A quiet, romantic scene: a girl in a pale dress absorbed in her book, with pink roses in the foreground. The 32 shades and the soft gradations on her face and dress are worked in counted cross stitch on fine linen, with half cross stitch and a few long stitches for the lighter details.
Linen with 12 threads per cm is usually stitched over two threads, using one or two strands of stranded cotton depending on the coverage you want; a frame or hoop and good light make the work much easier. The frame shown in the photo is not included: once finished, the piece is best mounted with a mat, which keeps the white dress away from the glass.