a new liturgical piece--ordinary time stole for a new pastor

I had retired from making liturgical pieces. I find them taxing to make in the over-thinking I do in how they will look from a distance and close up, symbolism, how to personalize them, how to make them meaningful. It takes a lot out of me!

This spring when Rev. Nickerson joined our pastoral staff, the church asked me to make one as a gift from the congregation and, though overwhelmingly busy with work, stepped in as I had some ideas.

Ordinary time is a special time in the liturgical calendar as there is nothing special going on! That appeals to me. How precious ordinary time is.

The color for ordinary time is green. Liz said she favors green on the blue/green side of it and I found a lovely duckegg colored silk from Mood. It is a shot silk. so from different angles it looks dull green to vivid turquoise.  
Because she focuses on family ministry, I liked the idea of duckegg as the children tend to follow her like baby ducks.
I asked for verses/imagery to think of and she mentioned loving verses of eagles on wing and of solid rock foundations.

The piece is quilted with 4 rows of thread making a trinity of channels that look like thermals that eagles glide upon. The lining is a lovely striped linen that reminds me of the limestone wall of St Pauls in the chancel.  

See what I mean that these take a lot out of me? A joy, but, a lot.

My time was limited to work on this by Installation Sunday, so I put out word to church friends who are good with a needle to meet me in the balcony with their thimbles to help with the handwork of the binding. We sewed through the second hymn of the service to get it finished in time for the installation after the sermon. Sneaked it up the side aisle.

Members of the congregation signed lining at the reception and I like the idea of them embracing with love. I have a few people select tiny buttons and choose where to place them. 
Ordinary objects representing seeds in ordinary time.

a five-generation quilt

38 by 37 inches

In 2013 my friend and pastor Avena asked me to make her a liturgical stole to wear during the white seasons (Christmas, Easter, and special occasions like weddings). You can read about the stole here:
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2013/04/making-liturgical-piece.html

She asked me to incorporate a quilt top her grandmother made from Avena's childhood and youth clothing and other family sewing projects that her mother cut into squares. Her grandmother was quite far into dementia and the construction of polyesters, rayons, and cottons was puckered and poofed.
I used it as the lining of the stole so it was close and private to Avena. I loved how when she walked the bottom hems would flare out and we could see a peek of the patchwork.

I asked Avena what to do with the remainder of the patchwork and she said I could discard it. Instead I tucked it away thinking someday there might be a grandchild. And, over 7 years years later, and despite our move and Avena's retirement and move across the country, I knew where it was when I heard Baby was with us.

It was too fragile to handle quilting on my domestic machine, so my friend Sue Divarco took it on her longarm with my request that all I wanted was for it to be flat, let tucks form where they will. She quilted it quite densely. I used a 1930s reproduction for the back, a nod to Avena's grandmother. The fabrics of the patchwork I date to range from the 1920s to the 1970s. I used 6 leftover pieces of red binding from my own quiltmaking.

Because I had cut away a portion of the patchwork for the stole there was a remnant rectangle of patchwork I trimmed and bound to make a small table mat. I like that there is a stain in the black gingham!

14 by 5 inches

In the end very little was discarded. Most of the patchwork went into the stole, the quilt, and the mat.

I left about 6 inches to sew in the binding so Avena and her daughter can put the final stitches in the quilt.
The quilt is finished. It was made by the hands of Avena's grandmother and mother, by Avena and her daughter. And now, ready to swaddle Baby.
Five generations.

Happy Easter!

The white paraments are up for their first Easter use.

Merry Christmas!

Totenfest Sunday

The paraments were in use this morning.

Totenfest is a special Sunday where we commemorate members of our congregation who died in the past year. It is very moving to hear the names and watch a friend or family member bring a rose to a vase in the front of the church. There were seven deaths this past year, the last only about 12 days ago and that family's pain was noticeably fresh.
The beauty of being part of a congregation is these connections over time and between generations. It was comforting to know some day a rose will be brought forward for me.

paraments ready for totenfest

In honor of a retiring pastor at St Pauls, I was asked to make paraments for the white seasons of the church.
Top is the lectern piece, then the pulpit piece. Below, the altar cloth.
I finished them yesterday and today installed them for this coming Sunday, the last day of the liturgical year when we celebrate Totenfest, a day of memorial for members who died in the past year.
They then will be tucked away for the four weeks of Advent, and will come back out for Christmas.

I love being in the sanctuary all by myself. Such a quiet and lovely space.

paraments

I was asked to make white paraments (used at Christmas and Easter) in honor of our retiring associate pastor, Avena Ward.

I used Michael Miller's Fairy Frost as I like the sheen it gives.

On the Sunday of her retirement I sat in the balcony with several friends who helped make major binding progress during the service.

At the reception members of the congregation were welcomed to add stitches.
I planned to remove what wasn't to my standard, but decided to leave them in. It was so much fun to see people delight to participate.

There is still some finishing work to be done. I'll get more photographs when they are installed.

a decade ago

I made this parament for my father-in-law's funeral ten years ago. I was happy to see it in use this morning in the chapel at St Pauls.

making a liturgical piece

Beth asked me to chronicle how I go about making a liturgical piece.
I've made many stoles for ministers over the years.
I am ready to retire from this, but had one last request from my dear friend and pastor, Avena.

The name Avena comes from the Latin for oats, and I thought it fitting, in making her piece for the liturgical color of white, to incorporate the color of oats. And, since this will be often worn during Easter time, I wanted to include that most wonderful color green of early oat fields.

Avena had a quilt top made by her grandmother. Avena's mother cut squares of Avena's childhood and teenaged clothing she made for her, and the grandmother (also named Avena), who was well into dementia, pieced a very puckered and unquiltable top.
I cut off about 18 inches of it to use for a lining of the vestment. I will quilt up the remainder for a keepsake for the family.

To stabilize the patchwork, I quilted it to a cotton batt (not using a backing) using a serpentine stitch. I let the puckers turn into tucks wherever they wished.

I chose Michael Miller's Fairy Frost in white for the bulk of the stole, and selected several shades of yellow and the wonderful green for the detail.

Using my rotary cutter, I free cut curves in pieces of the fabrics, turn them under, and press. I move the curves around, having them play with each other, until I am satisfied with what is going on. I work on both sides at once, trying to keep the design flowing and harmonious.
Then, they are appliqued with a topstitch, using a walking foot.
I add free style quilting lines then bind it.

 

 

Avena showing the lining of the stole; the lining was made from a quilt top pieced by her grandmother.

The Reverend Avena Ward, associate pastor, St Pauls United Church of Christ, Chicago.

liturgical stole--white--Epiphany!

Finally some pictures of the stole in action on Epiphany!
The Rev. Matt Fitzgerald of St Pauls United Church of Christ, Chicago.