Southern Baptist Stole

Wryfield,

I have made one preaching scarf / stole thing and decorated another. MIne were done for UK C of E church, I don't know how Southern Baptist would vary.

Of the ones I've seen that have been 6 to 8" wide plain scarves with a little shaping at the neckline to help them go round smoothly - done by pleating the cntre of the scarf only lengthways to reduce the width of the scraf to 4 - 6" for a distance of about 18".

The scarves could be made out of almost any non-see through, non-stretch material, as long as the whole scarf had sufficient body. The one I decorated was shop bought and an absolute horrible synthetic sort of serge (think mediu weight trousers / skirt - cheap ones at that!) and had a light interfacing. The one I made was out of a crisp cotton (or may have been poly cotton) had a heavy interfacing and I added a horse hair insert to really give it some body.

Decor tends to be confined top the bottom 10" or so of each end of the scarf, but I have seen ones with decoration going right up the sides. As for decor, remeber that your audience is generally some distance away. Keep the design simple, clean and not too many elements. Think childs colouring book type shapes.

HTH

Sarah

I've made several for various people, mostly applique but some hand embroidery. Outer materials were linen or silk, and I used tie interfacing as interfacing for the stoles -- since the old tie interfacing is not available, I'd use a lightweight, bias, very drapey, plain weave wool fabric now. I piped the seam on most of them, but one for someone with very minimalist tastes was simply pressed and edgestitched.

Different churches may have limitations on materials or designs to be used, so it may be best to inquire.

Piggybacking on Sarah's post to recommend a website with many stoles which you can use for inspiration:

Hi, wryfi

I would check with your nephew before you go to all that trouble. in all my years as a SB, and a visitor to many churches, I have never seen a Southern Baptist preacher wearing draperies. Now each church has their own policies, so your nephew may do, but I would definitely check before possibly wasting my efforts. Kitty

Glad you said this because I was htinking the same thing. At both my previous church and the one I am attending now, the pastors have worn suits, or else dress slack and shirt with tie

Glad y'all posted this as I read these posts earlier in the day and I was thinking the same thing. The pastors of S.B. churches I've been to have always worn suits and no fancy decorations or such.

More importantly, it holds the fabric of the stole off the neck so it doesn't get skin oil to the fabric. The chain or tie also can be used to effectively shorten the stole at least to some extent.

behind the face fabric (the stoles I have made are handwoven) use fusible interfacing - feather/ mid weight, this supplier may only have white. The gray or black can be hard to find.

After cutting to the pattern, I use a serger to finish the edges with the interface to prevent unraveling. The then top seam is done to make the lining and the stoles to one piece each After than the lining (back side fabric) is sewn face-face and then pulled through itself so the seams are hidden. last step is hemming the bottoms, maybe with tasssels or not to make it longer and then a kissing cross embroidered on the neck.