The Little Prayer Shawl that Grew

Here is a quilted piece only hinted at almost a year ago. It was made at the request of the eastern region of the Association of Contemplative Sisters. The intended use was as a prayer shawl to be draped around the shoulders of a newly elected president or to envelop with warmth a member in need of healing and being prayed over by her sisters.

The organization provides mutual support to members who share pursuit of the contemplative way, both vowed religious and lay woman married or single, as well hermits, in a wide variety of locales, cultures and life styles. For those lacking a like minded group nearby, ACS conquers distances and provides members with a sense of community which offers encouragement for the spiritual journey.

Photoshop Adaptation

A single orans (posture of prayer and praise) figure has long been the logo of the organization. A cluster of these figures readily came to mind as the center motif. The background reflects the joy experienced by our members in the gift of God's creation. The piece measures 9 by 4 feet. All of the materials are 100% cotton. The orans figures are  backed with iron-on interfacing and machine appliqued. The background, my first attempted at creating a land/sea scape in fabric, is a brick work mosaic pattern. Fabric was chosen with both color and depicted texture in mind. It is machine quilted in a free hand meander pattern. Small fabric loops were sewn to the top of the reverse to allow for hanging. Velcro allows  the loops to be hidden at other times. Although this piece was a great challange it was a joy to create.