Aragon Liturgical Tapestry Fabric in Red Lurex

Aragon Liturgical Tapestry Fabric in Red Lurex: Tapestries have graced the walls of castles for centuries. They have also graced countless clergy vestments through the ages.  Today, there are many lovely liturgical fabrics woven in rich and ornate tapestry patterns. Liturgical tapestry fabrics of today are machine-woven. The pattern below is Aragon in red with Lurex threads. Although it may not be evident, the fabric was a challenge to photograph and to capture the highlights which include Lurex threads. The photos below were the result of an entire afternoon, trying to capture the correct lighting to showcase the lovely Lurex threads. They are elusive and challenging, especially for an amateur photographer.

Designs and Symbolism

Aragon is a gem of a liturgical fabric. It has a large-scale design, or rather, several large-scale designs that make it an extremely versatile fabric to use for making church vestments.  The main design feature is an elaborate Jardiniere which contains floral elements. Notice the birds perched on the side branches of the Jardiniere? They are a common design element in many liturgical tapestry fabrics. The story behind the birds is that they are mediators between heaven and earth. Their blue and white coloring blends beautifully with the rich red and green floral elements.

This is the floral element that repeats in the middle of the series of the four Jardiniere motifs in the top photo. Notice the perfect frame created by the vines which encircle the floral motif?

 Weaving of Liturgical Tapestry Fabrics

Often times liturgical tapestry fabrics are mistakenly referred to as being embroidered, but these fabrics are woven on a loom. Many of the threads have long floats and stitch length variations that are easily mistaken for hand embroidery stitches.  Some design motifs are even outlined with stitching that mimics hand embroidery. These liturgical tapestry fabrics may be considered by some to be “expensive” and thus be a deterrent to using the fabrics, but a little bit of this fabric can go a long way.   And tapestry fabrics such as Aragon are very “user-friendly” which means they cut up well, which minimizes waste.  The other beauty of this fabric is the vast number of colors it works well with. Aragon pairs well with reds, greens, blues, whites, or creams.

Stoles and other vestments can be made using Aragon for the entire vestment, with solid-colored accents, too. Aragon is also seen as a fabric used in Laudian altar coverings. When used for stoles or orphrey bands, one can select to use either the vine pattern or the “jar” pattern.  Stoles made using the same fabric could thus be different based on the choice of the selected design element. (Or one could have options to utilize fabric that is left after cutting larger vestment pieces first).

Exciting News

For those who may not be a fan of the Lurex threads, there is also a plain version of Aragon in red.  And let’s not forget Aragon is also available in Green and Green/Lurex.  Aragon liturgical fabrics will be available for purchase by the yard with the launch of our new storefront in early to mid-summer. Stay tuned for further details.

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.

Hand Embroidery Design Framed Up

Rose Vestments and IHS Design Index

Elegant Church Vestment Tapestry Fabrics

St. Margaret Ivory Lurex Altar Frontal

Tapestry Fabrics for Vestments: How to Measure Pattern Repeats

Save