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Kay’s Practical Embroiderer (patent no. 466,488) is a British patent for a set of metal templates used for creating a novelty form of ‘pile’ embroidery. The patent was taken out on 23rd November 1935. The patent was accepted on 25th May 1937. The patent was taken out by two brothers, Samuel Kauffman and Harris Kay (formerly also known as Kauffman). Samuel Kauffman was described in the patent as being a Russian citizen.

The Ideal Art Needlework Company was a famous early twentieth century firm that sold items for art needlework in the eastern USA.

Jane Poulton (1957) is an English embroiderer who makes small items decorated with hand and machine embroidery. There is an example of her machine embroidery, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum (acc. no. T.162-1990). The design is called 'It's only me' and is added to a purse.

Jane Poulton (1957) is a contemporary British artist who uses machine and hand embroidery to decorate small items, such as purses. She is well-known for her embroidered pictures of figurative subjects, which often feature small animals and birds.

Cuvette is a general term for a particular type of round sequin that has raised, faceted sides. The word comes from the French diminutive for cuve, meaning an ornamental, shallow dish for holding water. Cuvettes used for decorative needlework may be made of glass, metal, plastic, etc.

Giovanni Andrea Vavassore (fl. 1530-1573) was a Venetian who was active in the mid-sixteenth century. Vavassore (who was also known as Guadagnino) produced at least one pattern book for embroidery, including Modano (Tuscan filet) and for drawn work. He is particularly known for his Corona di Racammi ('Crown of Embroidery'), which was published in 1530 and reprinted two years later.

Sir Marc Aurel Stein (1862-1943) was a British/Hungarian archaeologist, ethnographer, geographer and linguist, who wrote many books about his expeditions and discoveries in India, Iran and Central Asia. He died in 1943 in Afghanistan and lies buried in the Christian cemetery of Kabul.

A seventeenth century portrait of a Tudor lady after Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543) has been variously described as that of Catherine Howard (1521-1542; fifth wife of Henry VIII of England) or possibly of Elizabeth Seymour (1518-1568; sister of Jane Seymour, the second wife of Henry VIII).

A guard is a sixteenth and seventeenth century term for a ribbon or band of a rich material that was used as a border on clothing in order to conceal seams and hems.

A palampore is type of bed cover or wall hanging that was made in India for the export market, especially Britain and The Netherlands, during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.