Use dark thread on a light even-weave ground, building outlines and tonal regions from repeating counted geometric stitch patterns whose density changes carry the big shapes. Big shapes only: silhouette, proportions, large color areas. Subjects may be re-posed to suit the style. Below fingertip scale use only needle stitches and thread blends; translate every visible surface into directional stitches. Eyes and nose, where present, are stitched thread shapes with one thread-made highlight. Thread and stitch texture visible everywhere. No photographic detail, printed surfaces, photo bits or text. One embroidery hoop holds a stitched flag sampler with counted stars in the canton and satin stitch stripes, spare floss and a needle beside it. A thimble with a dented moon face watches from the side. No lettering.
Light: close craft lamp glow; palette of floss red, hoop beech and linen cream; careful, small, loved.
Square 1:1 frame, centred composition with breathing room on all sides. The standard flag shows exactly thirteen horizontal stripes starting and ending with red and a blue canton with star rows in the upper hoist corner; any interpretive flag stays recognisable and is never torn, burned, defaced or on the ground. No readable text, lettering, slogans or logos anywhere; any people are fictional fully clothed adults with clearly adult proportions and faces. Isolated on a fully transparent background, alpha = 0 everywhere outside the artwork, not white, not coloured, no checkerboard pattern, a real alpha channel; complete and unclipped with a wide transparent margin and a soft semi-transparent contact shadow.
