Wendy Lees presents a host of practical suggestions for keeping your embroidery fresh and original, and shows how to find inspiration and how to make the most of your own ideas and experiences. She starts by exploring stitches and fabrics in a series of simple but open-ended exercises to give readers the confidence to use different techniques - the tools of creativity. She then leads along the path to inspiration, from finding a starting point to design, choosing the most appropriate technique, and problem-solving. Natural and man-made objects, collections in galleries and museums, photographic images, shapes and colours - all can be used as the basis for designs, and the book advises on how to translate these sources into original and imaginative embroideries.