Books

Coil, Folds, Twists and Turns: Contemporary Techniques in Fiber

In her recent book, Tracy shows various ways to use the traditional rug making techniques of shirring, coiling, quilling and standing wool in contemporary forms. Included is a brief history with examples of antique rugs, 5 patterns, 7 projects and a gallery of how several fiber artists have incorporated these techniques in their work.

American Sewn Rugs: Their History with Exceptional Examples by Jan Whitlock with Tracy Jamar

This book explores the variety of handmade rugs created in the early 19th century. The techniques used include various forms of shirring, yarn sewn and appliqué, most having gone out of style when the faster and less expensive method of rug hooking became popular.

Jan and Tracy explore who, where and how these rugs were made and reasons for them having fallen from favor. The beautiful rug examples shown, many with wonderful detail images, make it easy to see why  these long ago techniques are being implemented by fiber artists today.