Sewing for a Higher Power, Part Two

This round, I made a set of stoles--three for priests and the fourth for a deacon. While the chausable was unlined, these were not only lined but also underlined to give them more form. I was planning to underline anyway, and I knew it was the right decision when one of the clergy mentioned that the stole he wore last Sunday was scarf-like. Not good.

I used the remaining dupioni I was given, this time a beautiful dark green that washed and dried well and did not change colors! The underlining was flannel from my stash. My mom used a similar technique to underline satin for my dance costumes when I was a kiddo. In addition to firming up the stoles, it really makes the silk look even more luxurious. The lining was hand dyed quilting cotton from Hancock's, amazingly close in color to the silk. And why use cotton for the lining? A couple of reasons, actually. First, it was the closest match to the silk. Second, cotton isn't slippery. It will tend to stay in place, where a smooth lining would shift around when worn.

The priests stoles were fairly straightforward and simple. If you've ever made a sash, you already know my general technique. However, the deacon's stole is rightly named the Byzantine style. Not that it was so hard to make, but I had a hard time wrapping my head around what part of the stole went where. And my instruction book made it harder by printing the pattern diagram upside down!

There will probably be some tweaks after the clergy has had the opportunity to wear the stoles. The priest stoles seem awfully long to me, although I drafted the pattern exactly per the instructions. And perhaps the Byzantine stole could use a fastener at the shoulder. We'll see.