Clergy stole for the new Season of Creation (Sept 1-Oct 4)
ALL PRICES ARE IN US DOLLARS.
For Canadian Customers, email or call directly for a price in Canadian Funds.
Those items bolded on the drop down size menu to the right are those in stock. The other sizes are those we are happy to make as "Made to Order". Please see "Made to Order" information on the right. Questions? email karen@brodiedesigns.com or call 250-344-7815.
"All Things Bright and Beautiful" - Clergy Stole for Season of Creation
"All Things Bright and Beautiful" stole for Season of Creation
c.2019
Christians around the world are celebrating a new season between September 1st, the day of Prayer for Creation, and October 4th, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. “During the season of Creation, Christians honour the Creator by loving creation and each other”*
It seems we’ve come to a place in evolution where many on our planet live disconnected from creation, the created, and the Creator. The inspiration for this stole is taken from two hymns: All Things Bright and Beautiful, and God of the Sparrow. They speak eloquently of how God is in all: in bright beauty, in flora and fauna, in seasons, in mountain splendor, in sunsets and forests and tiny green blades of grass, yet also in sorrow, hunger, those who are sick and empty tombs. How do we find a language for awe and praise, gratitude and grace? How do we see with the eyes of God so that we also may see Christ in each part of Creation? If we disregard loving and caring for our island home, not just a gift of God, but part of God, we desecrate the holy.
In this design a strong sense of the interconnectedness of life is portrayed. I wanted the left and the right to overlap, flow, circle and need each other, reminding us of the web of life. To my eye there is a spiral feeling, like a shell. The Fibonacci spiral in nature never ceases to astound me and I wanted to introduce this sense. The trees sway and reach for the stars, the roots grounding and being part of the cycle of the soil. There are lilies of the field, never needing to toil or spin since they are clothed in majesty by our God. The fish swim down in the water, which must be kept healthy, the sparrow surges up, a canary in a coal mine, leafs of autumn blow and show changing seasons and tides.
The topmost part of the stole uses a darker burnt orange, which is meant to give the idea of a darker sky. The stars appearing at the top right give a sense of the Earth as part of a greater cosmos.
Many of the fabrics used are mixed fabrics from the thrift shop. Orange, the colour for the new season, is hard to obtain in this way, so new duppioni silk is used for both shades of orange. The snowy mountaintop, fish, lilies, sparrow and stars are all left in white, as a highlight to stand out. The rest of the colours are a combination of earth tones and the brightness found in nature.
How does the creature say Awe? How does the creature say Love?
*from seasonofcreation.org, an ecumenical coalition of churches.
This stole is made re-using many mixed fibre textiles/clothes from thrift shops. The oranges and pink are silk duppioni. Stoles are lined with cotton so they don't slip around. If you have any questions about material quality, do not hesitate to contact us.
Karen Brodie Designs has been making made to order stoles for over 25 years. Not all of our handmade stoles are currently in stock but we will still be happy to make them for you. Made to order requests will take several weeks to get ready as we create the product for your order. Please proceed with regular checkout, indicating your required size/length in the comments section of your order. If at any point you have questions or comments, or would prefer to order offline, please do not hesitate to email or call.
Each of these stoles is offered in 48", 54", and 58" from base of back neck. Custom sizing is available upon request. Please contact us to place your custom size order. We charge an additional $80 to make your custom stole length.
Please view our sizing chart here.
"My stole arrived and It is beyond my expectations!! The images appear so vibrantly and seem to be leaping (or swimming) off the fabric! I am not a visual artist so have no idea how you managed that but thank you so much!!!! We have several women who are part of a large quilting group and they will be thrilled to see this creation next week! Thanks again, and I will definitely put your name out there amongst my colleagues who may be looking for beautiful stoles! " Rev. Heather Koots, Edmonton, AB
"I received my stole today and it is gorgeous. The fabric and design are exquisite. Thank you for sharing your talents with the world." Rev. Sarah Bigwood, Southampton, NY
"Your creation has become so important to my parents and myself in this moment and as a part of my faith journey. I treasure the stole. It will always remind me of love and of care of creation, of the Holy. Thank you." Rev. Kim McNaughton, British Columbia