From the February 2017 Bellringer
In 2014, Donna Brown, Lynda Christiansen, and Carolyn Gates responded to a call from the Liturgical Arts Committee to design and create banners for the season of Epiphany. The Greek word epiphaneia means appearance or manifestation, and it refers to the manifestation of Jesus to the world, of which four are celebrated at Epiphany: 1. The star that led the Magi to the baby Jesus. 2. The manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi. 3. The manifestation of his divinity, as it occurred at his baptism. 4. The manifestation of his public ministry and the revelation of his divine authority at the miracle at Cana.
Carolyn, Donna, and Lynda had a variety of ideas to depict these stories of Epiphany, which included different textural materials for visual interest and beauty: silk, organza, embroidery, hand stitching, machine stitching, and knitted elements. The decision was made to combine all those ideas into one cohesive set of banners. This was a cooperative project at its best.
So began a two-year process. Beginning in January of 2015, the three artists started work on the project. Carolyn drew the design concepts on paper, and, with Donna and Lynda, began to envision how to translate the drawings into organza, knitting, and quilted elements. They did extensive research to see if anyone had combined these elements before, but were unable to find anything similar to what they envisioned. They would indeed be breaking new ground in fabric art by combining such disparate materials. 2015 was a year of trial and error and discovery, with the execution of the banners beginning in 2016.
Carolyn’s color sketches of the original concepts of the Epiphany banners.
The final design of the first banner shows the Star that shone for the birth of Jesus, the light that would lead others to the manger. The star is done with crazy quilt and beautiful stitching. The knitted panel is a “Starlight” pattern that enriches the simplicity of the Star.
The Star banner
The second banner represents the coming of the Three Magi to the baby Jesus, with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The three gold crowns are of a lightweight, shimmery gold fabric known as lamé. The knitted piece is a pattern in which Donna knit some of the circular parts with metallic gold yarn to represent gold coins made from the gold which the Wise Men brought.
The Three Magi banner
The third banner symbolizes the Baptism of Christ, and shows the Dove descending in blessing. The Dove is another beautiful quilted and stitched piece created by Lynda. Donna’s knitted panel represents the water of Baptism.
The Baptism of Jesus banner
The fourth and final banner depicts the First Miracle of Jesus at the Wedding of Cana, when he turned water into wine. The quilted jug is pouring out the water, and as the colors change in the lovely knitted piece, one can see the water turning into wine.
The First Miracle banner.
The banners were hung for the first time at Epiphany in 2017.
