threads are removed (drawn) from the background fabric, which produces an open, lacy effect. Examples of drawn thread work are broderie anglaise, Madeira, and Hardanger.

A range of different cloths have historically been used for whitework, generally lightweight cottons, but also linen or silk. Very small pin-tuck pleats, cutwork, satin stitch, and floral forms are typical features of whitework embroidery, which, de la Haye describes as "simultaneously decorative and plain", particularly as the threads used in this technique match the