Millennium Garden Gate: Celebrate the Passion

Author: Rae Iverson
Copyright, Moss Creek Designs

Started: June, 2001
Completed: October, 2001
Hours: 42, not including finishing
Materials: Anchor floss and Needle Necessities overdyed floss on cream Cashel linen
Stitches:
NOTE: historical information given in this list was found in the pattern.
cross stitch over one, Renaissance stitch (dates to the 14th-16th centuries), satin stitch, Sprat heart (a weaving stitch with a history in hand tailoring, used to reinforce pockets), Maltese Cross Rhodes (adapted from wood carving and Grecian/Maltan architechture, reminiscent of the Greek Cross in early church manuscripts), Victoria and Albert Herringbone (from a 17th century sampler in the V&A museum's private collection), broad chain, encroaching cross, four-corner herringbone (the crossed legs of the stitch can be seen on 10th century buildings), Norwich (adapted from a 17th century Scottish sampler), Breton stitch, Holbein (the gate is adapted from 16-17th century ironwork in Old Charleston, SC), Trame (French embroidery associated with intricate 14th-16th century tapestries), Leaf stitch, Palestrina knot, brick satin work (adapted from tile work in a 10th century mosque)

This is my "millennium" design, which I started in 2001 (being the first year of the new millennium...there was no year "zero," so the first century *ended* with the year 100...you do the math.... but I digress. ;) ). It was "taught" at the Progressive Sampler at (the now-defunct) Heart of Cross Stitch in 2000. The scan washed out the colors a bit; they are much richer, and the Maltese Cross Eyelet (above the "tree") is an overdyed fiber with some purple hues in it. The previous scan shows a little bit truer colors; I tried to fix it up with an imaging program. I forgot to scan my finished piece before I mounted it on its box top, so that's why some of the stitches look "squished" in the finished scan! This was a really fun piece to do.