Song Shuixian, an inheritor of horsetail embroidery, showcases her embroidered clothing in her family's museum. Launched in 2012, the museum displays traditional embroidered handicrafts under the brand name Shuixian Horsetail Embroidery.
"I learned horsetail embroidery from my grandma at seven. Now I have six apprentices to help me promote embroidery culture," said Song.
The first step in creating horsetail embroidery is to weave horse hair into threads. Stitching horsehair is not easy, even for the experienced seamstress.
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A woman weaves horsehair into thread for horsetail embroidery. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] |
The whole process involves more than 50 steps, and sometimes a piece of complicated embroidery work can take over one year to finish. Therefore, some apprentices quit during training.
Song currently runs a shop and cooperates with some notable brands, such as the Japanese brand Muji. She still worries, however, about the heritage of the handicraft. "I think it is my responsibility to pass down the skills and keep it alive," she says.
