Prayer shawls have been around since the days of Abraham. They are meant for your own devotional time and also for prayer of others. We use them every Friday night for our family dinner time. They help to keep mind focused on the Lord. They are not actually "denominational" they are for those who wish to pray or receive prayer. When you make them, be sure to note the colors of the shawls. They are not made from cotton per se, but of a weaved fabric. You can view them at Simchat Torah in Colorado. That is where mine came from when I received it from a friend. I know that my old church in Billings, Montana we had them in the prayer room and some even wore them during service prayer time at New Life Church. If you use the weaved fabric, then you will have little to no sewing. I know that the tassels are a certain length and have meaning. The colors on the robe have certain meaning as well. I may have given to much info here to confuse you more. You can PM me and I can give you more details if you want. I just get pationate about them because they help you so much spiritually.