This woman's apron was made with calendered handspun cotton, silk and felt. The fabric is decorated with hand-stitched silk embroidery with motifs of bird, flowers and butterflies. Miao designs are geometric and abstract. The variety of cross and motifs in various configurations probably served as protection against evil spirits. Calendering refers to a process where the surface of a material is made smooth and glossy by folding it into half and passing under rollers at high temperatures.For the Miao or Hmong, the process of clothes-making - spinning, weaving, embroidery and dyeing have been handed down for generations, from mothers to daughters, who would learn it from an early age.The Miao people form one of the largest ethnic minorities in southwest China. They are mainly distributed across Guizhou, Yunnan, Hunan and Sichuan provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. A small number lives on Hainan Island in Guangdong province, and in southwest Hubei province.
