Stitch Club: wrapped horsehair initial

Series: Stitch Club no.13

Workshop: Lines and pieces
Host: Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo website – Instagram
Aim: Create textured line drawings using cords made from horsehair and thread.

I love trying new techniques and I love adding new things to my stash. I’m not quite sure what I will do with the rest of the horsehair I bought, though I do plan on doing more wrapping with some of it.

The hardest part of wrapping the hair is getting started in a way that the secures the end of the wrapping thread. The second hardest part is keeping your hands relaxed while twirling the horsehair to wrap it; the actual wrapping is surprisingly easy and doesn’t take as long as you might think it would. I tested out a few different threads: a fine silk thread which worked very nicely, single strands of embroidery floss which were disappointing (bulky, uneven, and didn’t grip the horsehair very well), and polyester machine sewing thread, which is the one I used for this piece.

The instructor used her cords to create a floral design but I couldn’t find a flower that really inspired me. I remembered I had an outline alphabet in my digital stash, and decided to do my initial instead.

I started by adding some iron-on stabiliser to the back of my cotton — the cord is quite stiff and can distort lightweight fabric. Next I worked on embroidering the flower and greenery; the ends of the wrapped cords are pulled through to the back of the fabric and overlap the embroidered area, so the stitching has to be done first. Finally, the cord was carefully couched around the outline of the letter.

This technique has already proved itself useful in another project. I went on to use the green silk-wrapped cord I made to finish off the sequin and bead flowers that I created in the 3D embellishments workshop.