"As a young man, Ray Materson fell from grace and landed a twenty-five-year sentence in a maximum security prison. One day, in the depths of despair, he recalled his grandmother sitting on the front porch serenely working her embroidery. Improvising an embroidery hoop and using threads pulled from socks, he fashioned his first piece of needlework. It was a maize-and-blue University of Michigan M in honor of Ray's favorite team, which was playing in the Rose Bowl that year.

He found that sewing gave him a sense of accomplishment, an opportunity to exercise his creativity, and, like his grandmother, a feeling of serenity in the worst of circumstances. Soon Ray was creating small needlework emblems and flags for fellow inmates.".

"Over time, his work became more intricate - miniature masterpieces that told stories from his past and illustrated his dreams for the future. Sins and Needles is the story of how Ray stitched his life back together, and how, through his art, he met the woman he would marry - the woman who would help bring his work to the attention of the world."--BOOK JACKET.