Ash Wednesday Closet Cleaning

Next week we will begin Lent with the observation of Ash Wednesday. Its name comes from the ancient practice of placing ashes on worshipers’ heads or foreheads as a sign of humility before God, a symbol of mourning and sorrow at the death that sin brings into the world. We claim responsibility for ourselves, noticing everything around us such as the possessions we hold valuable and the persons we love. We know that all will one day turn to dust. 

This Communion stole is on sale!

Looking at the history of the symbolic use of ashes it is interesting to note an old custom. From what I understand in Italy it was the tradition at the end of winter to burn all the old junk one had accumulated over the year. The village square was the collection spot for the whole community's discards. Rather than have a yard sale, or a garage sale, everyone simply had a good house cleaning and piled up the old chairs and mattresses. From this came the tradition of spring cleaning. 

Ash Wednesday is a somber day of reflection on what needs to change in our lives if we are to be fully Christian. Is spring cleaning a type of self-examination? We clean house, inside and outside. We let in the fresh air, shake out the rugs, clean out the closets. We can assemble all the inner useless accumulations of our life style and throw them in with the dust and ashes that we take up each church calendar year on Ash Wednesday. 

This baptism stole  is on sale!

I can think of quite a few areas of my personal life that need some spring cleaning...the kitchen cabinets could use a good overhaul and the attic is showing signs of being way too full of items not ever used. My prayer life will hopefully be "cleaned up" during Lent as I work my way through "Lord Teach Us to Pray", A Guide to Prayer produced by the Office of Spiritual Formation of the PCUSA and Praying Like Jesus: The Lord's Prayer in a Culture of Prosperity by James Mulholland and get on a better path that draws me closer to God. And at Carrot Top Studio we've sorted through the online store and put some new items in our sale category. Many of these have just one left in stock so don't miss the opportunity to grab a unique, handcrafted ministry stole for $49 + S&H.


How do you mark Ash Wednesday?

Inspiration

Let's start with a confession. I'm not gifted in scripture memorization! But I am more successful in remembering scripture if I've learned it through a hymn. God's Word even calls us to do this...Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16). Thanksgiving for this! I think what helps me is that the words actually impress a visual in my brain. Maybe this is like the flashcards my children make to help them learn their SAT vocabulary and terminology for plant biology? At ages 15 and 19 they are finally realizing there is a better connection when different learning strategies are employed to work towards one goal. And, this is what our horn always toots at Carrot Top Studio...people often need a visual to connect with the spoken Word to help the lesson sink deeper within our soul.

This past Sunday, in the church I attend, we sang one of my favorite hymns, God, You Spin the Whirling Planets. This hymn that speaks to the creation story in Genesis 1:26-27 conjures up wonderful visual images in my mind. In fact last summer Carrot Top Studio even created a stole inspired by the text as seen to the left and on our website here. If you're not familiar with this contemporary hymn written by Jane Huber you can here a rendition here. 

What hymns bring visual images to your mind? We're looking forward to the season of Ordinary Time after Easter when we can explore stitching for the themes of Christianity that are not focused on major celebration days and seasons. As always we'll look forward to hearing from you...maybe you know a hymn that will inspire a stole!

How to Display a Stole

The studio recently received this email:

I found your facebook and blog site through a search.  I am trying to find ideas for a friend who wants to display her stole in her home. 

I am not a fabric artist (I am a painter and poet), but a couple of years ago, my friend commissioned me to create a stole for her ordination.   Now she is interested in displaying it on a wall in her home as fabric art, but also wants it easily accessible to wear when she needs to.  Have you ever been involved in hanging a stole on a wall?  And do you have any ideas for her in terms of what to use?  


My answer was:
If I were displaying a stole in a home or an office I would use a similar method but dress it up a bit. I’d use a decorative curtain rod with finials that was suspended from the wall by decorative wall brackets. Kimonos are often displayed as art in this same manner. So the front long skinny pieces of the stole would drape over the rod. The back tip would hang over the rod and the inside of the back tip would face the viewer. You could use a rod the same color as the wall so it melted away visually or use one that stood out boldly and let it become part of the fiber art. This method of draping a stole over a rod would be especially lovely if the stole were reversible.


The artist replied with the good idea of adding a bit of felt to the top of the hanging rod would allow the stole not to slide off. And actually for the photo in this post the stole is rather light weight so it is being held in place by two straight pins holding the layers together from the back side.


