Canadian Birds, Canadian Mats

Canada Goose, 36" x 21", yarn on rug warp. Designed and hooked by Kay LeFevre, from somewhere on the road in her RV, 2017. I love the way the Canada Goose covers its chicks to keep them warm and wanted to portray that in this rug. I added “fur yarn” for the chicks’ feathers and dyed them darker and lighter to mimic the colors in their plumes. In order to emphasize the “Canadian” in the design, the white of the dead birch and the red of the maple leaf suggest the Canadian flag. I wanted to hook the leaves on the trees as they would look with moonlight shining on them.

This series was inspired by Royal Canadian Geographic Society’s contest to name a national bird. They launched “The National Bird Project” in order to choose a national bird in time for the 150th anniversary of the country. There are 450 species of birds in Canada; which one would be the winner? My Canadian bird series is a collection of my hooked mats depicting the top five contenders. All the rugs were designed and hooked by me and hooked on rug warp.