Advent Clergy Stole created from Unique Fabric Technique

Taking fabric and combining it with more fabric and then deconstructing it to make it into a new piece of "fabric" is something we love to do. The strips in the top left image are how our latest Advent stole started out. The strips were purchased as a suggested combination by the manufacturer. They sell them all rolled up and call them 'jelly rolls' .... who could resist!? Follow the link below to see the results of this stole. We are pleased with it's uniqueness and the little bit of gold in the fabric designs provides just the right amount of extra.

Book Review: The Season of the Nativity

My personality is well suited to seasons of preparation. Therefore I've always been more

drawn to Advent than Christmas. Annually, I traditionally purchase a book about or for Advent. This year I picked up The Season of the Nativity: Confession and Practices of an Advent, Christmas and Epiphany Extremist  and quickly suspected I would like it when the author Sybil MacBeth confessed it took a long time for her to learn to enjoy Christmas. This resonated with me and I now especially see the twelve days of Christmas in a new light. I've always been intrigued by how to mark this time but have found it challenging given that society celebrates Christmas day and then moves into after Christmas mall sales and signing up everyone for exercise classes for their New Year's resolutions. The author has given me enough encouragement that I suspect I will do better than that this go around.

What I appreciated most about this book is that there is something for everyone from the new Christian learning what the church year calendar is all about to someone that has been following a liturgical cycle for decades.  In fact MacBeth points out that because we are continuously evolving that's exactly why we can year after year relive and learn anew from the stories of our faith. Amen!

Lastly, I think it's splendid that there is attention given to Epiphany. Growing up all I knew was to put a bean in the cake and the one that ended up with that piece won. There is and deserves to be more than this. 

So now I prepare for the season of preparation and look forward to some new additions to my rhythm and routine of the days in Advent. How will you mark these days?

FAQ's

Maybe these frequently asked questions and their answers will better help you to get to know Carrot Top Studio, the way we work, and our products! 

How long does it take to receive a stole?

• If you see it on the website it is in stock unless otherwise noted. We ship via USPS

  

  A new Advent limited
  edition stole. See it here.

  Priority mail within 24 hrs. of receiving your order. Delivery takes 2-3 business days.You will be notified of the tracking information so you can follow your shipment!

What if I need the stole sooner than that?

• Email us or call (412-480-4193) and we'll invoice you if overnight shipping is available to your address. And then we'll get the shipment on its way!

Who makes these unique ministry stoles?

• Jenny Gallo is the artist/designer/seamstress. It's basically a one woman show with occasional assistance from another person that sews or assists with shipping. 

Can I change something about a stole I see on the website?

• We usually don't modify our in stock inventory. At times we can hem a stole to make it shorter if needed. This is dependent upon the stole's design and there is a small fee for this service.

How do I measure for a stole?

• We measure from the middle back of the neck to the edge of the hem. 

• If this is a gift think about the height of the person receiving the stole and about whether they will wear a robe or not. The stole looks best if it doesn't hang below the hem of the robe. Lastly, if the pastor, priest, minister, or wedding officiant will be walking up and down steps in the place that they lead in (like from the sanctuary floor up steps to the chancel) then a too long stole can be tripped upon.

Why can't I find the stole I saw on your website last week?

• Our work is created in limited editions of 1-10 stoles per design. If we are selling a prototype we try to make note that this is one-of-a-kind. Therefore if you're interested you should know not to hesitate too long. Our busiest months are generally October, February, and May....these are times you shouldn't hesitate either as the inventory can change swiftly. With that said if you are seriously interested but your finances aren't ready please let us know and we'd be willing to hold a stole for you for a reasonable amount of time.

Do you accept commissions?

• Occasionally we do accept commissions. It is mostly dependent upon the schedule if this is possible. Don't hesitate to float an idea past us. Sometimes your ideas can translate well into a limited edition. We find that you have good ideas and if you're willing to share the idea then we will put it into the limited edition line up when possible. 

Why are you called Carrot Top Studio?

• Orange hair since birth + being called a "carrot top" during school years = the name for the studio. We've learned to embrace the teasing that used to make us blush!