Jane (that sent the email) is an artist who's work is bold and lively yet fresh and the addition of her poetry is lovely. See here work here. Don't miss the wonderful stole she writes about under the "other artwork" category and the commission tab has a lovely opportunity from this artist to have one of a kind works of art for special occasions and people created.

The Presentation

Presentation at the Temple

If you follow the lectionary then you know that one of the texts for this week is about Jesus's presentation at the Temple by Mary and Joseph as told in Luke 22-40.




This charming tempera and gold leaf on parchment depicts that story. It is dated 1030-1040 and is part of the Getty Museum collection. The art history notes from the Getty include this description: In this miniature, a series of large arches frames the figures of Joseph carrying the doves for sacrifice on the left, the Virgin holding the month-old but adult-bodied Jesus in the center, and the priest Simeon on the right. The architecture places the scene in the Temple in Jerusalem, but the altar and chalice refer to the Christian sacrament of the Eucharist. Jesus' placement above the altar further alludes to the Eucharist because during that rite Jesus' body and blood are understood to be present in the bread and wine that are consecrated on the altar. 


I marvel at new life during presentation ceremonies and at infant baptisms (which are not interchangeable but often occur at the same time in the little one's new life so I'm lumping them together here). I'm supposing that I'm drawn to all this because I find babies irresistible and that there is also a lot of symbolism involved...and that fits right in there with our work at Carrot Top Studio! Among these Christian symbols we can count water, a shell, the color white and the family coming together with the church that stands around them. Along these lines I recently read about a pastor that after doing an infant presentation sent the child's parents home with a letter to be opened by the child when he turned 12. The letter told the child how he'd been prayed for by his parents and church family and that he was a gift from God. It continued to encourage the child to trust in God as he traveled on his journey in life. Simeon told Mary and Joseph what their child was to become. The pastor I have told you about urges children at this coming of age time that they too can follow God's plan. 


The symbols and colors we use and the way we mark an event or milestone in our faith are quite varied. As God has instructed us, "There is a time for every season...." and as we pass through these seasons (such as welcoming new life) may take the time to give them the attention they deserve. It is because of these children that the church will have a future.


Carrot Top Studio offers several stoles for Baptism you may find them here and the line of stoles that might connect visually with children can be seen here.

The Story of A Commission

Detail of commissioned stole

Client email: I've been reading your blog for some time and I'm excited to now be able to order some stoles! 


The artist is humbled that someone actually reads the blog, she yelps with excitement about the order and then responds: Thanks for your order and we'll be glad to combine the shipping costs to save you a few dollars. 

Adaptation of commission on the website

Client phone message (several days later): Thanks for the shipment...I'm pleased with your work...and I'd like to commission a purple stole for Lent that could also be worn for Advent and might visually connect with the Easter stole that I have. Is that possible? I like the following stoles on the website (number this, number that and number this). Can you translate those designs into purple, and  could the colors be more subtle and could the plant symbols be more indigenous to our environment so the congregation can relate to what they're seeing?

Another version offered on eBay

The artist response via email because inquiring pastor is wearing many hats and can't get to her phone: Absolutely, we can help you! In fact we think you're on to a good idea. See, our pastors know best as to what is needed and we'd like to share your idea with our clients. When this happens we are able to reduce the price of the commission and offer a similar design on our website and to our eBay buyers. Would that be ok with you?


Client email response: That's splendid. Happy sewing! 


The Epilogue
Because one client had become familiar with our style at Carrot Top Studio she was a great encourager so we could help meet her needs but also expand our inventory for you. The commissioned stole is now hanging in that pastor's closet waiting for Lent to begin. Hopefully the congregation will see the connection between the vine of buds and flowers and the ones on the Easter stole that this pastor will wear during that joyous season. The website offers two versions of this stole without the flowered wreath and on Thursday a third version will be auction item #150552169029 on eBay. We love hearing your thoughts and ideas. Have something on your mind? Email us here.

Wrestling With Chocolates, Fabrics, and a Good Book

I am thankful for having a variety choices, assortments of options, and a multiplicity of opportunities. Am I a spoiled American? Probably. I am thankful for these things but am humbled when I realize that the children at the mission my church helps to support in Haiti, eat the same meal of beans and rice almost every day. There is no variety. Yet these little one are so thankful and excited to have this food which is often their only meal of the day.

