Polly Bech’s creative life is rooted in nature, curiosity, and the quiet power of making by hand. From spiral hand quilting to solar-printed fabrics and earth-toned palettes, she shares how slowing down and following intuition shape her work.
What was the very first thing you remember making?
As a child, my creativity often found expression in the outdoors. I remember pretending with a friend that we were pioneers and building a shelter in the woods near her house. In the fall, I would gather piles of leaves with my siblings, building them up just to jump in, and in winter, we delighted in making snowmen and snow forts.
Indoors, I have fond memories of picking cherries and pitting them, taking part in the creation of something delicious from start to finish. Our house didn’t have an abundance of craft supplies, but I recall drawing looping black lines on paper, letting them swirl and twist freely across the page. The resulting shapes would then be filled with vibrant colors from my box of crayons.
My early experiences with art extended beyond home as well. Around the age of six, my parents enrolled me in painting lessons. The classes were held in a somber, shadowy studio, taught by a tall, serious older woman. There, I learned the basics of oil painting, starting with simple subjects like cats and fish. These early lessons laid the groundwork for my ongoing exploration of creativity.
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What’s one lesson you learned early on that still guided you today?
“The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.” That statement was expressed in cross-stitch and hung in our house when I was growing up.
What draws you to shapes, colors, and forms you use most often?
When I hand quilt, I often incorporate spiral designs, which, to me, symbolize growth, expansion, evolution, and energy.
For my solar printing, I select various leaves that I find in my yard or during walks around town. These leaf prints, for me, evoke the natural world and reflect what currently thrives in this region.
What’s something inspiring you right now that might surprise people?
Right now, I am very inspired by the people of Minneapolis and how they are standing up to our government’s extreme use of force against citizens in the supposed effort to round up illegal immigrants. There are some people very dear to me out there, and I am so proud of how they are living the resistance.
Describe your creative space?
My studio is an almost square, medium-sized room, big enough to house: 2 work tables 30” x 60” for cutting, sewing and painting; a lot of mismatched shelves; an ironing board, an electronic piano (which we bought for our daughter and is now housed in my office as there’s no where else to keep it – one of these days I will either start playing or give it away); and a design wall.
The rest of the walls are covered with children’s artwork, family photos, and 2 large bulletin boards covered with inspirational images collected over the years.
Light spills in from windows on two sides overlooking the street and trees. This space is where I make stuff, but creative ideas can really find me anywhere.
What’s the most important tool on your work table?
All the tools are important, but right now, it may be the Clover Chaco Liner, a white chalk liner that I use to draw out my hand quilting lines. It creates a good line that wipes away cleanly. I’ve tried many other ways of marking a quilt, but none have worked as well for me.
When you start a piece, do you plan it or do you dive right in?
I usually have a general idea. I’ll do a sketch and collect fabrics, then I ease into it. But there are times when I do color sketches and draw up a pretty detailed plan.
How do you know when a piece is finished?
When I can’t see anything else that I can do.
What do you do when you feel stuck creatively?
Usually, cleaning my studio will spark something. Or I might go see some art somewhere, a museum or local gallery. If those things don’t help, I might sign up for a workshop or go over notes from an old workshop.
What part of your creative process feels most joyful?
When I first get an idea for a quilt. The initial thrill doesn’t usually last very long, because then I have to figure out how to manifest it materially. I love having a big piece to quilt because then I know that I have something to turn to every day, and it grounds me – a different kind of joy.
What part feels most challenging?
The piecing. I have been sewing and quilting for decades but I still struggle with just getting the piecing right, the seams to lay flat, etc.
What’s the best creative problem-solving advice you’ve ever received?
I am reminded of a quote: “Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer”. – Rainer Maria Rilke. Basically, don’t rush it.
Looking back, how has your work changed over the years?
The obvious changes would be that I have worked in a variety of media. I started out painting in oils and doing collage work. I was employed for about 8 years in commercial art, storyboarding, and creating computer graphics in the 1980’s.
I learned quilting in my late 20’s, as I felt I needed to stop oil painting when I was pregnant. I have been quilting ever since. What has changed the most for me in that area is that I solar print a lot of the fabric that I use now.
What role do mistakes make in your creative growth?
I try to learn from them.
Where can people see your work?
I have a website, pollybech.com, which needs updating but shows a good bit of my work.
I usually have a few things locally at the Gallery on Park in Swarthmore. I am part of InLiquid in Philadelphia and occasionally have work shown through them. SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) has been the best resource for me for finding places to enter my quilts. Some of my work can be seen on the InLiquid and SAQA sites.
Rapid Fire Fun:
Morning person or night maker? Definitely morning.|
Favorite thing on your studio desk this week? Almost always, a cup of coffee. Or some dark chocolate.
Color you can’t stop using lately? Since a trip to Utah, I have been loving the rock colors of Zion and Bryce, the reds and browns and general earth tones that can be seen in those landscapes.
What do you want people to feel when they see your work? I noticed long ago that every person sees something different in a piece of art; you can’t always direct what someone else will see. I guess I hope that a viewer will sense my love of the natural world. And they will understand the importance of work made by hand. Having worked in computer graphics for years, I can really appreciate being able to get my hands around something that I have created.
Interview posted February 2026
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