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Category: Altar linens

Altar linens have an important role in Christian religious services, and they are necessary pieces for keeping everything clean and sacred during liturgical ceremonies. These special fabrics, including the Altar Cloth, Purificator, and Lavabo Towel, serve unique purposes. The Altar Cloth covers the altar and often features embroidered religious symbols. The Purificator is used to wipe the chalice and the paten after communion, while the Lavabo Towel is used to dry the hands of the priest or deacon during the liturgy of the Eucharist.

Christian faith holds Altar linens in special significance and they are not just ordinary fabrics. Crafted with love and care, these add to the solemnity and cleanliness of the church occasions. Allowing the congregation to focus on the spiritual aspects of the service.

At Ecclesiastical Sewing, we understand the importance of altar linens in Christian worship. We offer a wide range of quality linens designed to meet the unique needs of different Christian denominations.

Whether you need a simple yet elegant Altar Cloth or a Lavabo Towel with intricate embroidery, Ecclesiastical Sewing has got you covered. We offer linens in a variety of designs, making it easy to find the perfect match for your church’s décor. We also provide custom embroidery services, allowing you to personalize your altar linens with your chosen embroidery designs.

In summary, Christian religious services use altar linens as necessary pieces for worship. These help maintain cleanliness and sacredness while adding solemnity to the church occasion. At Ecclesiastical Sewing, we are committed to providing quality altar linens that meet the unique needs of different Christian denominations. Browse our collection today and discover the best choice of linens for your needs.

Church Linen

Church Linens and Altar Linens: Lavabo Towel

A lavabo towel is a cloth linen or sort of hand towel that is used to dry the hands of a person who is performing a lavabo ceremony. It is one of several small altar linens or church linen items. the lavabo towel must be a pristine white church linen cloth as it symbolizes the purification that occurs as a result of the lavabo ceremony.

Sacristy Check List: 10 Things to Review for Fall

Prepare for fall by reviewing altar linens, checking inventory, and tidying storage. Examine baptismal items, altar hangings, server gowns, and clergy vestments. Ensure everything is in good condition, make repairs if needed, and consider replacements for worn-out items. Keep the Lord’s house well-maintained and ready for worship.

Hand Embroidery Design for Altar Linens

Hand Embroidery Design for Altar Linens

A scrollwork cross. The cross is a creation taken from part of the vintage embroidery designs. This cross is similar to many vintage hand embroidery designs. Satin stitch would be nice around the center diamond shape and the four dots just outside of that. The Scrollwork could be an outline or stem stitch or trailing stitch. The tiny tendrils could be back-stitched or a small stem stitch. The three clover shapes at the cross ends could be stem stitched and filled with seed stitch or satin stitched. The very center of the large diamond could also be filled with seed stitches. It would take only about 3 or 4 stitches to work this little design up.

Hand Embroidery Linen Altar Set

Inspiration for a Lazy Sunday Afternoon: Small Altar Linens

Each small altar linen is meticulously handcrafted for attention to detail. We start by pre-shrinking and pressing the linen carefully. Cutting is done along the thread for a straight edge. Hemming follows with precise folding and stitching, using delicate thread for quality. This ensures high-quality altar linens.

Altar Linen Book Cover

Church Linen Hand Embroidery Design for Purificator

This is a pre-cut keep sake baptismal towel that is intended to be given to the parents of a newly baptized infant. For an older child or an adult, one might select to embroider a purificator or lavabo-sized linen. This towel is small so that one gets used to the concepts of turning up linen hems and mitering corners without having to stitch long hems at the beginning.

Hand Embroidered Linen Altar Set

Small Altar Linens and a Gift for You

Linens are an item used every day or every week in the life of most churches.  Linens are used for the most sacred and important part of a church service during the service of Holy Communion or the Eucharist. The small church linens or altar linens used in the Divine Service are the Fairlinen which is placed directly on the altar, the corporal, the lavabo towel, and the purificator. Some churches use a small side table that is covered by a Credence cloth.

Altar Linen Book Cover

Email sign up form and small church linen booklet

Carrie has written an instruction booklet for making and embroidering small Church Linens and altar linens. This booklet describes the making and care for the small altar linens used during the service of Holy Communion or the Eucharist. Also included in the booklet is a collection of original and vintage hand embroidery designs. This booklet is our gift to you for subscribing to the Ecclesiastical Sewing email list!

Altar Linens: Using Color

The altar in the Mary Chapel allows a closer view of the altar linen. The edge of the linen is cut so that it hangs over the front of the altar by a few inches. This linen edge is embroidered using the colors of white and gold. There is so much white inside this Basilica. The gold provides a much-needed contrast so the altar linen is not lost among all of the other whites of the chapel. The design motifs of the altar linen feature a cross worked in gold embroidery thread, and a wheat and grape motif worked in white embroidery thread. The edge of the altar linen is scalloped with a scalloped or shell satin stitch, making a perfect complement to this lovely Basilica

Can Altar Linens and Church Vestments be Made by Laity?

Can Altar Linens and Church Vestments be Made by Laity?

This little book (founded on a series of articles on Church Embroidery written for the ‘Treasury’) is intended for the use of those who are desirous of learning by practical experiment how to make the best use of such time and skill as they have at their command; and who, while they are unable to go through the long courses of instruction which are generally indispensable to the attainment of perfection are yet anxious to devote their ‘labour of love’ to the service of the Church. – Hinda Hands (Hands, 1907, p. 1)

Fair Linen with hand embroidered design done in whitework

Whitework Embroidery for Church Linens

This antique Fair Linen, while stained, and scorched, with holes from a too-hot iron on one end, features a lovely hand-embroidered IHC motif in the center of the Altar Linen, surrounded by four smaller cross designs for the corners. Worked completely in white threads, the Ecclesiastical Embroidery is still lovely amid the linen stains of age.  The central hand embroidery design is relatively small, considering the Fair Linen is wide and long

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