This armchair traveler has headed to California to once again follow the Mission Trail. My next project is an adaptation to needlepoint of Mission Santa Clara de Asis, eighth in the chain of 21 missions established by Franciscan missionaries along the coast of California.
Founded in 1777, the mission was the first to be dedicated in honor of a woman--St. Clare of Assisi, who also happens to be the patron saint of needlework. Originally established on the Guadalupe River, the church was moved to higher ground in 1781 due to floods, fires and earthquakes. Another earthquake in 1818 destroyed the structure, and a fifth church was dedicated in 1825.
In 1851, ownership of the church was transferred to the Jesuit order, who established on the site Santa Clara College, the first college in California. The whole structure was burned in a fire in 1925 and replaced in 1929. The church pictured here is today the chapel and centerpiece of the campus of Santa Clara University.
5 comments:
This is beautiful - and thanks for the great history! I look forward to seeing stitching progress.
Wow! I can't wait to see it. Do you know which types of needlepoint stitches you are going to use? Keep us posted on your progress...
Happy Stitchin'...
Carolyn
http://www.stitchopedia.com
An encyclopedia of needlepoint stitches…
What a beautiful mission! This looks quite a bit bigger than your usual lighthouse. What is the size on this one? Looking forward to stitches used on this one.
Jan- This is 99 stitches wide by 81 stitches high--on 18 ct. 5-1/2 by 4-1/2 inches--roughly twice the design area of a lighthouse.
Very pretty building and thanks for the history information. The background always make the stitched projects more interesting. :-)
Cynthia
Windy Meadow
Post a Comment