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Category: Liturgical Vestments and Altar Hangings

Liturgical vestments and altar hangings play a vital role in Christian religious services. Enhancing the worship experience with an extra layer of meaning and symbolism. Priests and pastors commonly wear liturgical garments such as the chasuble and the Alb during Mass celebrations. With the chasuble covering the body and often featuring ornate designs and symbols. And the Alb, a long white robe, worn by priests. Another liturgical vestment, the stole, a long, narrow scarf-like garment worn around the neck. Usually decorated with symbols representing the liturgical season or occasion.

On the other hand, altar hangings, and decorative textiles adorning the front of the altar, add beauty and meaning to the worship ceremony. They can be changed according to the liturgical season, with common types including frontals, superfrontals, and lectern hangings.

Liturgical vestments and altar hangings have a rich tradition and symbolism. Connecting worshipers with the history and traditions of the Church. Each vestment and style carries unique meaning and significance. Ecclesiastical Sewing addresses the liturgical needs of churches and religious organizations. Offering a diverse range of quality vestments and church hanging patterns, from traditional chasubles to functional superfrontals. We always have the perfect item for your liturgical preference.

Red chasuble Reformation Lutheran vestments church vestments religious vestments mass vestments brocade liturgical fabrics machine embroidery Luther Rose Brocade

What is a Monastic Style Chasuble?

The Monastic style chasuble is a fuller, longer vestment, approximately 60 to 80″ wide and 54″ or more in length. With graceful folds, it suits both traditional and modern church settings. The larger size provides comfort in warm climates, allowing more airflow and movement. It can be created from various fabrics, from Liturgical Brocades to silks.

monastic chasuble

Monastic Chasuble Pattern for Making Church Vestments

The Monastic Chasuble is a wonderful, full chasuble that is both graceful and elegant. It is suited for use in a variety of church settings. In many of the larger traditional cathedrals, altar hangings are no longer used. The chancel is often open with a large altar made from stone as in the above photo.  These vast open spaces are lovely and well suited for using a Monastic Style Chasuble.

statue of St Luke

St. Luke – The Evangelist Collection of Church Vestments

St. Luke is seated at a desk where he is busy either with his writing or creating a painting. At his feet is a bull or ox which often is used as a symbol to represent him. St. Luke is one of the Four Evangelists or writers of the Gospel accounts. The term is fitting because Evangelist means someone who proclaims the good news. The Evangelists proclaimed the good news of Christ in the Four Gospel accounts which are named after them: St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John.

Rose Church Vestment chasuble stole

New Rose Pastoral Chasuble and Stole

The use of rose vestments increases in popularity each year. The importance comes in as a means of teaching. The lessons for the day on Gaudete and Laetare Sunday have a lighter tone  – a break from the heaviness of the Penitential seasons of Advent and Lent. It lets us know that there is a joy that awaits and it is just around the corner. The joy is Christmas (and Easter). And when the rose vestments come out, Christmas (or Easter) is almost upon us.

Altar

Forgotten Altars? Take Another Look!

This little chapel sits in the corner of a larger room. A great deal of care has been taken with the chapel. There is an Advent stand with the Advent candles, a cross in the corner on the wall, the hymn board, the candles, and book stand on the altar, the altar linens and the altar hangings. The scene in the altar antependium is that of the manger in a circle or nimbus with the star. The various blues of the background indicate the shades of the nighttime sky. The charm comes in knowing that in this place, someone has taken care to ensure that the altar of the Lord is prepared for the services that will take place in this tiny chapel.

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.

Luther Rose Catechesis Stole Green Liturgical Vestment

Updates and New Items for Ordinary Times in the Church Year

We enter a season filled with green trees and grass dotted with bright pink, purple, red, and white the flowers blooming profusely all around us. One glance around nature provides a feast of green shades for the eye to behold. It brings the entire world to life. Green is also the color for ordinary times in the church years. With the long Trinity Season or the “Green” Season just getting underway in the church year.

Monastic Chasuble Pattern

Monastic Chasuble Pattern

The chasuble pattern is a graceful Monastic style chasuble that is wide, full, and long. The pattern is created in several sizes and has things like lengthening and shortening lines for further customization. The pattern has notches for matching seams when sewing. There is a separate pattern piece for the front and back orphrey band as well as a neckline facing piece.

Good Friday Dossal

The Ecclesiastical Sewing Family’s Easter in 2017

The Ecclesiastical Sewing Family’s Easter in 2017 and a special church project. Dossal curtain – Dossals, traditionally adorned with intricate embroideries, like the Lanercost Dossal. Tailored to fit sanctuary dimensions, for instance, is 88” wide and 124” long, complementing stained glass. A captivating coincidence forms a cross with the dossal and stained glass, as seen in the Good Friday dossal, the dossal and the stained glass make a cross on the back wall behind the big wooden cross.

Good Friday 2017 and Stabat Mater Dolorosa

Good Friday 2017 and Stabat Mater Dolorosa

Good Friday in 2017 – church adhered to solemn customs, draping the altar in black with six candles, the seventh being the Paschal candle. While black is our choice, I found practices in other churches, employing red or violet. Despite the somber tone of Good Friday services, they set the stage for a joyous Easter celebration.