Toby Rug by Rebecca Dufton, 28.5 x 18 inches, wool yarn on rug warp, artist’s collection
-1 minutes read - 181 words - by Rebecca Duftom
Serendipity has played a big role in my development as a fiber artist. In 2002, I took an introductory rug hooking workshop with a friend. Although I don’t sew or knit, I was surprised to discover how much I enjoyed the slow, meditative process of making punch needle rugs. I created a primitive style rug of my dog, Toby, which graces my studio floor.
I returned to punch needle rugs on my own in 2010 after finding a wealth of inexpensive yarn at thrift shops. This was eye-opening after working with a fairly limited palette of thick yarn for my first rug. I also discovered hand-spun and dyed artisan wool at fiber art shows, which provided exciting patterns and texture.
I joined Out of the Box Fiber Artists after seeing their display at the Almonte Fiberfest in 2013. I began to explore needle felting and hand stitching as a new direction from rug hooking. I created my own needle felted animal sculptures and began to use wool fibres and yarn for wall hangings.