There are plenty of needlewomen in our books. Kate in Greenbanks is one of the most accomplished, and uses her embroidery skills and colour choices to express her sadly repressed creative skills. We can only imagine the beautiful "little scattered rounds of flowers in green, magenta and deep blue on a heavy old counterpane" and her exquisite wisteria-covered altar-piece. Her work may resemble this lovely 1920s tulle scarf in the V&A collection designed by Francis Troup and embroidered using silk thread by Winifred Troup.