Mary Ellen has been designing & crafting banners since 1975. She and the members of the Faith Circle at Bethany Lutheran Church began making banners for the church seasons. She joined North Salem in 1989 when the 2 sister churches merged.  At that time she brought 29 banners with her; today the banners number close to 50.  She is especially skilled at designing banners to incorporate old church paraments.  In addition to eliminating the need to dispose of old paraments she finds the material heavy, easy to work with & it does not wrinkle easily.  Other items you might find on Mary Ellen’s banners are jewelry, buttons, rocks, animals, beads & fringe.  Many have been quilted to give a 3 dimensional look & most feature embroidery & decorative stitching.  Favorite banners of Mary Ellen’s are those called “crazy quilt banners”.  These are made from scraps of material just like bed quilts.  There are banners for all seasons of the church year & church festivals such as marriage, baptism, confirmation, Good Friday & Easter.

Join us as we honor this talented & inspiring Christian artist.