Sewing was an important skill for a woman in the 17th century and was taught to girls of all classes from an early age. Plain sewing - hemming and seaming - was of particular value for the production of underclothes and basic household linens. Only a privileged few, however, were able to afford the time and materials for embroidery. There appear to have been a number of accepted markers in the development of a competent needlewoman. First a band sampler was completed, illustrating the range of stitches and techniques that the girl had mastered. Then these skills were developed by sewing a more complex and demanding cut-work sampler. In many cases the final challenge was the production of an embroidered picture like this one, depicting scenes from myth or the Bible using a wide range of stitches and materials. This picture, almost certainly derived from contemporary prints, tells the Old Testament story of Hagar and her son Ishmael. In the centre Hagar is depicted with Ishmael and on the left, Abraham, Ishmael's father.

It is probable that each individual figure or element was sewn independently and then applied to the delicate white satin background. This meant that the needlewoman could experiment and correct mistakes which would be impossible to rework on the satin. This picture includes raised work, the technique of embroidering over padding, but more unusually, much of the embroidery employs metal thread. The tree tops are created using twisted wire while the loose tent flaps use a technique closely related to needle lace. Metal thread is particularly difficult to work and indicates a high level of skill in this embroiderer.