Happy New Year

Greetings to everyone following along with Ecclesiastical Sewing and Embroidery. The New Year has begun, and as the Holiday Season comes to a close, it is time to restore some order in the sewing room.  The Christmas items being stored in the sewing room have been removed, purchases have been placed in the appropriate places (well, most of them have been), and the piles of papers are being sorted through and organized while I type.  I hope to see a clear surface for the cutting table before the evening is over.

As I continue to dust and clean and put things away, I’ll take a moment to share a few links that might be of interest to those of you who are history buffs when it comes to Ecclesiastical Vestments and Ecclesiastical Embroidery.

Exploring Historical Resources

A few months back, there was a post from Gracie Christie’s book Embroidery: A Collection of Articles on Subjects Connected with Fine Embroidery which had the design for the lion’s head worked in pearl and beadwork.  While updating links in that article, some other resources surfaced, which might provide enjoyable reading and viewing as the New Year gets underway.  The first stop is a short journey back in time to a previous Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Ecclesiastical Vestments of the Middle Ages: An Exhibition.  The link is to the exhibit book from an Ecclesiastical Vestment Showing from 1971.  The book is now out of print, but the PDF file provides a great deal of background on some of the pieces featured from that show and is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.   If you take a closer look at this photo

you might find a surprise!  Now, time to travel across the ocean and notice the trim surrounding the figures on this  Cope at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Two vestments in museums, with an ocean between them.  Is it by chance, or is there something more to the story of these vestments?  To learn more, the Victoria and Albert Museum has put together an outline of historical information on how these items may have been created for the same person………… Read for yourselves and then decide: Are they or are they not part of the same set? I’m off to grab a cup of tea and settle in for a good mystery on vestment history.  And as I head off for the evening, I wish you all a Blessed and Happy New Year.

Solo Dei Gloria

Be sure to visit our online store front Ecclesiastical Sewing where you may shop for Liturgical Fabrics, altar linen fabrics, church vestment-making patterns, liturgical machine embroidery designs,  church vestment trims and notions and so much more. You may also find us on  Ecclesiastical Sewing on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Sign up for our mailing list at the bottom of the page on our online store front and receive a free copy of our Small Linens Booklet as our way of saying thank you for following along.

Christmas Greetings

Happy New Year From Ecclesiastical Sewing

Wish Lists Royal School of Needlework Style