Top gear

Had such fun today.

Heather Marshall has designed my stoles. Her stuff is fresh and contemporary. My ordination stole expresses the variety and colour of life with God.

I have ordered a green stole with chunky daisy flowers on it and little green buttons - imagine Boden. This one made me think of my little girls and I think it communicates approachable and will appeal to the children in the congregation.

My purple stole is a take on the cross but in sackcloth with different purples and reds and metallic threads. It makes you want to touch it - such a mixture of textures - very tactile.

A black scarf for funerals has a simple cross made up of one embossed metallic thread in silver with an adjacent one in turquoise and the same on the horizontal.

I have chosen a dress to go under my cassock. Hold ups can easily go on after as I change. We will need bare legs under our cassocks for foot-washing.

I have a cream alb for Communion and deaconing at communion; a black cassock with a shocking pink lining with surplis and a simple poncho funeral cape with a purple lining, clean lines, no metal clasps etc


I have ordered three crop tops in T-shirt material - cream, chocolate and cherry to go underneath ordinary clothes and one small daisy print shirt in caramel with little red dots and a black, nipped in at the waist, puff short-sleeve black clergy shirt.

I really recommend Cross Designs Derby who make you feel so feminine and make sure everything fits so nicely and Heather Marshall if you like styles that are fresh, contemporary and arty.