Xiang Embroidery
Xiang embroidery uses pure silk, hard satin, soft satin and nylon, which is connected with colorful silk threads. Incorporating the spirit of Chinese paintings, the embroidery is highly artistic. Xiang embroidery is often used to make both art and materials for daily use.
The uniqueness of Xiang embroidery is that it is patterned after a painting draft, but is not limited by it. Perhaps because of this technique, Xiang embroidery is especially lifelike.
Xiang embroidery is done on transparent chiffon silk. The silk threads are dyed and then soaked in water containing pod nuts - the oil in these nuts makes the thread soft and easy to work with.
There are several distinct needling techniques used, and their lack of precision is by design - the random or uneven nature of this needling means that colors and textures are often mixed together to great effect.