Today Pope Francis is canonizing Junipero Serra, the Franciscan who founded the California missions and who is the most important single person in California’s history. Father Serra personally walked from Mexico City to California and along the coast of the state, covering thousands of miles with a chronically injured leg. He founded the missions that became large cities such as San Diego and San Francisco. Other missions became the start of many other California cities and towns.
There’s lots of controversy today about him because conversion was a part of his mission and because the coming of the Spanish brought illness, death, and forced labor to the native population. This controversy is largely a very recent happening because in most of what you read he’s praised. And rightly so. He recognized that the hunter/gatherer culture of the California tribes would not last after the Spanish army got to the area and he wanted to give them the tools to be able to live, be free, and to be productive in the world that was coming. He set up the missions far from the forts (presidios) usually on what my DH calls “the best spot in town.” He taught the Indians farming and trades. He fought with Mexico City to preserve their independence. Ultomately he wanted the missions and their farms to belong to the Indians themselves.
A man greatly worthy of praise and it’s so wonderful that he will be the first person to be canonized on American soil.
Because that’s happening today, I thought we could celebrate him by looking at needlepoint of some of the California missions.
ABS Designs has lovely canvases of several of the missions. There are eight in all. I’ve stitched Mission San Buenaventura (Ventura) and it was delightful and easy to stitch.
Melissa Shirley has detailed canvases of three missions in a vintage style that is quite lovely.
In Good Company has a mini-sock for Carmel that has the mission’s bell tower as the upper half of the stocking.
Patt & Lee also has a Carmel Mission canvas. It’s available on 14-, 16-, or 18-mesh canvas.
If you like vintage printed canvas, check out eBay, there are canvases of California missions of this kind.
There is a series of quilt blocks of the California missions. These could easily be adapted to needlepoint. Cross stitch charts of the missions can also be found. Some of them use whole stitches only and therefore could be stitched as needlepoint.
I have some canvases of missions, one is pictured at the top of this post, in 4″ rounds. These are vintage canvases, but you might be able to find them.
Finally to leave you with a charming painting of Father Serra done by artist Jen Norton.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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