This is Pastor Appreciation Month and I was asked to make this stole for the Cincinnati Mennonite pastor.
What I learned: ecclesiastical sewing is a whole different ball game, or at least the pattern I used went together differently than I'm used to. I ended up finishing it my way and the result was ok. Not perfect, but ok. The lining is light blue, a lucky accident when I didn't have enough white for the lining. The end is finished with a light blue ribbon, making it a whole lot easier finish than the way the pattern was written.
I was grateful that I made it with cotton since silk would have been more difficult by far. Our pastor won't wear it at church but at events that may be outdoors, making silk impractical for the elements.
I've started cleaning up the garden beds for fall, including cutting back the ornamental grasses. I understand the value of leaving the grasses in the beds all winter, but that just makes it too hard for me in the spring when the grasses have dried. Whatever I can do now makes for an easier spring. I may feel differently about that tomorrow when the high will be 23 degrees lower than today's high.
