Handmade for Advent

Next Sunday begins the Christian season of Advent, so I want to follow up on my post from earlier in the week and highlight some of my own recent work that was designed just for this season.

My dear friend Sarah recently became an Episcopal priest. When she admired my weaving and encouraged me to think about making clergy stoles, I decided to give it a try. I am so glad that I did. Designing products on my floor loom draws on the skills of an artist as well as those of a craftsman. And weaving connects all cultures and gives us a really interesting insight into the past when all fabric would have been woven or knitted or crocheted in some fashion.

Purple and blue dominate the colors of Advent. These symbolize ideas surrounding preparation which is what the days of Advent represent. These are also royal colors as the kingship of the Messiah is highlighted during this season.

Red and green are part of the more secular colors of the Christmas season, since red predominates in another season in the Christian year, that of Pentecost.

I chose purples, mauve, and red for my clergy stoles, mixing colors from the liturgical cycle and the reds that make me think of Christmas. I have used an "overshot" design in my weaving which gives me the chance to create designs that stand out over and above the woven fabric. My overshot image is a version of the cross with the understanding that in the Christian year, there is no separating the joy of the birth and the apparent tragedy of the crucifixion.