A new liturgical art project
Diana Pops introduces us to a new liturgical art project
A few months ago Diana Pops approached us with the offer of creating a new liturgical art project for use in our communion services. Our Arts Fund Committee decided to help cover the cost of the materials Diana will be using, but that doesn’t even begin to make up for the hours of artistry that is going into this one. Many readers will be familiar with this unique and beautiful candle stand Diana made for us a number of years ago.
Hello lovely community of saint benedict’s table!
It seems forever ago that I was sharing about the altar candlestick process, and I have to say, it's so nice to be back here writing to you.
In short, I am making for us, a burse. It's a traditional cloth and board case that carries the linen cloth (called a “corporal”) to and from the communion table.
How did I get to wanting to make a burse?
Read on!
Last year, as Covid rapidly changed all of our lives, I was admitted to hospital at 7 months pregnant. I was unable to see my husband Micah, stayed in hospital for almost a month with severe pre-eclampsia, had an emergency C-Section, and then, in the blink of an eye, found myself home, holding a 4.5 pound preemie baby, staring out the window and wondering what just happened.
Having a C-section meant I was not very mobile for a while, and our baby needed 24 hour monitoring. But, after a couple weeks, I was so antsy to create. Swinging metalwork hammers was out of the question, so I turned to the humble needle.
Having never explored embroidery before, there was so much to learn. Fascination quickly turned to obsession. I explored Elizabethan florals, medieval Opus Anglicanum, rich goldwork embroidery, 17th century dimensional stumpwork, and, why not? ...even cross stitch.
And, it is good to create beautiful things, but it is even better to create them for purpose.
Last year, at my lowest of lows, the online prayers at 5 PM tethered me to earth. It brought me back and made me feel connected. Saying the Lord's Prayer together through our screens felt so comforting. Hitting the care emoji on prayer requests might have seemed trite before Covid made hermits of us all, but now it felt like we were attending each other's journey in some small way. I needed the warmth of it. The gentle guidance from the leaders. The togetherness.
So I decided to make this burse in thanks to the community. It's a celebration piece. I connect to you, you connect to me, we are together though apart, all finding our way in this crazy pandemic.
I will be using all traditional methods for our burse. It will be hand stitched on dupioni silk in olive green. I am using hand dyed silk thread from Spain. I will be smithing silver settings for amethysts and the moonstone elements of the work... and incorporating lots and lots of silver and gold threads for the raised goldwork embroidery. It will be rich and lush and covered in crocuses and wheat, to marry with the motif of the altar candlestick.
Next week I will start the process of transferring my design to the silk using medieval techniques. I'll be making my own tempura paint with pigment, farm eggs, and distilled vinegar, felting some wool, and grinding willow charcoal to transfer the work to the cloth. More on that in the next blog, so stay tuned!
It will take about 70 hours for this 9x9 inch square, and my hope is that it breathes a little beauty into your lives as you follow my journey of making it for you.
Talk soon!
Diana