Recently I was gifted the ability to make a purchase at a beautiful chocolate boutique. I took my daughter with me and we were so overwhelmed with the amount of chocolates and exquisiteness of our choices that the excursion took a crazy amount of time for the small amount we would be purchasing. Then yesterday I had the need to head to my local fabric store. I hadn't been in about a month and had gone with the intent of purchasing one piece of solid purple to complete a new Lenten stole design I'm working on. But here again I felt like the "kid in a candy shop"...overwhelmed with new colors, textures and patterns. The assortment was as scrumptious to me as what the chocolate shop had offered several days earlier. Oh, the privilege of so much variety!

In the midst of all this I've finally gotten' around to reading The Hole in Our Gospel by Rich Stearns. It's been on the nightstand for several months. The promo for the book reads: Two thousand years ago, twelve people changed the world. Stearns believes it can happen again. I'm glad that I'm reading it in this wintry time where I reside in Pennsylvania because with this title it's lovely to have unrushed reading time. There's so much to think about in this book I just have to take it in small chunks. Many days lately have been so cold, icy or snowy that I'm glad to have a book to curl up with instead of to venture outside into the garden. Those days will come (ahhh....the variety of seasons!)

So I'm wrestling with the fact that there is variety in my life. I am artistically motivated to offer a diversity of stoles at Carrot Top Studio. I believe in celebrating the liturgical church year that allows us an array of visual opportunities in worship. But then I have a book like The Hole in Our Gospel in my lap or I hear about what joyous, happy, thankful people our friends, that have so little materialistically, in Haiti are and this gets me wondering. I'm not sure what path God is taking me with all this. A friend once gave me this card that says, "Work your grief up into art and it is gone." I'm going to trade the word "wrestling" for "grief" and head to the sewing machine to ponder and pray about all of this. 


PS-promise I won't get sticky, chocolaty fingerprints on those new stoles we're stitching! ....and thanks for listening.

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Why do dogs like to roll in the snow?

While my trusty studio companion Abby the labby preferred to romp in the snow today,

The studio is exploding with purple fabrics for Lent.

I chose to sort fabrics for Lenten stoles and clean out the studio book case. The book case led me to discover a notebook I'd compiled many years ago yet haven't opened for quite some time. It contains articles I've found inspirational on the topic of worship and the arts. So on this Wednesday I will share a few bits of this collected wisdom...

• "Focusing our attention on the meaning (of art) helps move our appreciation for an art piece beyond its form or style to our wonderment of God, just as the ark of the covenant once did for those wandering in the wilderness." The author of this statement gives examples of different types of Communion chalices. One vessel is enrobed with thorns. In its use we might imagine in a new way the suffering Christ went through on our behalf. Alternatively there is an example of a vessel that is glass covered in gold. When used for Communion we would see ourselves reflected on its surface enabling us to rejoice more deeply in the resurrection and glory of Jesus Christ. Have you thought about the message your visuals in your church's worship space are saying theologically? -from "Ears that Hear and Eyes that See" by Elizabeth Steele Halstead, Reformed Worship vol. 82

• It is necessary to recognize that art has two lives--first for tis maker, then for its receiver. Making art is the pleasure and mystery of the creative act: the actual experience of technique and process, of freedom, serendipity and discovery. For the receiver art celebrates the beautiful, uncovers beauty that might have escaped unseen, and seeks to show truth even when it is not beautiful.An artist making art is experiencing God. God is never finished creating, never finished redeeming creation. Visual art should not be neglected in Christian worship because it can be a pathway to God. - Brian Fee, "Beauty Glimpsed" for the Calvin Institute

• And lastly, here's one to make you laugh...when working on a project that will involve a committee, such as worship banners, Jill Liddell in The Patchwork Pilgrimage suggests that designs will probably have to be vetted by a number of people, all of whom will have something to say about it. Resist the temptation to try and please everyone. Remember the old saying , "a camel is a horse designed by a committee," Do not let your ideas turn into a camel!

Banks Do It, Coffee Shops Do It, Churches Can Do It Too!

What do banks, coffee shops and even libraries have in common with churches? They all have the ability to encourage the visual arts by hosting exhibits by local artists. Churches should find ways to embrace the visual arts and artists beyond Sunday worship. Reading For the Beauty of the Church this past summer reinforced to me the following stanza from the hymn "for the Beauty of the Earth". We sing....

For the joy of ear and eye,

for the heart and mind's delight,

for the mystic harmony,

linking sense to sound and sight;

Lord of all, to thee we raise

this our hymn of grateful praise.

