- 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]
- 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."
- Angela: Soon a room in the basement
was being converted into a workspace.
[machine whirring]
- It's my woman cave! [laughs]
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.
- Angela: 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.
- Angela: 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.
- Angela: 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.
* *
- Angela: 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]
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!"