Oh, look! It’s the new Rector of St. Barbara’s-By-The-Sea in Malibu! The brainchild of Julie Blake Fisher, who enjoys creating the Good Blonde Reverend’s vestments as a way to relax, we thought you would like her to accompany you through Holy Week.
Julie, we LOVE YOU!
SO very ready for a day of ministry. I mean, even the bag is fab, and she’s such a fashion-forward clergywoman, we can totally deal with the hot red pumps.
Roman-style cassock with cuffs. Perfection.
As Julie says, “Sure, the biretta is a bit large, but Barbie has big hair!”
Let’s get a closer look at that biretta:
Barbie’s cassock and surplice are made from an actual cassock and surplice.
All ready for morning prayer! She’s so welcoming.
And the image that had me falling off my chair last night, Barbie with her thurible!!
Here, in Julie’s own words,
I am so delighted she gave you a giggle. She was very fun to make. I’d come home from those late nights at the church office and go into my sewing room and work on Barbie to relax. My husband (who is also a priest) would laugh himself silly whenever he looked at her. He liked the biretta the best – it just fits on the end of his finger.
I updated the pictures and added captions to them all for anyone who has questions about her.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2029066&id=1576822696&l=c1f64d4def
I first made a basic version about two years ago for the children in my church to play with so they could learn all about vestments. A friend of mine saw her and wanted one, so when she got her own church recently and moved away to another state, I upgraded Barbie with additional items and sent her to my friend. I’ve kept patterns for everything I made, though, and I’m already making plans for Episcopal Priest Barbie: Cathedral Edition. Barbie is going to be become a bishop! I’ll also have other dolls to go with her – a deacon, a priest and an acolyte. At least one will be male, and they’ll all be racially diverse. (Barbie will be African-American as a bishop).
I am sure she would be thrilled and honored to be featured on your blog. Bless you, Peacebang, for your ministry of helping us all to glorify God through our professional image!
Julie, we’re warning you, WE ALL WANT ONE!!
Kiss of peace to you and Rev. Barbie, PB
The Rev’d Canon Prof. Barbie has exceeded some expectations. One hopes that her scholarship and theology are ampler than her figure.
Seriously, I want a Baptist version. I’ll even take a picture of myself, in each of my robes, afro in full effect, for a custom made doll. Hmmm…
This is so awesome! I loved the shoutout to Rev Barbie in the Chicago RedEye today! Along with a shoutout to Peacebang!! [Now what’s this? Howzabout a link? Thanks for letting me know! – PB]
Deacon Skipper?
From one seamstress (sewer? stitcher? fabric artist?) to another, those little vestments are incredible. Fantastic job and thanks for sharing them!
I hope she comes with a complete range of eucharistic vestments- I’m sure rose would be particularly fetching.
Fabulous! Take them to production (or at least sell us the patterns!)
How about Geneva tabs for some of us liturgical Presbyterians?
Is this available for sale?
As a parent, I’ve never seen Barbies at home left wearing their fancy outfits. The kids invariably leave them on the floor, as naked as God/Mattel made them.
But as a member of the Pagan clergy, who is comfortable with the “skyclad” worship practiced by some of our traditions, we’ll take the skyclad Pagan Priestess Barbie as our liturgical garb default. Though if you’ve got a Stevie Nicks Barbie, she’d probably be the runner-up for those Wiccan Priestesses of a certain age (including myself). 😉
Everyone’s getting into the act!
The comments are a mixed bag which I don’t recommend to those who don’t enjoy “inappropriate sharing”, though the one about Episcopalians and planning ahead did make me laugh.
[Just saw this on a friend’s FaceBook page — awww, what a cop-out! Julie’s exquisite seamstressing is the whole beauty of it! No little plastic chippy running around in her panties can begin to compare, and it isn’t even very funny. – PB]
I shared this with friends in the parish where I have just completed my work (I was interim there), because I thought this was too delightful for words. In response, on Friday at my going away party, a gifted parishioner made me a Deacon Gabrielle, to assist me in my next call. I think Julie has definitely started something! Here’s Deacon Gabrielle in all her glory: http://rev2bmibi.blogspot.com/2010/04/farewells.html
Loved this!
There isn’t anything like the level of craft in the original to it and that’s a lack. I like it because it rides the line between atheist self-image and atheist self-parody. (It could lose the self-pity.)
My friends and I have had so much fun with this–Rev. Barbie has a ministry of joy!!
Had to be Episcopalian because they have all of the accessories! As an ordanined Lutheran clergy, I can say we have lots of accessories, but the Episcopalians rule with all of the changes! Now they just need to not have such pressure of a tiny waist line!
Totally fab! I love her shoes too, but I always wear high heels of various colours under my Church of Scotland cassock! On Sundays the congregation lean into the aisle to see what I’ve got on my feet. You certaily are wonderful with a needle! Thanks for the laughter.
Love the outfits. As an Australian Anglican Priest and as an artist I have at times endeavoured to wear clergy clothing that demonstrates that I do not have to be limited to traditional colours and styles. I have three clergy dresses (with clergy collar) that are elegant patchwork. I have batik as well as multicoloured clergy blouses. Feel free to extend Rev. Barbie’s wardrobe accordingly!
Maybe I have missed it, but I would love to see a Barbie Cardinal, or even, Deo volente, a Pope. Perhaps she would rather be a Mama – or a Madam?
Never fancied those odd clothes till now.
Yours sincerely,
God
Wonderful! The entire family loves it and DD who is 8 wants to make a choir mistress Barbie (and our choir mistress happens to have long blonde hair 🙂 )
My daughter and her husband are both Methodist pastors. They have a 4 year old daughter who has her Barbie preaches to the rest of her Barbie’s. My daughter saw your site and asked me to make some outfits for her daughter’s Barbie. Unfortunately, I am not that talented and would need a pattern. Do you have any patterns that you can share?