Crossing Over - One Over Two

It wasn't until recently

 that I discovered what a comeback

 cross stitching has made.

There are all kinds of wonderful

designs and designers,

antique sampler repros,

smalls,  folk art,

and contemporary.

I did do some cross stitching 

back in the day, but not for many years.

It was in the late spring that

I caught wind of a Mayflower and

Pilgrim 400 year commemoration design 

by Brenda Garvais.

It was only last year that

I discovered my ancestral link to

Francis Cooke, 

my 12th great Grandfather,

a member of the Separatist 

group from Leiden, Netherlands, 

that boarded the Mayflower and set sail 

from England heading to the New World.

                                                                                      2009

After 66 grueling days at sea

this small group of 102 along with about 30 crew

dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod on

November 11, 1620.

Francis and his oldest son, John (13)

came on the Mayflower in 1620 leaving behind his wife, Hester

and their other 4 children.  After the Colony was better

established he sent for them

and they came to Plymouth in 1623 onboard the ship, Anne.

I can't even imagine.

****

Brenda Garvais's cross stitch design

honors the Women of the Mayflower.

Of the 18 married women that

came, only 5 survived the first winter and

only 4 were still living for the first

Thanksgiving the autumn of 1621.

For the next 66 days

I will be stitching on this cross stitch design

on a 40 count linen, one over two.

I imagine I might be as slow as 

the original trip, but

I'm looking forward to this journey

to commemorate these brave women who

courageously boarded that ship crossing 

over that expansive ocean

looking to a new future.

Until Next Time-

Kyle