A beloved father’s unique embroideries were the starting point for this Ordination stole. After a chat with her father about a design with a child’s hand making the sign of the cross on the palm of an adult, he went…
Author: Elaine Bradshaw
Rainbows of Inclusivity
It was very important to this client that the ‘rainbow’ was the main focus of the stole, as the importance of being there for everyone was paramount to them. I was asked to make it ‘swoosh’ across from one side…
Jesus Son Of David
This stole was commissioned by a Methodist minister who found themselves using a purple stole more frequently, the one they were using currently being borrowed. The starting point for this stole came from two distinct influences. Encountering God in places…
Things To Think About When Considering Commissioning A Stole
I thought I would put together a little blog on things to think about when commissioning a stole. What is the main colour to be? What do you want your stole to convey? Do you want to reference your spiritual…
Doves
The inspiration for this chasuble and its companion stole came from the dove window in St Peter’s Basilica as it spoke to my client in two ways, to her Anglo catholic style and the glass mosaic and its colour to…
Sing Joyfully
This commission was for a white Ordination stole with a pale colour scheme. My client was a musician and a singer who played the cello and sang in a choir and wanted her stole to reflect this. As a starting…
The Heraldic
It was important to this commission that it had a strong heraldic feel. I was asked to include a lion rampant, entwined in passion flowers, holding a pomegranate that is split open showing its seeds. A unicorn with head bowed…
New challenges
My latest commission has given me a couple of new challenges, musical notation and words. My client, a cellist and singer, was very keen that the musical notation was ‘correct’ in its appearance and not circles on sticks. I printed…
There’ll Be Bluebirds
This stole commission features a Celtic cross, created using three layers of silk stitched and then cut to reveal the colours underneath. The crosses were stitched first and then applied to the stole. The ‘bluebirds’ represent the connection to where…
The Road Not Taken
This is a red Ordination stole for a priest who is to be ordained in the Diocese of Coventry. The brief was to reflect the poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, with an emphasis on a path through…