{"product_id":"the-double-sided-art-chinese-silk-shading-in-the-su-embroidery-tradition-with-joni-zhou","title":"The Double-Sided Art: Chinese Silk Shading in the Su Embroidery Tradition with Joni Zhou","description":"\u003cp\u003eDiscover the ancient art of Chinese double-sided silk shading through this beginner-friendly workshop, designed for those new to hand embroidery or silk shading. This delicate technique uses fine silk threads to create realistic botanical designs, with a distinctive double-sided finish that means the embroidery can be viewed from either side, a characteristic of fine Su embroidery. Led by Joni Zhou (Zhou Xueqing), a Suzhou-born embroidery artist with over thirty years of experience in Su and Cantonese embroidery, who has presented work in more than ninety exhibitions worldwide and delivered a lecture at the Royal School of Needlework in October 2025, the workshop will introduce you to the materials, techniques and processes behind this traditional craft. You will begin with an introduction to silk thread, exploring its origins and composition before learning the essential technique of thread splitting. You will learn how to work with thread as fine as one-sixteenth of a strand, developing the skills needed to separate, comb and handle silk with precision. From there, you will explore the relationship between needle and thread, learning four fundamental processes: taking the needle, starting a stitch, placing a stitch and finishing a stitch. Building on these foundations, you will learn three versatile embroidery stitches: Long \u0026amp; Short Stitch for seamless shading, Stem Stitch for elegant outlines and Snowflake Stitch for textured detail. Each technique will be introduced through demonstration and practical stitching, with particular attention paid to thread paths and achieving a clean finish on both sides of the embroidery. By the end of the workshop, you will have begun your own botanical silk embroidery and developed the skills and confidence to continue working on the design at home. All materials, including a pre-printed botanical design on natural silk, hand-dyed silk threads and traditional needles, are included in the workshop kit.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"RSN","offers":[{"title":"Monday 1st - Friday 5th March 2027","offer_id":63630485324106,"sku":"HCP27026","price":550.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1036\/4541\/3706\/files\/The_Double_Sided_Art_Chinese_Silk_Shading_in_the_Su_Embroidery_Tradition_with_Joni_Zhou_1.jpg?v=1790179846","url":"https:\/\/rsn.org.uk\/products\/the-double-sided-art-chinese-silk-shading-in-the-su-embroidery-tradition-with-joni-zhou","provider":"Royal School of Needlework","version":"1.0","type":"link"}