A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the addition of only a few words can convey exact information about who, where, when and why, and make a beautiful object into a special treasure that belongs to a person or a family. Although the flowing strokes of freehand writing cannot be reproduced on canvas, there is no need for needle calligraphy to be dull. This book presents 43 alphabets which cover a wide variety of styles and moods, and also offers a technique to speed up work and cut out the drudgery of traditional counted-thread embroidery. Projects ranging from samplers to book covers are included, but the book's main aim is to fire readers' imagination and encourage them to create their own new ideas.