After finishing the bunting, I felt an incredible urge to create something new. I wasn’t sure what to make, but I wanted something for church that would be beautiful and useful. I decided to make a stole. Initially, I chose to make it double-sided: white on one side, purple on the other. I thought that Golgotha would be a powerful reminder of God’s love and mercy – a perfect image for confessions.

As I sketched the scene, I sang along with Hillsong and other worship bands. Choosing the fabrics and bringing this image to life seemed so natural.

‘New Wine‘ and ‘Remain in Me’ were playing in my mind over and over while I was stitching the vine. In fact, the latter inspired this design. The hours spent working on this side were long and quiet. The stitches around the grapes may seem laborious, but to me it was rather contemplative. More than once, I glanced at the clock and realised it was already one in the morning.

It was a long project, perhaps my longest one, but the result was worth every effort.