It’s been a sewing machine kind of day. I’m in the process of trying to use up a number of materials from my stash of fabric and trim, and this means completing a certain number of projects that I’ve had in the queue for a while.

 In this case, what’s on tap is a priest’s stole.  A priest’s stole is a ribbon of fabric draped around the neck. Sometimes it’s got decoration on it. sometimes it’s very plain. It has a color assigned or designated by the season of the year.  A friend of mine had wanted me to make her ordination stole, but the date was too soon and the calendar was too rough at he time. I couldn’t produce the stole in the a,punt of time that was provided.  

At least, that’s what I told myself.  In practice I could have done so.  This stole took me a couple of hours, and that was only because I read the directions obsessively. Next time it will take me an hour and a half.  Maybe less. 

Because a stole isn’t really a ribbon around the neck.  It’s really a bag.  It’s four pieces of fabric stitched together left side to  right side front and back, and then front side and back side stitched together.  The result is a long, skinny bag, or maybe a tube. As I said, not very complicated.  

And so my friend will have her stole.  Not on time for her ordination, perhaps.  But probably in time for All Souls Day.  And that will be lovely.