Friends, thank you so much for stopping by. As I write this in March of 2017, and I am in the midst of a transition with my liturgical sewing work. It has been a huge joy and honor to have had a small–tiny, in fact–sewing business, Silverlode Needlecraft, for over 13 years. I am transitioning to doing primarily volunteer liturgical sewing work, while taking on other full-time work (my “day job”) outside of the sewing room. Thus, what started as “a labor of love” will commence as such, more now than ever.
A little background…from Irish Dance dressmaking to liturgical sewing
I started the business in January of 2004, after having fallen in love with sewing (and especially hand-guided machine satin stitch embroidery) through learning the construction of Irish dance solo dresses in 2003. My sister, who was an Irish dancer at the time, needed a solo dress for competition and performance, and so my wonderful mom, Debra, who had not sewn in 20 years, researched the art and craft of making these extraordinarily difficult dresses from scratch. In the process, she had me design and embroider the Elvish lettering that was to embellish the skirt rim. Well, a huge deal of trial and error was involved, but I finally was satisfied with the results, and fell in love with the sewing and the embroidering in the process. Partly, perhaps, as it is quiet and solitary work; as much as I love true friendship and time with others, I’m also about as temperamentally introverted as they come. This way, could work and pray, or listen to music or audiobooks, and generally set my own schedule.
It wasn’t long before I quit my “day job” at the Childrens’ Museum in Salem, Oregon, and devoted myself to the sewing full time–in a chilly, damp basement! It was all very Dickensian, I assure you. I was blessed to be able to make Irish dance dresses as my full time work for 5 years between 2004-2009, living as poor as a church mouse, but happy. (Who needs a car, savings, or insurance–or practically anything else–if I can sew full time?)
During this time, specifically at the vigil mass for the feast of Corpus Christi in 2004, I felt the strong desire to one day make beautiful liturgical vestments for clergy; I thought that one day it would be a volunteer work, perhaps along with my other sewing.
Alas, once the recession hit, the sewing work took a huge hit as well; clients were having to cancel orders, and my family and I were in the midst of an expensive move to Ashland, Oregon. Also, around this time, Irish dance dress styles were changing significantly, from the old stiff 3-panel-style dresses, to softer styles. Computerized embroidery was becoming the norm both for independent sewers like myself, as well as for bigger companies which were more and more gaining a large foothold in the Irish dance world.
With the increase in cost of living added onto the impact of the recession, I took on outside work, and received training as a Certified Nurses’ Aide. While working graveyard shift full time at a local assisted living facility, I had a kind of baptism-by-fire with the vestment making, when I decided to do a huge volunteer project (19 vestments + stoles) for a dear friend of mine who was being ordained to the priesthood. For more on this story, please see the “About” section of my former liturgical site.
Since that time, I have tried to sustain the sewing business at least at part-time status (and I was enormously helped in this endeavor of making it into a more sustainable business by my family, in 2013). I’ve had the huge honor of being commissioned for a couple of projects by the Archbishop of Portland, Oregon, and have been doing an annual project for Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary.
Now, however, in 2017, as I take on more full-time work outside of the sewing room, I have discovered through thought and prayer that it is finally time to bring the vestment work back to the original conception that I had of it during the vigil of Corpus Christi in 2004: a volunteer labor of love. I may not be able to devote as much time to it as I would if it were a full- or part-time means of support, but I feel that this transition is one that is timely, and beautiful. One can do the most meaningful work as a living; I am the first to admire those who can make this a sustainable reality. For me, however, not being able any longer to be a solitary worker at all hours for myself alone, but now being the main breadwinner for more than just myself, I have to take a loving and serious look at what is feasible for me and what is not; where my joy and gifts are, and where they are not. To create things of beauty is a joy and, I think, a gift of mine; to be a sales or business person is not.
Notes on accepting new projects, and other miscellany
As yet, I am still in transition (finishing the last of my paid seamstress work and moving into new territory). I don’t know as yet how to proceed with doing this solely as a labor of love…how much time I will be able to devote to it? How to discern the acceptance of new projects? How will materials be paid for? (Donations? My own, or another’s? Most likely, I’ll do what I can from materials that I purchase, but will gladly accept materials donations from those for whom it is possible.) But it is a labor-of-love in progress. I’ll continue to write as I learn, in hopes that it will be of value to other seamstresses, and to those looking for beautiful liturgical vesture.
Another note: although I will try to keep publishing current pictures of my work here, I will not mention names of those I make vestments for, unless I have the permission of the member of the clergy for whom they were created.
Thus far, my experience has been in the design and construction of Catholic vestments (please see my former site for examples). However, I am open and excited about the possibility of making beautiful vestments for members of other faiths/denominations.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions (as long as they are respectful/constructive), please feel free to respond to the posts here, or to use the form on the Contact page to message me directly. I can also be reached through the site’s facebook page, or my personal page. Feel free to request a project that you would like to have done, or to mention a member of the clergy who is in particular need of vestment work; I cannot guarantee that I am yet in a position to take it on, but I will see what I can do.
Thank you, friends, for your time in reading this. I so appreciate all the support of friends and family throughout my years of this passion work that is so close to my heart. Blessings and love to you and yours ♡
Liturgy and the Seamstress 