Being a shop own in the fabric and fiber arts world has given me the confidence to reach out to just about anyone I want to for the purposes of learning and furthering the art (not that everyone is as receptive and enthusiastic as me but most are!) When my interest in rug hooking began to blossom and I couldn't find local resources I started expanding my circle. Every person I spoke to was wonderful and my circle began to expand. One new contact suggested I call Carol Feeney, an artist in Southwest Florida, thinking she may be a good resource. I visited Carol's website and was enthralled by her use of color and texture. Carol's art is by no means what one thinks as traditional rug hooking, which is why I decided we needed to call it Fiber Art Hooking (can I start a new trend?)
Carol lives about two hours away and warmly agreed to meet with me and answer any questions. I arrived with a list! First she treated me to a show and tell.
Carol is a multi-faceted artist that has worked with different mediums over the years. She has been hooking with wool for over 30, thanks to a needlepointing friend who introduced her. Over time she raided her jewelry making stash to add beads and other elements for texture and dimension.
She dyes her own wools in a myriad of colors that she is ever expanding to achieve the perfect shade.
She designs her own patterns, which if you are not familiar with rug hooking need to be hand drawn on the backing. It is a careful and sometimes time consuming process. Carol's patterns often reflect her tropical surroundings and are created with intense color palettes in mind. (If you interested, her website is here.
My questions on how high to hook my loops, how to finish the edges, what the differences in cut sizes, etc. were graciously answered. I was so inspired with all that I saw and learned and am so motivated to experiment with color and embellishments!
My choices in materials can be endless!
Like a kid in a candy store I couldn't go home empty handed. I love my stack of hand dyed wool!
Many thanks to Carol for the time, patience and inspiration! Time to get hookin' !!
Here is my latest finish...
This is the GumDrop Tree pattern. Quilling the flower centers and hand sewing them in was a new technique for me. Waiting for wool yarn to whip the edges.
Thanks for visiting!!
