Tartan Liturgical Stole

[Alan H]

Mods, this post does touch on "religion"...in a vague sort of way, I guess so if you think it has to go, then I won't have a problem with it.

I'm doing something very odd. I'm...well, I guess the closest thing to what I'm doing is quilting. That's right, Quilting.

We have a Seminary Intern at church, her name is Maggie. She's a sweetheart, a remarkably insightful and honest young woman and she's been a totally perfect fit for our congregation. She's also 23 years old, a child of her generation and she uses analogies which I find refreshing...things like comparing her childhood and teenage impression of what the Magi looked like, to Dumbledore. I just find it refreshing to be hearing from a newer generations insights, you know?

Anyway, so her years internship is up in August and I'm making her a kilt out of some lightweight Lindsay, modern tartan that I have lying around. We were having lunch the other day and I asked her if she wanted me to use the excess tartan to make a liturgical stole for her. She got quite excited about this, so I took on the project. I've never done anything like this before, and honestly I probably won't do it again but it's been an interesting process designing something, then figuring how to make it happen with bits of fabric. Her friend (and my friend) Maija will be adding some beadwork to the design as well, so it will be a joint present to Maggie from us both.

I find it entertaining that before work, 4 mornings a week I'm "sewing"...how UN-manly...but after work three days a week I'm throwing trees and boulders. the contrast - I enjoy it.

Here's a pic of the "in-progress" part of the design....grapevine wrapping around a cross on a tartan background. The vine will have embroidered leaves and beaded grape clusters. I've since trimmed down the thickness of the vine branches a bit, and stitched them down. The majority of the stole is dark heather green, this is just the decorative panel.. Green is the liturgical color that gets used the most during the Lutheran liturgical year, but I figure that the stole has blue and purple in it, too, so she can wear it during those seasons as well.