The art gallery at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Upper St. Clair, PA.

One way to include artists in your community is by welcoming their work into a church gallery. By sharing their work we are helping to complete their ability to be an artist by supplying an audience. Art needs to be viewed and considered! 

What would it take to have a gallery in your church?

1. A space that has foot traffic preferably all week (not just on Sunday).
2. A mean's of hanging the work. As seen in the photo above it's lovely to have a system that is permanent such as these fabric covered homasote boards but this certainly isn't required. There are plenty of affordable professional hanging systems.  Before diving into something permanent you might consider a temporary option such as folding screens covered in chicken wire that a hook on the back of a frame can latch onto. Or if you have art that is matted and not framed you can even use a cardboard refrigerator type box...paint it a solid neutral color and adhere the art with Command brand poster strips.

Things to think about...

• who will be responsible for the space...one curator or a committee?
• how often will the exhibits change?
• how will you find the artists? will it be church members only? will the artists have to be Christians? or will you show Christian hopsitality by opening your doors for any artist in your neighborhood?
• what will the guidelines for the artists be? 
• will the art be for sale? if so, how will the sales be handled? 
• how will the exhibits be publicized?
• will you have artists receptions and/or invite the artists to teach a class or workshop in conjunction with the exhibit?

The galleries in my church aim to exhibit a diverse body of work from a variety of artists--young through the much older, professional and the amateur. As the curator I am overwhelmed with the possibilities and enjoy exploring unique exhibiting potential. For example we have twice hosted the work of our prayer shawl ministry by draping their "art" over dowel rods. This group also knits items that can be dispensed through our food pantry and the photo below shows how the "art" was displayed. The ministry that is usually a quiet behind the scenes group in our congregation received a bit of 'oohing' and 'awwing' over before the items were sent to those in need.

Knit in His Spirit exhibit, Westminster Presbyterian February 2010

We include the visual arts in worship with banners, vestments, paraments, bulletin covers and more. How can you and your congregation think beyond worship to involve and encourage the activity and God given gifts of artists? Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. May the visual become a hymn of grateful praise.

*products referred to in this post are not necessarily an endorsement of that particular item....they are referred to specifically to encourage you that there are products readily available to aid your pursuits.

Christmastide

We're in the midst of Christmastide. Christmastide is what we can call the period of time from Christmas Eve to the 5th of January. Some know it as the Twelve Days of Christmas or Yuletide.

My boys walking to the "star of Bethlehem, PA"

During this week the studio is relatively quiet. Activity that fills me instead tends to be eating an unusual amount of cookies, savoring the Christmas cards that have come in the mail from friends far away, and keeping the coffee pot filled for unexpected visitors. My family also takes a few days to travel to to see my husband's family in Bethlehem ....Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that is! As we approach Bethlehem, PA we see a star hovering above the mountainside (I kid you not!). Even though this star is a man made out of steel and lightbulbs I always marvel at how far away we can see it as we drive into town and wonder if this feeling of amazement is what it was like for the magi.

Of course we don't really know what it was like that first Christmas therefore we've been artistically interpreting it for many years. Here is a unique painting called The Star of Bethlehem by Sir Edward Burne-Jones depicting the Adoration of the Magi  with an angel holding the star of Bethlehem. 

This painting is the largest watercolor of the 19th century and was created as a design for a William Morris tapestry. There are many theories about the star that led the magi. Regardless of what you believe the star is or was on that first Christmas it is a sign of God's presence in the miraculous and mysterious story of Christ's birth. As Matthew told us in 2:9, And there, ahead of them, went the star...it stopped over the place where the child was.

May the Love of Christ

shine brightly on you during Christmastide 

and throughout the New Year

Preparing for Christmas

As I was fretting about my "task list" in preparation of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day I stumbled upon Psalm 97. This scripture has helped me be more settled. Therefore I'm sharing this video interpretation while bidding you a blessed Christmas filled with hope and joy! Merry Christmas...

Christmas Bells

In the Book of Exodus (39:1-31), it is explained that the high priest in the temple was to wear a gown that had a bottom trim of pomegranates--a symbol of seeds and new life--and bells. It is explained quite clearly that the bells will allow those in the Temple to know when the high priest is coming, and when he departs. Today our Christmas bells are not necessarily a warning to any dark force...but they are a joyous announcement of the fact that the Holy One is coming. And today the pomegranate can be a reference to the church the crown on the top en-robing the seeds or the people.


