June 21, 2003

Homemade Vestments

I frequently serve in the altar at our church. I don't do a very good job, but I suppose two extra fumbling hands are better than none. I have been using a server's vestment that was originally intended to fit our priest's young son. The first time I put it on, it was clear that it wasn't exactly my size. Due to those fairly predicatable growth spurts over the past couple of years, it isn't exactly Samuel's size either. He is as tall as I am now, though not nearly as big around the middle.

Our community priced the purchase of a new one at about £200. This seemed like a awful lot of money for a rather simple garment. Mrs Holford realised that with her burgeoning skills at the sewing machine, she might be able to do the same thing just a bit cheaper. She looked for days trying to find a pattern on the Internet. All she found were people selling vestments. At the prices they were charging, it was clear they wouldn't want the patterns to go public. She finally found what appears to be the only pattern book on the market.

She has just taken my measurements for a mock-up garment. Having never done this before, it is better to have a trial run with 99p/metre fabric before shelling out many times that for the shiny stuff. If this goes well, she is considering developing a subsidiary Holford Country Crafts. Any suggestions for a name?

Posted by david at June 21, 2003 08:17 PM
Comments

Hello! I, too, have been searching in vain for liturgical vestment patterns of the web...would your Mrs. Holford consider sharing with me the title of that precious pattern book she found? I would appreciate it more than I could say... :^)

Tammy Hearn
[email protected]
Cleveland, OH USA

Posted by: Tammy at October 22, 2003 04:12 AM

I too, would most humbly appreciate any resources to construct vestments. The only pattern i have found for priests is Butterick 6844 which is a roman-style cassock. Actually it is similar to the outfit worn by Neo in "The Matrix" movie.
Also there is a CD available containing the complete 1939 book "Church Embroidery and Vestment Construction" available at http://holyneedle.com/church_embroidery_vestments_e_book.html

If you would be so kind as to pass on any assistance in the way of practical construction tips or resources for church embroidery/patterns I would be most grateful O:)

Posted by: Celeste at November 4, 2003 12:54 PM

I have tried to respond by e-mail to both of these people. Both e-mail have been returned as invalidly addressed.

For the information of anyone else who might come across this post, the book my wife found was Making Byzantine Vestments by Ronald Golini and published by Light and Life Publishing. It costs $14.95 -- which seems like a lot for a tiny paperback almost pamphlet, but it includes the patterns.

I think you can link directly to it at http://www.light-n-life.com/shopping/order_product.asp?ProductNum=MAKI1
10 but if that doesn't work for some reason just go the the home page http://www.light-n-life.com/ putting "vestments" in the search box.

Posted by: David Holford at November 5, 2003 05:40 PM

I just graduated from seminary and am in need of vestments. I would very much like to know the pattern you found. I can;t afford to spend the un real amounts of money for these clothing items. Thanks.

Posted by: Marc Dobson at February 2, 2004 03:35 AM

I just graduated from seminary and am in need of vestments. I would very much like to know the pattern you found. I can;t afford to spend the un real amounts of money for these clothing items. Thanks.

Posted by: Marc Dobson at February 2, 2004 03:35 AM

Simplicity patterns used to have #7950 which consisted of a chasuble,stole, bookemark, antependia and instructions for altar cloths.
e-mail [email protected] and see if they still have it

Posted by: Carol at July 14, 2004 03:16 AM