Table of contents : Contents Illustrations Foreword Acknowledgments Conventions Part I. The Hilo Shishü 1. Gathering the Threads 2. The Hilo Shishü Community 3. Old Ways Done Differently Part II. Threads from the Past 4. An Enduring Partnership 5. Life Was Hard! 6. “Great Were the Ladies of Meiji!” Part III. From Design to Stitched Art 7. Design for Needle and Thread 8. Thread into Art 9. The Shishü Experience Appendix A. A Short History of Shishü in Japan Appendix B. Roster of the Shishu Ladies Appendix C. Notes Bibliography