The women of the national minorities excel in these crafts.Pringting and dyeing in either monochrome paper matrix printing or color-process block printing are two different methods.In Za Ran(tie-dyeing),sewn and folded designs are immersed in dyestuff,and in La Ran(batik),wax-coated designs placed are in vats filled with dye materials.Examples of these processes may be found in Uygur nationality's polychrome printing,the Bai nationality's Za Ran and the Miao and Buyi nationality's La Ran.
Brocade,the interweaving of colored silk and or cotton threads into one piece,is best exemplified by the highly regarded brocade of the Zhuang,Dai,Tong and Tujia nationalities.The most commonly employed methods of embroidery are the plain stitch and the cross-stitch.Various other methods are braiding,coiling,creasing and cocoon-like winding.The Miao,Li and Uygur nationalities show expert embroidery skills.
