LSaltercloth

Alter Cloths

       Alters are decorated in many different ways. However, a common practice is to cover the alter with some sort of cloth; an "alter cloth" is just this covering. You do not *have* to use an alter cloth, and if you do there doesn't have to be much sewing involved. An alter cloth can be as simple as a table runner, scarf, a scrap of material, or any number of things put on your alter. Also, there are many uses for your alter cloth. Aside from the obvious reason of protection your working surface from dripped wax and anything else you may get on it, it makes your ritual space more visually appealing. Another advantage of alter cloths is they're easy to change and an easy way to decorate your alter for the Sabbats and Esbats. Plus, if you do chose to make one they're very simple to make.
        There are multiple ways to make an alter cloth. The easiest is probably to simply select a fabric/pattern and cut it to size to cover the space and use that. Finish off your edges by turned them under and sewing a simple seam (hemming) so that your material does not ravel. To add interest to this you could also embroidery or otherwise decorate the cloth itself. You could make on cloth, or many to be changed throughout the year. Another method of making an alter cloth would involve cutting strips of fabric in several different colours and sewing them together as a cloth; if you chose this method it's also probably a good idea to put someone on the back as a lining to hide your underside's seams. Be sure you don't forget to finish the edges of this style cloth as the one above though! If you are so creative you could create a cloth with a theme of all the seasons, goddesses, or even just a rainbow of colours.

       I use many different alter cloths. The first alter cloth I ever had was made out of a green pillow case and was simple. After that one became increadably stained and spotted with wax and other assorted things for a long time I stopped using one. My next alter cloth was a sampler on burlap with embroidery done in yarn that my mother made in the 1970's. Recently however I have not been using an alter cloth because my "alter" is really no longer functional and is merely a special place to display my magickal tools.