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The correspondence within the collection relates to the establishment and management of the Needlework Development in Scotland scheme than ran from 1934 until 1939 when the 1939-1945 World War lead to its suspension. It was re-established as the Needlework Development Scheme in 1945. Subjects covered within the correspondence include management issues; acquisition of needlework samples; finance; correspondence with J & P Coats Ltd who funded the scheme; minutes of meetings; aims and objectives of the scheme; exhibitions; loans of examples.

The publications of the Needlework Development Scheme were central to its aims. The two bulletins, "And So to Sew" and "And So to Embroider" published three times a year, were issued free until 1958 until demand led to a charge being levied for orders of over 24 copies. At its height in the 1950s, the scheme spent the current equivalent (2003) of £1 million printing the bulletin and distributing it primarily to school girls as well as other interested parties. Other publications featured accounts of the Scheme's development along with images of selected needleworks or focused on particular themes within the collection, such as Swedish needlework.