The priests' garments were reportedly rich and splendid. The church in its infancy was thus taught by shadows of good things to come; but today the substance is Christ, and the grace of the gospel. Christ is our great High Priest. May the pomegranates and bell trim on this new prototype design stole be a reminder of the good news! We're testing the waters with this design by offering them here for pastors and here for deacons on eBay this week. We'd love your feedback even if these two stoles are not destined to your mailbox.

A Recipe for the Season

We're always looking for and thinking about how the visual can connect us with God's Word. Here's a recipe that would be fun to do with children while you talk about the Christmas story. I can visualize using some of those "I wonder" kind of questions to generate a stimulating conversation--I wonder what swaddling clothes are?, I wonder what Mary was thinking when baby Jesus was born?, I wonder if baby Jesus cried?, etc. We're sharing this from The Frugal Gourmet Celebrates Christmas by Jeff Smith.

It's hard for us to resist a good cookie!

Babes Wrapped in Swaddling Clothes

Makes 4 1/2 dozen

The dough

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 8 oz. container sour cream
• 2 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the meringue filling below)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• confectioner's sugar

Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter until grainy. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream egg yolks, and lemon juice. Blend the sour cream mixture into the flour mixture. Knead together to form a smooth dough. Place the dough on plastic wrap and pat it into a 6 x 8-inch rectangle. Wrap and refrigerate 2 hours, or overnight.

The filling

• 2 egg whites, reserved from the making the dough
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped fine
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Whip the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gradually whip in the sugar to form a meringue. Whip until the meringue holds soft peaks. Fold in the remaining ingredients. Dust a rolling pin and the counter with flour. Roll the chilled dough out into a thin (1/8 inch maximum) rectangle on the floured counter. Trim the edges so the rectangle measures 24 x 15 inches. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares and dust with confectioner's sugar. Place a rounded teaspoon of the filling in the center of each dough square. With a tiny bit of water, dampen two opposite corners. Fold the two opposite corners over each other and press the center together lightly. Place the cookies on a nonstick baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Of course, if you prefer to stick to "non caloric" visual images on fabric you can see our selection of Christmas stoles here. It's not too late to place an order....shipping is always 2-3 business days USPS priority service.

The Advent Candle

One of my fondest memories from my childhood is family worship around the Advent wreath (thanks Mom!) Each Sunday in Advent we'd light the candles, read scripture, sing, and sometimes even do a craft. The rhythm of this ritual was carried into my family when I became a parent. 


It's enriching to learn of other family's traditions. I recently heard a variation of the candle tradition... You will need a tall candle. Mark it with 24 short lines from top to bottom. Each day during Advent find a few quiet moments with your family when you can light the candle and let it burn from one notch to the next, read an Advent thought or piece of scripture for the day, and say a prayer together. This quiet time as a family would be a lovely counterpoint to getting swept up in the extravaganza that society has turned the birth in the stable into.


This photo is of my children from nine years ago. It seems like yesterday to me. I can't believe how fast the years have gone! . It's times like simple, family worship during this season of preparation that help me slow down and stay focused. What are some of your traditions?

St. Andrew

St. Andrew's Day is celebrated by many on November 30th. We're inspired by Andrew and have created a stole that helps tell his story so we may learn from his example. A few facts about Andrew:

• he was one of the Twelve Apostles and a brother of Simon Peter. He was a fisherman by trade, who lived in Galilee
• The original fisher of men (Mt. 4:18-20) Andrew made no excuses--he just followed immediately. 
• Andrew accepted John the Baptist's testimony about Jesus and immdediately went to tell his brother AND he was eager to introduce others to Jesus.

A seventh century church tradition tells that Andrew is believed to have died on a diagonally transversed cross, which the Romans sometimes used for executions. The cross St. Andrew was crucified on has been adopted as the national flag of Scotland. The blue that is typically associated with Andrew stands for the sky.


Andrew is one of those that make me think of my actions. Do I follow immediately or do I have a list to get through before I do for Christ? Do I actually take others to see Jesus? 


Carrot Top Studio's stoles representing saints and celebrating special days can be found here.

Christ the King

Pietro Lorenzeti, Christ Before Pilate

"...for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth." Jesus, in John 18:37b


We celebrate Christ the King this coming Sunday and this passage from the book of John and the  artwork by Pietro Lorenzetti are most appropriate to examine at this time. First, a look at the art. The artist was Italian and the painting was completed at the onset of the Renaissance. 

