In her Preface to this book, celebrated needlecraft authority Mary Thomas declares that, "embroidery, like every other art needs to be understood to be enjoyed. Once the rules of the game are known, there not only comes the urge to create with needle and thread, but a knowledge which enables the better appreciation of the old masterpieces, as well as those produced in our own day." With this ambition in mind, Miss Thomas takes the reader on an...