Now I am on a roll. I did not realise when I said ‘yes’ to the ordination stole that it would lead me to a full set!
The inspiration for this stole is Advent and Lent. We chose the symbols of Alpha, Omega and light for Advent, a cross of nails (a symbol of Coventry Cathedral where my sister was ordained) and a crown of thorns for Lent.
I begin all my stoles with sketches of ideas, when happy with the design I draw it up full scale, colouring it as close to the finished stole as possible. I then use this drawing in the next stage, as the working piece for tracing off the design ready to apply to the fabric.
Most of the initial applique work is done on the reverse of the fabric then turned over to the right side and areas of fabric cut away to reveal the design. There is always an element of ‘fraying’ in my work, this does not affect the structure of the stole but adds a dimension and charm to the piece. As this stole is completely appliqued directly on to the background fabric it did not take as many hours to complete.
