When the Second World War broke out stitched items suddenly became absolutely vital. A massive production of uniforms & stitched equipment took over factories & raw materials while in the home every scrap of thread was utilised. The stories in these pages are of weddings; parachute drops in the dead of night into enemy territory; lice & mud in the trenches; & regimental insignia embroidered onto pyjamas until the men came home & secret stitched hidden from brutal guards. This gripping & unusual history offers a glimpse into the courage endurance ingenuity & skill of the men women & children who struggled to survive wartime conditions at home & overseas & through the hard years of rationing which followed.