As a seamstress, Isobel uses her stitching to earn a living, but sewing and embroidery are symbolic as well. During her childhood, she learns sewing is a way for women to exchange and conceal information: “To clothe a woman is to hide her failings and frailties […] A dressmaker is talented with the needle, but above all she is a secret keeper” (14). Throughout Hester, Isobel uses her sewing to hide messages in her work, culminating in the revelation that Mercy is using the same method to signify a stop on the Underground Railroad. In this respect, sewing is a means of personal expression and freedom.

Isobel also finds guidance in her father’s refrain “Trust the needle” (45), which he advises before she leaves Scotland. This mindset leads to employment and escape from Edward in the climax, as well as a means to help others, as she uses her needle to warn Mercy to flee Edward. Men who sew are rare in the novel, but Darling’s assertion that he likes stitching reveals his reliability as a romantic partner. Thus, enjoyment of stitching indicates good character in the novel.