A sneak peek at a new Red Jack

Got Wool? is a fun and adventurous rug, using alternative fabrics. In the center, there are five separate panels, four of which I have hooked. Each one features a different fabric: polar fleece; crushed velvet; non-wool yarns; and stretch velvet. The center panel will be fleece and roving...but I'm not there yet.

The top border and part of the side borders are mixed non-wool fabrics. In other words, I have taken all the materials from the central panels that are not wool, and I'm using them together in the top border. When I started this border, I was skeptical, because alone, each of the alternative fabrics did not stand up to wool strips in my opinion (neither the process of hooking the fabrics, nor the overall look of the fabrics alone in their squares). But as I am working the fabrics together, the effect is turning out tremendous. The textures and movement of light across the different surfaces is out-of-this-world. This is something that cannot be achieved with wool strips.

So here is a preview of the left-hand corner of the border where I have worked a Red Jack face with acrylic yarns, suede yarns, cotton yarns, crushed velvets, stretch velvets, and polar fleece. What do you think?