The author studies specific, surviving historical pieces, discusses their materials and construction and places them in their historical frame and teaches the eager student how to reproduce either the stitches, the technique or the entire piece. Pieces can also be adapted to modern needs and each piece is used as a lesson. Stitches and their uses are presented in clear diagrams and are easy to follow, even though the stitches and braiding of Elizabethan work are quite complex in places.