Liturgically Speaking.....

....I found these images of a scarf I had made from leftover fabric from a handmade altar cloth. This was one of those jobs you made the rules up as you went along. The fabric was a rayon jacquard, ravelled like crazy, had to have a stiff interfacing to hang properly, was lined with linen and of course, needed gold and pearls.

Hmmmmmm........who would take on a task like this??? <:)

I made the little linen collar protectors with a hand crocheted edging, then they were basted in so they could be removed for washing. That, by itself was a honking headache.
Somewhere along the line I discovered I couldn't sew this on the machine and then turn it right side out. The lining and fabrics just said "NO!" which that meant sewing the whole thing by hand.
These items turn out to be meditative after a while. All the cording is couched on with a heavy gold thread (yes, real metal wrapped). The pearls are all secured by hand with waxed thread and stitched so the knots are not seen on the lining. There are also hand applied gold filled beads on the appliques and other glass beads.

The fringe on the bottom is real metal bouillon fringe, and that little tidbit on there set me back a pretty penny. But it needed it. The gold anchored all the white, and also the wool felt and gold embroidered appliques. Pearls were added with abundance, so that the scarf would shimmer, even under the lowest lighting.
Why don't I do this full time for a job? (because I probably could...) Cost, both of materials, and the toll on my hands and neck and shoulders. Most of my sources for liturgical fabrics have dried up, and the few remaining ones offer beautiful items but not at a price that I can make a profit.
However, every once in a while, I get the urge to make something delicious and wonderful and rich, dripping with elegance and history and reminding me that I still can sew pretty good.
I think I was born in the wrong era.
Or maybe it's that *Inner Nun* trying to assert herself.
You think I'm joking...don't you?
Now go find something that makes your brain perk--a puzzle to assert your creativity with!
But you might want to forget the metal fringe....... :) ...at least for now!