This book explores the author's fascination with birds and the ways they interact with their surroundings. She has researched the subject and turned her collection of rough sketches and notes into drawings and finally the embroideries featured in the book.Though Judy's focus is on Australian birds, the embroideries themselves will appeal to an international audience, and the processes and techniques she uses can be adapted and used by textile artists and embroiderers for a broad range of subjects.The book is divided into three parts, as it is easier to understand the processes of the work by working through the simplest to the more intricate or complicated forms of the subject. Each piece of work is divided into two areas and includes those elements applied to the rigid frame, to form the background or on-frame work', and those stitched off-frame' on a hoop and applied later.Part 1 covers the basic requirements of what you need, including design requirements, embroidery materials fabrics, needles and threads equipment, rigid frames, and your work space. It also includes a section on research and choosing a suitable bird and its habitat, and information on drawing up a design related to the bird and its placement in the wider landscape. This part concludes will a project that guides the reader through the entire process from inspiration through to working design, layering the background and stitching, thus giving all the skills and techniques needed to complete a hand-stitched, low-relief panel based on birds and habitats.Part 2 explores processes and techniques used in designing and working more complicated elements. This project includes elements embroidered off-frame' and applied to the work, such as tree trunks, branches, birds' nests and, of course, the birds. Such off-frame' techniques include fused, felt-backed and suede elements and ways of applying them to the work.Part 3 includes further examples of the author's embroideries, and drawn designs that could be used in future works. This section also includes information on finishing the work (mounting and framing), a stitch glossary, reference section and acknowledgements.