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Black and Gold Ecclesiastical Fabric Wakefield

Liturgical Fabrics

Special ecclesiastical fabrics for pastoral attire, like stoles and chasubles, use intricate patterns with silks, rayons, and gold/silver threads. The Wakefield pattern, with black and gold threads, offers varied textures and a reversible design—use it as a gold fabric with black accents or a black fabric with gold accents.

Fleur Cross Liturgical Embroidery Design

Liturgical Embroidery Designs Phase 2

Fleur Cross Liturgical Embroidery Design

Fleur de lis Ecclesiastical Embroidery Design

Liturgical Embroidery Design

Creating new hand embroidery designs for Church Vestments and church linens.
– The Fleur de lis which symbolizes purity and often represents the Trinity. The Virgin Mary and the angel Gabrielle are also represented by the Fleur de lis.  This particular design is also reminiscent of the pomegranate.

Whitework Altar Linen

Whitework Altar Linens

New altar linen project, a quick peek at some photos of whitework embroidery on linens.

Small IHC Hand Embroidery Design for Altar Linens

Altar Linen Projects – Beginnings

This vintage Ecclesiastical Hand Embroidery Design, originating from a Boston monastery over 100 years ago, still bears the pounce powder from its original use. The intricately perforated design on thin tracing vellum paper is tiny—merely 2 to 3 inches in size. The IHC hand embroidery is elegantly simple and clean, sparking ideas for stitching options. Considerations include a trailing stitch for the outline with a seed stitch filling or even a straightforward split stitch outline.

Painted Church Banner from St. Ignatius Mission Montana

St. Ignatius Mission Banners

Embroidery is a perfect medium for use on banners, a true labor of love, provided there are skilled embroiderers available for the work required. But sadly, there were times when this level of devotion may not have been possible for a banner. When embroidery was not an option, banners were sometimes hand-painted like these Banners located at the Ursuline Center.

St Ignatius Mission MT

Frontal at St. Ignatius Mission

St. Ignatius Mission. The Mission is in the tiny town of St. Ignatius, MT, at the southern edge of Flathead Lake, and about forty miles north of Missoula. This is one of those remote churches that have been on the “Must See” list. With a trip to Glacier Park, it was the perfect time to visit.

Back to Ecclesiastical Projects – Soon

  Back to Ecclesiastical Projects – Soon For all of you patiently waiting for a new post, never fear. The Ecclesiastical Sewing blog has not dropped off the face of the planet….or at least not quite. I have been enjoying a few weeks off with family, and visiting some remote places that are nearly off the map. Fortunately,  I have found my way out of the backcountry of Glacier Park and will be back to work posting new Ecclesiastical Sewing Projects next week. Until then, happy summer. Solo Dei Gloria… Read more Back to Ecclesiastical Projects – Soon

Construction of Square Yoke Surplice Yoke, Pattern Making and Testing Samples

Pattern Making and Testing Samples

There are many styles of surplices worn by clergy. The most common styles are a round neck surplice and a square neck surplice which is often referred to as a Roman Surplice.

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

Church Linen Scallop Edge of Lace trim on Altar Fair Linen

Altar Fair Linen with Lace Edge Trim

This trim features a zig-zag design filled with star-shaped motifs. Notably, it has triangular peaks at the upper edge where it attaches to the Altar Linen. An interesting detail is the deep hem of the linen, matching the trim’s depth—around 5 to 6 inches. While this may seem unusual to modern eyes, older reference books mention long Fair Linens having deep hems, especially if they reach close to the floor. The added weight from a deep hem likely contributes to the Fair Linen hanging well.

Ecclesiastical Footwear?

  Ecclesiastical Footwear? C0113517921/[/embed] One can only imagine the honor of making a special pair of shoes for the Pope. These truly are a work of art. I hope you… Read more Ecclesiastical Footwear?

Lace for Church Use Instruction Book

Lace for Church Use Instruction Book

The title is Lace for Church Use by Marie-Clare Downham.

Lace: The Forgotten Ecclesiastical Craft?

Lace: the Forgotten Ecclesiastical Craft?

…types of lace used in the church…

Visiting a Grand Cathedral the Proper Way

Features of Church architecture and Church Vestments awaiting our viewing pleasure.