Yesterday (or today of you use the old Roman calendar) was the feast of St. Clare, who is the patron saint of needlework. There are patrons for many, many things, so you shouldn’t be surprised that needlework has its own patron.
If you don’t know much about St. Clare, she was the daughter of a noble family in Asissi and a friend of St. Francis. She was called to the life of the Franciscans and became the first Franciscan nun. It’s because of her that the order is commonly called “Poor Clares.”
She is the patron of needlework because she was a fine embroiderer and her convent made vestments and liturgical pieces for the Franciscans.
Clare is also the patron of television, because of this charming story. She was sick and in bed on Christmas Eve and so unable to attend Midnight Mass. She saw the entire Mass, as it was going on, played out for her on the wall of her room. It was a kind of supernatural television.
There is a simply wonderful cross stitch chart of St. Clare,using Ginnie Thompson’s Flower Thread, which is available in a special offer. I love this design and have stitched it twice.
Happy feast of St. Clare!
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Dear Janet,
Happy Feast of St. Clare to you, too! I love how there are patron saints of everything. Keep up all of your great work! Elizabeth
[...] stitching was named after St. Clare of Assisi, “sister” of St. Francis, patron saint of needleworkers. It is worked mainly in cross-stitch and it reprenset a form of counted-thread embroidery based on [...]