Jan Laurie's fabric art studio specializing in liturgical stoles for clergy.

Fabric Artist's Statement

I believe that what we bring into our worship be intentionally chosen to reflect our experience of a dynamic & loving Creator. Since we experience the Creator as an extravagant lover, master artist, passionate upholder of the oppressed, & joyful bringer of grace-filled good news...which I do...we then desire to reflect that in the visual. My hope is that each minister's stole will help support a grace-filled environment for leaders & worshippers.

About Jan

Jan Laurie,
worship stoles artist

Jan Laurie has been a fabric artist for decades, beginning early as a quilt maker. Over the years she has shown her work in galleries, libraries, & liturgical art shows. Her work has been featured on the cover of The United Church Observer and in The Catholic Register. Her art hangs in a hospital chaplain's office, visually suggesting the journey from life to death and to life beyond death. She has a large hanging installed on a curved wall in the chapel at Naramata Centre (Naramata, B.C.)

She is interested in depicting spiritual concepts of the Christian faith using abstract design, colour & texture. Jan is now focusing on creating stoles for clergy, their congregations, families & friends who are giving gifts to their pastors.

Design & Creation of Clergy Stoles

Purple stole shown on worship
leader

Jan Laurie has been creating stoles for worship leaders since 2001. Stoles are worn for sacramental leadership within the Christian church as a symbol of servanthood. She makes one style of stole in all colours of the liturgical church year. Please refer to the gallery of clergy stoles.

These carefully created worship stoles contain elements of surprise & joy. They read strongly from a distance & reveal many surprises when viewed closely. Using a painterly touch with predominantly natural fabrics, the shades wash upwards from dark to light. Scripture passages & other key words are stamped in the background using antique stamps. The panel is then overlaid with stitching, metallic threads, ribbons, braids & netting. Using a technique she calls ‘fabric assemblage’ & working in an abstract style she depicts a sense of the Spirit’s movement over the liturgical colour of the season.

The fabric art for the stoles is first created as a larger panel. Each clergy stole is then cut from this panel so no two stoles are identical. The art in your stole is shared with two other clergy stoles, worn by clergy from other denominations & places. A reminder that the body of Christ is larger than our individual worshipping congregations. It takes the Spirit working through all parts of the church to make a whole. Just as we share in the art, we share in God's work and grace.

The ivory coloured fabric used in the body & backing of the stole is silk noil or a silk/ramie combination. This is chosen for its earthy weave which keeps the stoles from sliding at the neckline.

The range of expression that is possible using this approach will nurture inspiration in artist, wearer and viewer.