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Chinese Cross-stitch Makes a Wonderful Gift

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Cross-stitch is a popular form of embroidery that uses X-shaped stitching in tiled patterns to form pictures. Cross-stitch has been a traditional sewing art in continental Europe for centuries and is one of the oldest forms of embroidery.

Countries in Eastern and Northern Europe, such as Hungary and Germany, have particularly elaborate cross-stitching traditions, and many of these pictures created by cross-stitch are both colorful and intricate. While cross-stitch has been practiced in China for hundreds of years, it is only just becoming popular among average people. Luckily, cross-stitch is a fairly easy art to learn and there are many patterns available to help people sew amazing pictures by themselves.

See What Cross-stitch Can Do for You!

Three Common Types of Cross-stitch

Done on Aida Cloth, Stamped Cross-stitch and Counted Cross-stitch

Most cross-stitching is done on fairly thick, evenweave fabric called an aida cloth. Sometimes, cross-stitching is done over designs printed on the fabric, called stamped cross-stitch, but more commonly the stitcher counts the threads in both directions so that they are even, which is known as counted cross-stitch.

Marvellous Stamped Cross-stitch Motifs

Dream of Beautiful Ballet Actress

Mother Bear and Her Baby

Grandma is spinning

Exotic African King

Credits Wall

Dream of Beautiful Ballet Actress

Mother Bear and Her Baby

Grandma is Spinning

Exotic African King

Patterns of Each Cross-stitch May be Different from One Person to Another

The scenes and styles of cross-stitches vary widely, especially depending on the tradition and background of the stitcher. Central European cross-stitching tends to show geometric patterns in one or two colors, and it is also not uncommon to see cross-stitch scenes that incorporate trees, birds, wildlife, flowers and other natural elements.

(Traditional Blackwork in Art Deco Frame courtesy of DeaCerte.com)

Traditional Blackwork in Art Deco Frame

Chinese-style Cross-stitch Era is Coming

As cross-stitching has become more popular in China, Chinese-style cross-stitch patterns have been developed. These patterns include elements of Chinese culture that include many themes you might find in a traditional Chinese painting, such as :

Chinese Characters and Calligraphy

Dragons and Phoenix

Mythical Scenes and Gods

Chinese Paintings

Chinese Girls and Ancient Beauties

Chinese Folk Arts

Other common cross-stitch patterns may incorporate scenes of China, such as views of the Great Wall or other famous spots. The patterns may also incorporate traditional Chinese fans and elements of the Chinese zodiac, including traditional Chinese zodiac animals.. Very often, Chinese cross-stitch patterns include a theme of luck or a blessing or good wish, as cross-stitches are likely to be hung in the home or given as gifts.

Wish Chinese Cross-stitch Kit?

Chinese cross-stitch kits generally come with everything you need to get started cross-stitching, including an aida cloth, thread, needle and easy-to-read instructions. Cross-stitching is a wonderful and inexpensive way to create a handmade gift or decorative item for the home.

Chinese Labels

Gorgeous Handmade Gifts

Happy Marriage (7x5", 2001) by oddharmonic

a sampler i did a while ago by romana klee

curated content from Flickr

Chinese Counted Cross Stitch Kits

Anyway, What is Chinese Embroidery?

Embroidery is a very long established art form in China. It was never classified as a solely female activity and men and women have both been involved in embroidery. The items embroidered are quite diverse and include robes, theatrical costumes, purses, shoes, spectacle cases, banners, alter cloths and many other pieces.

Antique textile shop - Chinese embroidery

It is difficult to be precise as to when embroidery first was practiced in China but based on archeological excavations of tombs it at least dates back to the early Han dynasty which based itself near Lake Baikal in the early second century B.C. Many Tang embroideries continue to be preserved both in China and in Japan.

Article courtesy of Aisa Art Chinese Embroidery

Traces of Earliest Embroidery

Mawangdui Han Tombs - Authentic Embroideries: Located in the eastern suburb of Changsha City, the world famous Mawangdui Han Tombs is one of the most fascinating attractions in Hunan Province.

And the silk clothes from Number 1 tomb are in a variety of styles and of fine workmanship. One of the most outstanding representatives is a silk coat which is as light as the mist and as fine as gossamer. It is 1.28 meters (about 1.40 yards) in length with a pair of long sleeves, but weighs only 49 grams.
Mogao Caves - Art of Dunhuang Caves (Unearthed Embroideries): The traveler finds the Mogao Caves, a shrine of Buddhist art treasures, 25 km (15.5miles) from downtown Dunhuang on the eastern slope of Mingsha Shan (Mount Echoing Sand).

