Graduate Apprentice, Sarah Homfray throws light onto the beautiful craft of silk shading, also known as painting with a needle, long and short stitch embroidery or thread painting. Sarah:

- Reveals the history of the craft. then moves on to the materials and equipment required.
- Covers design and using color; simplifying and demystifying this oft-neglected area of embroidery.
- Covers all (main section) of the essential stitches and techniques through clear, step-by-step diagrams and photographs, coupled with beautiful, close-up photographs showing how they can be used in a finished piece.
- Includes key traditional techniques: the fundamental stab, split and long and short stitches, along with couching, padding, adding beads and sequins, and knots.
- Ends with beautiful and exquisitely-worked examples of how the techniques can be combined in finished pieces, and covering working with different fabrics, threads and incorporating painted backgrounds.
The RSN teaches hand embroidery to the highest standard and is well respected all over the world. It not only upholds the traditions of English embroidery that go back many hundreds of years, but is constantly taking embroidery forward in new and innovative ways.