• what reaction do you have to the soldiers by the way they are dressed?
• what emotion is the Jewish leader depicting?
• Pilate is seen nervously twisting a tassel on his mantle. What does this say about his thoughts and actions?
• Looking at Jesus' posture and gaze what does this articulate about this moment?

Secondly, I am not a theologian but I am drawn to this bit of scripture and I will share a snippet of my thoughts. Pilate seems to recognize the truth when Jesus tells him that He is a king. But Pilate is also an example of one that choses to ignore it. He was willing to please both sides. Preparing for Christ the King focused on worship this Sunday makes me more conscious of whether I move through my days following the truth or playing both sides. This is a great example of how I appreciate cycling through the Church year calendar for these special days and seasons to be a reminder of the lessons I need to continually hear and learn from. And may it be also with you!

A Tribute to Dorcas (and Button Day)

Today, November 16th is officially recognized  as "Button Day." It's not because it's cold outside and you need to button up nor is it an opportunity to tell someone to button up because they talk too much. It's a tribute to that small disk or knob that you use to close your garments. The button is at least 3000 years old and was originally just used for decoration. Intrigued for more information? You might like to read about the National Button Society.


Learning these bits of trivia has led us to the story of Dorcas (also known as Tabitha) and the need to design a ministry stole with buttons on it! This green stole is perfect for remembering the work of those that sew for the needy the way Dorcas did.  Acts 9:32-43 teaches us that Dorcas made an enormous impact upon her community by sewing for and helping the poor.  There's no way Dorcas could "push our buttons" other than to motivate us to focus on the gifts we've been given and figure out how to best use them to further the kingdom.


Find this stole and other stoles recalling saints and special days here on the Carrot Top Studio website.

Cleaning For Advent and Christmas

I'm fully aware that Advent is right around the corner because  I personally look forward to seasons of preparation and our Advent ministry stole stock is turning over at a brisker pace than usual (thank you!) Because of the nature of this business I live by the church year calendar. Despite this I must confess that my pulse raced when my daughter pointed out the count down to Christmas calendar on eBay. This made me realize I could no longer ignore the Christmas banners that were sitting in my workroom. This poor set of white and gold textile art from my home church suffered from a water leak dispersing some nasty rustiness upon them. Carrot Top Studio typically recommends clear baby shampoo as a gentle spot remover but this seemed to require a more creative cleaning solution . After some experimentation, I can share a new "insider tip" that a combination of hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar appears to be the answer to removing rusty water stains. Cleaning is not one of my natural gifts so this kind of thing amazes me.

But here's another tidbit....white stoles need to be replaced more often than any other. What can I say--white just shows the dirt! So maybe in the next week before life spins at a different pace you can look at your stoles, paraments, banners and vestments and see if you're in good shape for Christ the King, Advent and Christmas. These special days and seasons should be about preparing our hearts, caring for others, and worshiping the Lord--not wondering if the stain  on your white stole will show while you're leading worship! Blessings for your ministry.

The Harvest

I love going to the farmer's market. I'm a bit of a foodie so I adore the fresh local produce to cook with but I'm sure the attraction is also the vibrant palette of colors....just like I respond to color used in the textiles in worship! Last night I was particularly struck by the variety of colors in the apples. So many different kinds of reds, greens and golds!

The bounty of the season and the harvest make me think of the Shakers who are renowned for having pioneered the packaging of garden seeds for sale. Did you know that they produced seeds in great quantities in the early 1800's and the Shaker business was recognized for its quality products. Seed salesmen worked routes extending well into the Midwest by the 1830's. The seeds were gathered during the growing season, packets were printed, cut and pasted by hand. Once filled, the packets were placed into wooden Shaker seed boxes which were then placed for sale in stores by salesmen working routes into the Midwest or by mail order to the southern states. The Shakers celebrate the harvest with this hymn....

The Harvest

Our support we'll gather in.

For the harvest time is come.

Now to reap we will begin

Will you all now help us on?

Twas by Christ the seed was sown.

Now the harvest does appear;

Now the crops are fully grown.

Reap, o reap, get every spear.

