Trying to be a better steward of this good earth a call was put out to clients and friends to find sources for fabrics that were organic or sustainable that we might start incorporating into our ministry stoles.
One connection led to another which led us to a group within the Mennonite church that hosts a project that connects church women and men in North America and the Democratic Republic of Congo through the beauty of cloth, prayer and personal relationships.
Cloth is a hallmark of Congolese culture and creativity. We, like many others, were quickly drawn to its bold beauty. We therefore anxiously anticipated the appearance of the first fabrics we purchased!
The day arrived and tears ran down our face when the package was opened and the story of the fabric was read. The motto of this ministry is "every stitch a prayer." Ahhhhh. Sigh. How lovely!
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| This stole can be seen in full here. |
And now we've had time to sew with just a bit of this sumptuous fabric to create a design for Carrot Top Studio's Easter collection. This stole (detail at right) uses the Congo fabric just in the border but we look forward to using the other Congo fabrics we have added to our fabric stash in even bolder ways. Two projects in the Congo will receive monetary benefits from the sale of these fabrics. One is a sewing training center and workshop to help start young women on their careers. The other is a sewing group that helps women who have been victims of sexual violence by teaching them fiber arts skills.
You may read more about the Congo Cloth Connection here.
