Gloria!
This stole was a Christmas present for my brother-in-law and is a twist on the traditional log cabin design. The yellow squares in the center of the blocks represent the light and love of Christ. I called this stole "Light Within" because I think the placement of the blocks makes it appear as though Christ's light is being radiated up and out for us all. This stole is particularly effective for the Christmas and Easter seasons. However, I think it would be stunning in blue for Advent or red for Pentecost.
I created this stole as a gift for my Dad's installation. It is a drunkard's path variation. There is only one complete circle on the piece, and if you look closely, you will see a cross quilted there. I intended to show that we are whole only in Christ's presence. It is red for the flames of the Spirit, but it would be gorgeous in any color.
If our lives are journeys, the three vertical stripes in this stole are representative of the Triune God (as any catechism student will tell you) who travels with us and guides us along the way. Christ is with us and gives redemption for our past, comfort and guidance for our present, and hope for our future. "I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).
In liturgy, water is a symbol for rebirth. We often forget that to be reborn we must first die. The people of the Gulf Coast are reminded of this daily as they work to rebuild after the devestation of Hurricane Katrina. The good folks at Camp Victor in Ocean Springs, MS, are still providing relief and assistance for rebuilding every day.
The colors of this stole are the colors of the Mississippi Gulf Coast (where Camp Victor is located). Many of the batiks have fish and other sea life dyed right into the fabric. The most beautiful thing about this stole is that 20% of the proceeds will be donated to Camp Victor.
God set a rainbow in the sky as a reminder of the promise God made to Noah to never flood the earth again. Rainbows remind us today of God's promises of protection and forgiveness. This stole is reversible. One side is pieced with multicolor batiks; the other is white whole cloth with quilted rainbows of varigated thread.