Remembering

The last few days have been full of remembering for my family and I as my father-in-law left

...a Christmas Eve, gathered around the table, telling stories

this earthly place and was called to a better one last Thursday. His wit and ability to tell a story or joke was supreme. Over the years much family time was spent around the dinner table listening to stories from his past be told. We'd heard them many times before but his enjoyment in remembering kept us on the edge of our seats with intrigue and usually much laughter. These stories and memories are comforting to us now and we will carry them forward into the generations to come.

I'm the kind of person that enjoys looking back, hearing about the past and learning from it. In this moment of my life when we've said good bye to the man we called "Sox" I am so thankful that God gives us the gift of story, recollection and gleaning knowledge from those that go before us. And maybe that's one reason I enjoy connecting God's Word through art on ministry stoles at Carrot Top Studio. 

symbols on ministry stoles tell the story of our faith

Story telling is powerful in so many ways. The stories engage us, give us hope, and they can awaken us. I realize that a stole on a pastor, minister, or priest isn't essential to the ministry. But our anticipation is that if it is your tradition to wear a clergy stole that it will be a tool that helps you tell the story of our faith.

*curious about this Advent stole? Read about it here.

*BTW-we called him "Sox" because of an incident in the golf course locker room...involving stinky socks....and that's just one of the stories!

Preparing for Advent

We're preparing for Advent. Are you? For us that means assessing our Carrot Top Studio clergy stole stock for what might be missing. It also means searching for inspiration for new ideas. The light bulb recently went off when we read about a shibori dying technique that we thought would translate well to an Advent stole.  Shibori is the Japanese art of shaped resist dyeing. The fabric is compressed by using wrapping, stitching or folding techniques that create a resist when dyeing the fabric; this is, the "resist" creates areas where the dye is not adsorbed into the fabric. The result is soft patterns that made us think of the stages of preparation we move through during the time prior to Christmas.

The technique we used required us to wrap fabric around a PVC pipe and then push it together to compress it. This creates the resist that forms the patterns and textured lines in the fabric.

Here is the resulting piece of yardage. Watch the website or our Facebook page for the stoles created from this beautiful cloth.

Do you have dreams of an Advent stole that isn't currently part of our collection? Tell us about it and we'll see if it fits into our repertoire.

Celebrating Creation: One Idea that Lasts the Church Year Calendar

Goodness from my farmer's market

As the seasons of nature change outside our Carrot Top Studio window we are reminded of the beauty and bounty of this world we live in. The leaves on many of our trees will soon be a visual feast for the eyes as they transform from greens to a splendid array of warm colors. I have just come home from the farmers market where I felt moved with thanksgiving for those that work hard to provide us an abundance of fresh produce.As the church what can we do to honor God's amazing creation? The list is long and I am way too unworthy to come up with every idea so today I'll focus on one that you might consider as you're planning for Advent....it actually starts with Thanksgiving or harvest time.

If you mark time with liturgically with the church year in your worship services can visualize this using an evergreen tree. During Thanksgiving worship (if you are in the US or Canada) include thankfulness for creation--even the trees that produce oxygen, clean the soil, provide shade and bear fruit. Then let the visual connections begin with Advent!  Display an evergreen tree during Advent. Each week it might slowly be filled with lights and ornaments leading up to Christmas. Chrismon symbols would be especially appropriate. On Epiphany the branches could be removed and burnt in an outdoor bonfire. This type of event would not only represent the magnificent light of the star that guided the Wise Men but also would provide enthusiasm to echo the feelings of those first worshipers. Ashes could then be collected for Ash Wednesday. The remaining trunk could be sawed in two to be formed into a cross to be used during Lent. Easter morning worship would allow worshipers to bring flowers to embellish the cross that had been wrapped in ivy. The ivy not only provides armature but as an evergreen it is a traditional symbol of God's everlasting love. This living cross is a celebration of the Resurrection and an inspirational visual.

A stole for Ordinary Time that honors the color changes of the seasons

While thinking about creation I will sign off with this... 

A Prayer of Awareness
Hildegard of Bingen

God is the foundation for everything
This God undertakes, God gives.
Such that nothing that is necessary for life is lacking. 

Now humankind needs a body that at all times honors and praises God.
This body is supported in every way through the earth. 

Thus the earth glorifies the power of God.

Amen