Updated March 28, 2023
I always have problems stitching hair. It constantly baffles me and tests the boundaries of my creativity. Throughout this post, you’ll see some the pieces I’ve done with hair. Here are some of the techniques I like for hair.
French Knots are my favorite for curly hair. If you don’t want the “poodle perm” look, stitch first with a thinner than normal thread. Then do French Knots over. This means you don’t have to pack in the knots and can make them looser.
Encroached Gobelin I love this oblique Gobelin stitch for wavy hair. You can make it different lengths. A diagram for one variation of this stitch is below.
Couching Wayward Locks: Thinner lengths of windblown hair, like the witch’s look fantastic couched down. Use a thicker than normal thread and couch with a single strand of matching floss.
Side-by-side Couching You may have done couching in a single line, but did you know that you can make parallel lines of couching to create straight or wavy hair? Just be sure not to make the couching stitches next to each other and to use matching couched and couching threads.
Please note: The canvases in this post are from classes or stitch guides I designed. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me for details if you are interested in any of them.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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