...in modern dress. There are footballers, children paddling in the sea, the obligatory fairy, a man fishing, shepherd, Victorian lady, a clown and more. Even more importantly, there are the instructions to make all of these, and the best news is that you probably own virtually everything you need already, or you can buy it easily. No large outlays are needed, and I can spot lots of recycling opportunities to use up odds and ends from other projects. Transfer your design, slip it into your hoop, and off you go, learning needlelace, finding out about cordonnets and what embroidery stitches are associated with this type of work. Make limbs, heads, hair, clothes, hands and feet, then go on to one of the whole projects. As ever with this publisher, here is a handsomely illustrated primer that tells you what you need to know without blinding the reader with science, making it all seem too scary to attempt, or too sketchy to fathom out. If, like this reviewer, you still have a yen for the 17th century boxes with their richly dressed period figures, then you are armed with the knowledge to have a go at that too. All you need is a book of costumes and some practice. This is a fine gift for any embroiderer.  

If you cannot find embroidery materials locally, try SearchPress.com for a list of suppliers.