A brief introduction of Suzhou Embroidery

Suzhou embroidery (Su embroidery for short), Hunan embroidery (Xiang embroidery for short), Sichuan embroidery (Shu embroidery for short) and Guangdong embroidery (Yue embroidery for short) are the four most famous styles of embroidery in China.
Suzhou Embroidery is made in Suzhou City which is considered the 'paradise of China' and lies in the south of Jiangsu province. Suzhou embroidery has a history of artistic features such as bright colors, detailed needlework and intricate images. And it's also known as 'the oriental pearl'.
Suzhou Embroidery has a rich history of 2000 years. With the development of economy and culture in the Song Dynasty, silkworm breeding grew rapidly and Suzhou became a land of silk. Since then Su Embroidery became an art to appreciation.
It is recorded that there was a lane called silk thread lane in Suzhou. where craftsmen could gather and dye eighty to ninety different colors, when added to the different level of darkness, the total shades of color could reach up to 700.
During the Yuan, Ming, And Qin Dynasty , there was new creation and development of Suzhou Embroidery. Mainly they used great artists's paintings as inspiration. They began to create art with people, landscapes, flowers , birds ,etc. Suzhou embroidery focuses on balance , vividness, varied patterns, and different levels of color when they compose a picture. One of the distinctive features of Suzhou embroidery is that some pieces are two-sided; that is, the picture is repeated on both sides of the embroidered piece. The stitching on Suzhou embroidered pieces is done with silk threads that have been divided until the actual thread is almost impossible to see. Through the repetition of stitches a very dense embroidering occurs. Suzhou embroidery has been used in clothing, wall hangings, and even intricate book covers dating back almost 1,000 years.