Based on her own experience with long and short stitch shading, gained through trial and error over the years, the author provides a greater awareness of how colour affects our embroidery, and what brings it to life.

Small, embroidered "paintings" can have all the detail, form, and beauty of a larger piece except they're much quicker to stitch These fresh and appealing designs all capture the pretty, romantic images typical of the Victorian and post-Victorian eras. All the projects which include traditional portraits, birds, and flowers have detailed thread diagrams, and easy-to-follow instructions teach the basic stitches."