Mogao sculptors improvised where the rock surface did not work well under their chisels. They placed clay statues in front of the cave walls, carved relief murals as backdrops, and painted the sidewalls and ceilings with art decors. The largest statue is 34.5 meters (113 feet) high and the smallest a mere 2 centimeters (0.79inches) high.
Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs: The Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs are part of the Underground Museum of Turpan and the Living Archives of Gaochang. Astana means capital in Uigur; Karakhoja was a Uigur hero who protected his people from a vicious dragon.

Among the more than ten thousand cultural relics excavated are over 2700 books, epitaphs, paintings, clay figurines, and pottery, wood, gold and stone wares, ancient coins, silk and cotton textiles. The time recorded in the books ranges from 273 to 772.

Guide to Four Famous Schools of Chinese Embroidery

Xiang Style of Chinese Embroidery

Xiang embroidery items are things of bold beauty. Delicate understatement and intricacy of pattern was never the goal, but instead simple and bold, unapologetic beauty that exudes a luxurious plushness. Xiang embroidery was much prized in China during especially the latter part of the Qing Dynasty, but it has won many international awards, since, at international expositions in Japan, the US, and - perhaps surprisingly - in Panama.

Suzhou Embroidery

Suzhou embroidery was one of the first embroidery styles to be developed in China, but its detailed needlework and intricate images are still produced today. It is a style characterized by brightly colored silk embroidered with well-proportioned and uncluttered representations of almost any pastoral scene, person, animal, or object.

Suzhou embroidery folding screen courtesy of lyng883 via Flickr (CC license)

Yue Embroidery (or Canton Embroidery)

The designs of Yue embroidery are rich and complicated in content with bright colors and strong decorative effects. The embroidery is smooth and even. One type, gold and silver cushion embroidery, creates a magnificent three-dimensional effect Yue embroidery has a wide range of designs, the most common ones being birds worshipping the sun, dragons and phoenixes.

Sichuan Shu Embroidery

Shu embroidery is renowned for its superb workmanship, smooth and bright in quality. It has strong expression and artistic effect. The features of it are said as "fine and smooth needlework, simple and elegant colors, graceful and easy lines and the traditional Chinese paintings' style ".

Chinese Embroidery Gallery

Lady Shows Us How to Do the Needlework Traditionally

Magpie and Plum Blossom

Dragon Hand Stitched Chinese Yue (Guangdong) Embroidery

Peony Soft Mounted Embroidery of China

Chinese Emblem - Lovely Giant Pandas Shu Embroidery

Endless Hope Chinese Embroidery

Ladies Playing Flute - Decorative Painting Chinese Embroidery

Lady Shows us How to Do the Needlework Traditionally: Embroidery Woman ( Xiu Niang in Chinese)
Magpie and Plum Blosssom: Photo courtesy of B2BCENTER
Dragon Hand Stitched Chinese Yue (Guangdong) Embroidery: Hand embroidery at Temple in Guangzhou
Peony Soft-mounted Embroidery of China: The AMAZING embroidery... handstitched...
Chinese Emblem - Lovely Giant Pandas Shu Embroidery: Silk embroidery
Endless Hope Chinese Embroidery: Photo courtesy of crazy_ova_manga
Ladies Playing Flute - Decorative Painting Chinese Embroidery: Photo courtesy of liangqin

Spotlight

Suzhou Embroidery Shop: The craftsmen and women of Suzhou embroidery have worked industrously with merely small embroidery needles, pouring all their wisdom and talent into Suzhou embroidery, or as the people would put it "wonder can be made with needle points and spring born under fingers". All that has given the famous Suzhou embroidery the charm of distinction between near water and distant mountains, the feature of deepness of chambers and pavikions, the interest of liveliness of human activity, and the attraction of feacefulness of flowers and birds, making this flower of art higgly appreciated on all of the five continents.
Su Embroidery Studio - Paint with Needles and Silk Threads: We are Su Embroidery Studio (SES), based in Suzhou, China, the hometown of Su embroidery. We make and sell Suzhou silk embroidery works, including silk embroidered pictures (or 'needle painting', 'thread painting', 'embroidery painting') and double-sided silk embroideries.
We have sold silk embroideries to customers in more than 30 countries since we started our embroidery business in 2004. We only make high quality silk embroideries and every embroidery artwork we sell is 100% hand embroidered, completed under the supervision and guidance from Weifang Pu, a national award winning embroidery artist.

Chinese Embroidery Accessories

Come Some Music - Blue and White Procelain

Best Single by Jay Chou and Best for the Moment

This song makes use of the metaphor of porcelain to describe love and separation.
Separation doesn't always have to be painful and sad, it can be inscribed for life in memories and in the heart, just like paintings on porcelain, glazed and fixed for eternities. The pain and the sadness can pass with time, but the beauty of the love will always stay.

Song Intro courtesy of Blue and White Procelain

Background Image courtesy of misexylatina