April 1998: Coarsely-woven purple cotton with crimson linen

Roll over the image to see the altar as set for Palm/Passion Sunday.

For Lent, I chose a coarse cloth in a dull purple. The surface texture of the cloth is also dull. I wasn't going to decorate this set of paraments, wanting to emphasize the somber mood of Lent. However, it needed something. I decided to mark the front corners with black crosses. The weave of the purple cloth was coarse enough to suggest some kind of cut-work embroidery; a large-scale Hardanger stitch was just right. After the cloth was on the altar, I realized that the cut-out holes suggested a glimpse past the crucifixion to the resurrection. The dull purple cloth was too heavy for a veil, so I chose a matching color in a thiner cotton damask to drape the chalice, and also used the damask for facing the dull purple; hems would have been too thick. The spare dimensions of this altar cloth emphasize the discipline of Lent. We wanted to use crimson for the Sunday of the Passion. Partly because I didn't have time to create an entirely separate set of paraments, I made an over-cloth and an ambo scarf of crimson linen. Adding the crimson to the purple marked the beginning of Holy Week, but also provided continuity with the previous five weeks of Lent. I also made a crimson linen veil and added a touch of crimson to the purple burse.

The purple cloth is used by itself during Lent; the red linen is added for Palm/Passion Sunday, marking the beginning of Holy Week.