The second thing that struck me at the farmer's market last night were the hands that passed me the produce that I was purchasing. Time after time these hands seemed so strong and weathered. They were a symbol to me of the hard work that it takes, to bring the food I often taken for granted, to the table. I am thankful for the vast amount of choices God has provided us, for the bounty we have and for the many hands that it takes to grow the food we eat. At the end of harvest season many cultures take a moment to be thankful. Here in the United States we of course call this holiday Thanksgiving. Carrot Top Studio celebrates the harvest with this stole embellished with pumpkins, gourds, corn and apples. The falling leaves add delightful detail to this stole. Wear this stole to lead worship as we come together in unity to be thankful for so many things.  


The stole front is crafted from acreamy white cotton blend. The produce is appliqued and finished with machine embroidery and is accented with hand painted falling leaves. It is lined with the same fabric as the front and is interfaced for added body. Stole is 49" long measuring from back of neck to the bottom of the hem on one side.   It measures 4 1/2" wide at the hem and tapers to 2 3/4" at the neck. 

All Saints Day

All Saints Day is the celebration of those who have contributed successfully to the creation of the kingdom and is traditionally celebrated on the fast approaching date of November 1st. As a church we remember and honor all the Christian faithful, both known and unknown.  Reflecting on the lives and examples of the saints has been a widespread practice of Christians since the earliest days of the church. 


It's interesting to note that Philip Melanchthon, Martin Luther's most important colleague in the Reformation, wrote of three ways that Christians should honor the saints:  The first is thanksgiving.  For we ought to give thanks to God because He has shown examples of mercy… because He has given teachers or other gifts to the church… The second service is the strengthening of our faith; when we see the denial forgiven Peter, we also are encouraged to believe the more that grace truly super-abounds over sin, (Romans 5:20).  The third honor is the imitation, first, of faith, then of the other virtues…  (Apology of the Augsburg Confession,  Article XXI, paragraphs 4-6)


I certainly can't argue with Melanchthon's suggestions! Here are a few more:

• recall family, friends or neighbors that have died...tell stores you remember about them. Light candles for them and say prayers of thanksgiving for how they touched your life.
• create a family tree. This can be done with your family and is a lovely way of telling the story of past generations to your children. This also could play out with a church congregation, Bible study or small group...ask members to chose someone from the Bible that they find inspiring. Write the name on a card. Have participants take time sharing what they have learned from this person's story. Place the cards in a time line or a family tree.
• embellish your worship space and wear stoles in white. As the Book of Revelation bears witness, God's saints are those who have ...washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14) 
• sing or meditate on the hymn For All the Saints written by William Walsham in 1864. This hymn is a commentary on the phrase "I believe in the communion of saints" from the Apostle's Creed. An interesting note about the tune of this hymn is that it was first rejected as being "jazz music." It's nice that we got past that! The original hymn had eleven stanza's. Here is the first:

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

* the stole illustrated here is from the Carrot Top Studio Haiti collection. The Haiti collection is a series of ministry stoles embellished with hand dyed silk from La Femme de la Croix in La Croix, Haiti. Fifty percent of the proceeds of these stoles is donated to this ministry. See the collection here.

Stoles are Teaching Tools

My young adulthood found me teaching art in Houston, Texas. That's me in the picture on a field trip with students to the contemporary art museum. If you can get past the kelly green shirt (oh, the 80's!) and the permed hair (why did I waste all of that money?) you'll see the smile on my face showing that I was really enjoying the teaching! I took pleasure in finding teachable moments in everything I did. Today at Carrot Top Studio I see a lot of similarities with ministry and have always thought of clergy stoles not just as a representation of leadership but also as a teaching tool. The colors and symbols on a stole, if they connect with worship, reinforce the Word and the moment.


I babble on like this to introduce a new concept for a stole. This summer one of our clients had an idea for an Advent stole that would engage the children (and adults) of her congregation during the children's moment because it would have interchangeable images that would help tell the story of the long awaited Messiah.

This project was a challenge and a good bit of time was spent figuring out the logistics of trying to make a stole that involved Velcro parts that maintained a level of integrity. We feel that this concept has great possibilities! The stole starts with four symbols of Old Testament prophecy: the snake (Genesis 3:15), the crown (Psalm 2:6), the tree (Isaiah 11:1) and the stone (Psalm 118:22). Each week during Advent a symbol is removed to reveal candles set in evergreens to represent Christ coming as the light of the world and God's everlasting love for us (the evergreens.) The star cross on the chest of this stole references the Christmas celebration we are preparing for. The inside of the stole has pockets for the symbols when they are not in use...this is not a time of year to be disorganized!See the entire stole here. If you have time we'd love to hear what you think...email us!