Book excerpt: A practical, step-by-step guide which shows clearly how to create beautiful raised and padded embroideries. Kay Dennis is passionate about Stumpwork. This intricate, raised and padded embroidery has its origins in the seventeenth century, and is enjoying a revival amongst embroiderers and lacemakers. It is wonderfully versatile and will appeal both to the novice and imaginative needleworker. Using a mix of flat, padded, wired and free-standing elements, it employs a wide range of embroidery techniques. This comprehensive and colourful book covers both basic and needle lace techniques - sections on each containing a series of elaborate step-by-step demonstrations showing how to work individual techniques, followed by a project combining all the methods. Kay takes inspiration from a variety of sources and her designs include animals, flowers, fruits and insects popular motifs in the seventeenth century. She also creates contemporary designs and there are advanced projects on landscape and figurative work. A gallery of Kay's work is included to stimulate and inspire the reader.