White, purple, blue, green, sometimes black, and white.
Angela
Melinda Halom knows her colors. Green is what's called Ordinary Season. It represents the growth.
lively music
Angela
Melinda is a part-time pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in New Auburn. However, it's her other job that is attracting attention.
Melinda
My husband's also a pastor, and realized it was really time for new stoles. Went to the store, bought new fabric, and started sewing. Posted those crazy stoles to Facebook, and Quilted with Prayer began.
Angela
Before long, Melinda was in business.
sewing machine clunking
Angela
So as the stole piece started to grow, it just fell into the lifestyle that we live, that I can work in my home, and work on the stoles. My husband has had my back 300% this whole process. When I saw her year one, I was just like, "Oh my gosh, you're actually making money! "This is really impressive." Soon a room in the basement was being converted into a workspace.
machine whirring
Angela
It's my woman cave!
laughs
Angela
Fabric, for anyone who works with it, knows that it really should not be in the sunlight. I call it my "woman cave" because it's a cave! It doesn't have windows; it is truly a basement. It's my space. Word spread quickly about what's happening in the woman cave.
Melinda
We'll make sure that seam is really good and pressed in. I cannot stand when stoles are crooked. And so I cut them in a way that you should be able to just grab a hold of 'em and keep 'em straight.
Angela
Creativity, craftsmanship, and custom stoles got Melinda noticed. The pastors are like, "Make sure you tell Melinda "that my congregation members "are actually making comments on it." It just blows me away. It started with a pastor who loved camouflage. And as we go into hunting season, many congregations are gathering their hunters together, and blessing them, and blessing the orange, as it's often called. Another iconic Wisconsin tradition also made its way into church. I was challenged by colleagues in Wisconsin that they desperately wanted a Packer stole. So I said no for about six months. However, I make peace with it. Most of the Packers' season is during the season of green. Packers, green, it works. On a Sunday morning, even in my congregation, I am truly the only person not wearing Packer gear. You've addressed the elephant sitting in the middle of the church. You can get on with worship. In some cases, the stoles are split, like those congregations praying for either the Packers or the Vikings. And so they do it as a fundraiser and say, "Pastor, if we raise enough money, "you have to wear the Packers stole." Craziness. Melinda makes stoles for all seasons and all reasons. This stole is very specifically rainbow colors to make a clear statement to folks that would come in and see the pastor wearing it, that says, "LGBTQ folks are welcome here." Another Sunday that I learned about through my stoles is Holy Humor Sunday. I love emojis. I use emojis all the time.
machine whirring
Angela
Behind her sewing machine, Melinda is truly on a mission.
Melinda
I hope they see the personality and the faith of the pastor that is wearing it. I think I would have given up on this eons ago if the people that received the stoles in the mail didn't come back to me and say, "It's more than what I wanted." Cool machines, huh?
machine whirring
Melinda
They thread themselves, too.
upbeat music
Angela
The stoles have been shipped around the world.
Melinda
So three years, I'm at about 1,300.
Angela
Melinda's stoles are unique and a piece of her is sewn into every design. It is so much a part of my heart. I never would have dreamed the stories that I have gained, the people that I have met and shared ministry with. And often I'll see a fabric and just go, "Oh, I know what I need to make out of that!"
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