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Tag: Liturgical Vintage

Liturgical vintage is a term that people use to describe antique or vintage items that they use in religious celebrations. These items can include chalices, vestments, candlesticks, and other decorative objects that people use in religious services.

People consider liturgical vintage important in religious celebrations. It connects present-day worshippers to the rich history and traditions of their faith. In addition, people often consider liturgical vintage items to have symbolic and spiritual significance. For example, a chalice used in a liturgical celebration may have been used in countless masses over many years. It shows a powerful symbol of the continuity and ongoing nature of the faith. Religious vintage items can also be beautiful works of art in their own right, adding to the overall aesthetic and spiritual experience of a church service. For many people, incorporating liturgical vintage items into religious celebrations is an important way to honor the past and connect with the traditions of their faith.

Goud, zilver and zijde by Marike Van Roon, , Holiday Break

Holiday Break

Book written by Marike van Roon, Head Curator at Amsterdam University as her dissertation was added to my library last summer and has become a favorite.  Beginning at around the 1800s, the book lays out the history of European Ecclesiastical History through the 1960s.  There is a nice mix of primary source material in the form of sketches and illustrations from texts and authors of the period, while stunning black and white, and color photography of actual vestments pieces

Elizabeth – Watts and Co

Elizabeth Hoare, the owner of Watts and Co., played a unique role in preserving Ecclesiastical Vestment history. During her ownership, she safeguarded hand-embroidered works from the late 19th to mid-20th century, ensuring their survival when they were undervalued. Her efforts created a lasting legacy, and today, her collection is displayed at Liverpool Cathedral’s Cathedral Gallery.

Simple Hand Embroidered Cross Design

Ecclesiastical Embroidery Designs A Starting Point

Entering the world of Ecclesiastical Sewing may seem challenging, with fears of intricate designs and historic techniques. However, beauty lies in simplicity, like a humble 1930s hand-embroidered cross. Draw inspiration from vintage patterns, such as Thomas Brown’s Church Embroideries, offering a variety of ideas. For machine embroidery enthusiasts, Windstar Embroidery digitizes Thomas Brown’s designs, providing creativity suggestions for hand embroiderers. Those with artistic talent can create personalized designs, adding a unique touch. To start, consider creating a stole, a beginner-friendly Ecclesiastical Sewing project.

Color guide on a hand embroidery pattern

Rare Find Part II

The Monastery’s Ecclesiastical Embroidery Designs are truly amazing. What stands out is that many of these beautiful designs originated from understanding of geometry, design, scale and proportion. The Sisters, who created these designs, studied theology, understood the history and meaning behind symbols, and skillfully combined all this knowledge to create stunning Ecclesiastical Designs.

Some Drawings of Ancient Embroidery by Mary Barber

A Rare Find

Passionate about Ecclesiastical Embroidery, I’ve collected rare books and found a rare to find book by Mary Barber entitled  Some Drawings of Ancient Embroidery and received three sample designs from a closing monastery’s Art Needlework Department. The designs, featuring a Rose and Thorn, IHC, and Sword and Keys, offer a glimpse into the artistry of Ecclesiastical Embroidery.

Applied or Applique Work for Church Embroidery

Changing Plans?

Changed plans for Advent Set due to lost time and supply delays.
A quick review from “Church Needlework” by Hinda Hands for ideas and now focusing on appliqué and outline work, balancing harsh designs with scroll accents. Using modern fusible web instead of paste for appliqué. Applying Alpha and Omega symbols directly to blue Silk Dupioni, so cutting fabric and adapting plans. Ecclesiastical Sewing project takes unexpected turns!

Books of the Great Ecclesiastical Designers, Church Needlework Classes

Classes for Church Needlework

For those interested in church needlework, a few places offer courses worth exploring. Hexaemeron provides Traditional Icon embroidery classes, conducted by Olga Fishchuk, focusing on Byzantine and Russian embroidery techniques from the 14th to the 17th centuries. The classes, held at various US locations, offer rich instruction and historical context. On a different note, the Williamsburg School of Needlework in Colonial Williamsburg offers courses on whitework, suitable for church linens. The courses range from basic sessions to specialized topics like sacred monograms. Check out their detailed hand embroidery course descriptions for more information.

Design from Embroidery for Church Guilds by Sarah Cazneau Woodward 1896

Resources for Ecclesiastical Symbols

Looking for Ecclesiastical symbols? Check “Christian Symbols” for a book on Christian symbols and free PDF downloads. “Project Canterbury” has “Embroidery for Church Guilds” with simple designs. “Corpus Christi Watershed” archives complex Catholic Line Art. These resources inspire meaningful Ecclesiastical Embroidery projects.

Chasubles Through Time

Monk Habit Pattern

Monk habits, historical garments made in monasteries, had unique designs, each order having its own variations. The patterns and techniques were kept secret. With changing times, habits faded, and the knowledge of making them vanished. Traditional Monk Habit patterns and construction techniques are now disappearing with the loss of skilled tailors.

Monk Habit Ready to be Returned

Returning Home – Monastic Habit

Returning Home – Monastic Habit – a young tailor from a monastery asked help with fitting, construction, and pattern drafting skills for a Monk Habit. Faced challenges with historical pattern blocks and sleeve fitting. After extensive research, they discovered instructions for drafting the Monk habit, successfully completing the pattern.

Thread of Gold The Embroideries and Textiles of York Minster, The Next Best Thing book

Books: The Next Best Thing Part III

In “Books: The Next Best Thing Part III,” the focus is on Ecclesiastical Giants from the past two centuries. discovering “Thread of Gold: The Embroideries and Textiles of York Minster.” This book, edited by Elizabeth Ingram, offers the history of Ecclesiastical Embroidery and Vestments at York Minster. From pre-Reformation origins to fascinating stories about Queen Victoria’s silk and the restoration of the Great Processional Banner, the book provides a rich visual and historical embroidery.

The book entitled Sir Ninian Comper

Books: The Next Best Thing : Part II

Ecclesiastical Sewing looks at Sir Ninian Comper’s work in the book “Sir Ninian Comper” by Anthony Symondson and Stephen Bucknall. Born in 1864, Comper aimed to make beautiful things that lead people to worship God. The book, with black-and-white photos, shows Comper’s creations like altars and beautiful copes with detailed embroidery. His idea was simple: “A person should like beautiful things from a young age.” The book gives a peek into Comper’s lasting influence on Ecclesiastical design.

Augustus Pugin Design Books

Books: The Next Best Thing

Ecclesiastical Sewing explores new books on Ecclesiastical Giants as an alternative to attending the Giants of Gothic Revival event at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The collection includes works by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, such as “Pugin’s Gothic Ornament,” “Pugin’s Floral Ornament,” and “Colored Plates from Pugin’s Ecclesiastical Ornaments.” These books offer insights into Pugin’s intricate designs and patterns, from wood and stone carving to delicate floral motifs. Additionally, Pugin’s “Glossary of Ecclesiastical Ornament and Costume” provides valuable insights into various Ecclesiastical terms.

Iron on Ecclesiastical Embroidery Transfers, religious machine embroidery designs

Vintage Ecclesiastical Embroidery Transfer Treasures

Discovering hidden treasures in vintage Ecclesiastical Embroidery transfers is always exciting. While exploring a worn book, unexpected finds emerged, including a small iron-on transfer suitable for stole ends or whitework on Church Linens. Moreover, a larger transfer sheet with four designs, and another long and narrow design, provided valuable resources for enhancing Ecclesiastical Embroidery projects.