Jack in the Red

Dimensions: 31" x 72"
Materials: #6-cut wool on burlap
Designed and hooked by April DeConick, Clinton, Illinois, 1999.
Featured in: Celebration XI

On a wool-hunting expedition, April DeConick and her mother found two bright orange coats. "We were thrilled with [the color]," April recalls, "and my favorite wool to hook has always been from worn-out coats... Since autumn was nearly upon us, we decided that I had to create a leaf rug."

April chose to design a simple border with a Celtic knot in each corner. But she needed a way to add depth to her design. "This was going to be a little more involved than I had intended." She put some red wools into a flat pan and sprinkled brown and burgundy dyes over them, then did the same with the orange coat, wool and some brown tweed. "The results were striking. When hooked, the splotches on the fabrics provided instant shading."
- April DeConick, Celebration Hall of Fame 2018
(Note: This rug description as an excerpt from the published Celebration entry.)