Altar Cloths

In process.   Red represents Holy Spirit's Flame.

Finished Product.   So happy it's done.

I mentioned that Father Livinus asked that I make altar cloths for the church anniversary celebration which was scheduled for December 2, the first Sunday of Advent. The Bishop of the Wheeling Charleston Diocese would be there too to confirm seven our our young people and join us in this momentus celebration. Liturgical purple was to be one color consideration, while Christmas red was to be the other.

Except for the few things I was making for the Bazaar (Ha!), and normal life (that takes an enormous amount of one's creative time), and a week in Maryland at a conference, and an annual quilting retreat weekend, I was totally focused from around mid-September to December 1----the day we hung the altar cloths and the wall hanging.

It really eased my tension when I learned the Bishop would be wearing the purple vestments.

T'IS THE SEASON

In deference to the season, I've changed my header to a triptych for Christmas,  made from fabulous seasonal fabrics I collected for a few years.

St. Peter Claver and the Enslaved African

The choir director at my church promised to cut a CD of our choir if I would do a wall mural of our patron saint, St. Peter Claver. I started off gung ho, last year, ideas coming faster than I could monitor them. But soon, the steam began to dissipate. I had found an image of St. Peter Claver side by side with an enslaved African, both symbolically holding crosses. I liked that better than those of the saint holding a lil black child, after all, his claim to fame was that he met the slave ships as they came in and gave succor to those who'd survived the horrific middle passage.

No one knows what St. Peter Claver actually looked like

For weeks on end I considered a border for the picture. If it was to be a wall mural of sorts, I needed an appropriate border to frame the image that I planned to set in a center circle.

That decision was a long time coming. Considering many traditional blocks and color schemes soon whittled away my enthusiasm. So I let it sleep within my subconscious over the summer.

In the early fall, I learned that the promised CD was forthcoming and would be ready in the time for our 75^th Church Anniversary. Our priest also asked that I make two altar cloths for the celebration.

That settled the border colors for me; I decided on the liturgical year colors of green, red, purple, and gold( which often framed the colors or images).

Well that pulled me back into gear immediately. As with most projects, I discovered many decisions and challenges. As I worked on the project, it's growth and unwieldy size proved daunting. Finally, it was finished. Now it hangs in the newly renovated parish hall.

Crystal embellishment

finished piece

(hmmmmm, I'm thinking another black border would frame that image perfectly).

CHRISTMAS CARD STORY

Angel set

Abstracts

ABstracts

It's The Christmas Season. In October and November, between other projects, I made collaged Christmas cards to sell at two Holiday Bazaars. Last year, I think I sold a few cards. So I just knew I'd have some left to send out to friends and family. NOT! I sold every last one of them.

Stockings

Pretty trees

front and inside of one card

In trying to figure out what I did differently, I note that the sizes are larger ( 5 x 8),  and since I'd run out of those lovely picture framing cards I'd bought as a bargain at an Awesome Deals store that  has since closed, I decided to make my own. Though they didn't turn out perfect, they looked professional enough – discovered I need a better glue or glue stick( with pointed end).

And Santas, of course

So now I'm taking a day here and there to make a few more to send out.