"On Alert" Horse

“On Alert” Horse, 8" x 8". Designed and created by Tracy Jamar, NYC, 2015.

Fiber artist Tracy Jamar has a new book! Just released, Coils, Folds, Twists and Turns is an appealing guide to the world of standing wool, shirring, and other traditional wool techniques—with a contemporary twist. Along with step-by-step instructions on how to construct perfect coils, attach these coils and wool caterpillars to the backing, and finish pieces for the floor and the wall, Tracy shares 15 projects and designs to inspire you. And, to top it off, the book includes a gallery of amazing works from artists around the world. We are pleased that she shared one of these projects with RHM.
 
Since I knew I was going to hook part of this pattern, I used my usual hooking foundation, monk’s cloth. Whatever you normally use is fine. I hand cut all my strips, and they were in the 1⁄4" (.6 cm) range; the bias-shirred mane was cut about 1" (2.5 cm) wide.

As all design lines would be covered, I marked the pattern on the foundation with a permanent marker. The pattern is small, so I mounted it on a frame, though using a regular hooking frame would have been fine too.

Tracy Jamar is a fiber artist from New York City where she was head of textile restoration in a premier gallery. She taught and exhibited at Sauder Village Rug Hooking Week, and she teaches, lectures, and consults on a wide range of topics. She is the author (with Jan Whitlock) of American Sewn Rugs: Their History with Exceptional Examples. Visit her website at tracyjamar.com.

This article is from the March/April/May 2017 issue. For more information on our issues, check out our issues page.