Thanksgiving at Dawn

Dimensions: 43" x 29"
Materials: Hand-dyed wool, yarn, and novelty yarns on linen
Designed and hooked by Abby Vakay, Alexandria, Virginia, 2001.
Featured in: Celebration XII

Abby Vakay has been continuing her pursuit of building a body of work depicting some of her favorite subjects: "horses, hounds, and we humans who are so drawn to them." This latest addition, Thanksgiving at Dawn, is a self-portrait that brings back fond memories. "Before dawn on Thanksgiving, we would rise, tack up, and ride for an hour to meet the rest of the field for the blessing of the hounds and a wonderful morning of camaraderie," she says. Abby also recreated the usual outcome in her rug: "As the hounds continue in hot pursuit, the fox escapes once again!"

Abby tried many different types and textures of yarns to give dimension to the foreground. To accomplish this feat, she uses different sizes of hooks to accommodate various materials. Another unique technique Abby incorporated into Thanksgiving at Dawn was dyeing the yarns she used for the grass in the same dye bath with the wool used in the sky. "That way, I could easily balance the color of the piece, while attaining texture and interest in the grasses," she says.
- Abby Vakay, Celebration Hall of Fame 2018
(Note: This rug description was taken as an excerpt from the published Celebration entry.)