fun. It is amazing what tiny scraps of geometrics, stripes, batiks and snake skin can do when placed on top of the greyed garlic (!) fabric that is used as the belly. I always tell my students to look beyond what the fabric is to what it suggests.