Madonna by Botticelli

A Renaissance-style Madonna and Child, the embrace of mother and son at the centre of the scene, with gold haloes and a background of sky and flowering branches. The design is already printed in colour on the Penelope canvas, so there is no counting: you stitch area by area, though the many skin tones and the gilded details call for care when changing colour.

The canvas is sold without threads and without a needle. The required materials list gives the DMC Soft Cotton shades matched to the design, which can be added to the cart in one go; tapestry wool is an alternative. A frame helps keep the canvas taut. Once finished, the piece is ideal for framing.