Making vestments?

I just ran across this site and wanted to bring it to everyone's attention.  They sell basic fabrics and trim, but the most exciting part is that they sell patterns for a very reasonable price and they have lots of helpful instructions on their site.

With all these free instructions you may be tempted to skip buying a pattern until that moment of truth where you're about to cut into your overpriced brocade.  It's just then that you will be glad you spent the $16.95 to benefit from someone else's experience and avoid that inevitable, costly mistake.



NB, I have not seen their products and, therefore, cannot specifically endorse them.  I just found lots of great information on their site and I know working with a pattern is usually easier than trying to improvise.  (and I've done both on many occasions)  If anyone has direct experience with this company, we'd love to hear about it in the comments box.

"Only real men can wear lace"

She's at it again! Follow the link to Father Longenecker's site to read the latest post from his alter-ego, Mantilla the Hon, on lace.

The lace in the alb is something precious and beautiful. Real lace takes women who I buy it from many, many hours to make. At my company, Veritas Vestments, we put it in the albs and surplices not to adorn the priest, but to adorn the priesthood. Padre is doing something at the altar which is precious and rare and beautiful and good. The lace reminds us of this.

Today's Word

The recent post at NLM on the Watts Book of English Church Embroidery is interesting enough, but stay on their site a little longer and drool over the amazing fabrics and vestments. Even the banners are impressive!

And as long as we have such a perfect visual aide, let's move into today's word:

Cope
The vestment worn by clergy at Benediction, processions, and solemn celebrations of the Liturgy of the Hours. A cope is a floor length garment and is fastened around the neck by a clasp. A hood shaped like a shield is usually on the back of the cope.

Long and short stitch lessons online

Needlenthread.com has been running a series of lessons for working a long-and-short stitch sampler in DMC floss. Why might this be of particular interest to Church Ladies? Despite the prosaic name (it's also known as needlepainting), long-and-short stitch is the basic technique used to produce, for example:

(Source)

(Source)

and, in a more modern example, parts of this:

(Source)

Have a look, and make sure to click on the source links for more pictures!

Excellent use of a cope

CLOCHE tip: Rebecca Teti

St Teresa of Avila

St Teresa's doctoral hat, bestowed by Pope Paul VI in 1970








Vestments embroidered by
St Teresa of Avila






Christ has no body on earth but ours,
no hands but ours, no feet but ours.
Ours are the eyes through which
the compassion of Christ looks out upon the world,
ours are the feet with which he goes about doing good,
ours are the hands with which he blesses his people.
[St Teresa of Avila]

image source: St Teresa of Avila: A Spiritual Journey

Dress the part

[Ghent Altarpiece]

But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen."
[Gospel, Sunday October 12]

Father explained the today's Gospel parable using the symbolism of the white robe of baptism as the initial entrance to the wedding feast and the wedding garment as the mark of a Christian life filled of good deeds and embraced crosses giving one an invitation to the heaven, the wedding feast of the Lamb. It's also a good opportunity to revisit the importance of what people- both laity and clergy- wear to Mass.

To demonstrate the importance of Sunday, the Lord's Day, the laity should dress as nicely as possible for Mass to show our respect for God. One could even consider adopting the European custom of Sunday clothes. Maria Trapp notes "When we put on [our Sunday clothes], we invariably feel some of the Sunday spirit come over us."

In each piece of vestiture, the priest more fully puts on Christ. The traditional prayers for vesting follow.

While putting on the amice, which he first puts on his head, and then over his shoulders:
'Place upon me, O Lord, the helmet of salvation, that I may overcome the assaults of the devil.'

At the alb:
Purify me, Lord, and cleanse my heart so that, washed in the Blood of the Lamb, I may enjoy eternal bliss.

At the cincture:
Gird me, O Lord, with the girdle of purity, and extinguish in me all evil desires, that the virtue of chastity may abide in me.

At the maniple: Grant, O Lord, that I may so bear the maniple of weeping and sorrow, that I may receive the reward for my labors with rejoicing.

At the stole:
Restore unto me, O Lord, the stole of immortality, which was lost through the guilt of our first parents: and, although I am unworthy to approach Your sacred Mysteries, nevertheless grant unto me eternal joy.

At the chasuble:
O Lord, Who said: My yoke is easy and My burden light: grant that I may bear it well and follow after You with thanksgiving. Amen.

[image source: Catholic Child's Picture Dictionary]