Sewing Church Linens (Revised): Convent Hemming and Simple Embroidery - Softcover

Morgan, Elizabeth

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0819218413 ISBN 13: 9780819218414

Verlag: Morehouse Publishing, 1999

Inhaltsangabe

This classic book on sewing linens for the church explains the materials and equipment needed, a variety of hemming options, special instructions on the small linens such as purificators and palls, working with fair linens, white work embroidery, and caring for church linens. New to this edition are directions for rolled hems, chalice veils, more specific directions and an improved worksheet for planning shrinkage, special advice specifically for beginners, an updated “Sources and Resources” section, and new patterns.

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Elizabeth Morgan has been an altar guild member since 1972. She was the diocesan altar guild directress for the Episcopal Diocese of Albany from 1987 to 1997. She lives in Queensbury, New York, and continues to consult with churches of various denominations around the country.

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Sewing Church Linens

Convent Hemming and Simple Embroidery

By Elizabeth Morgan

Church Publishing Incorporated

Copyright © 1999 Elizabeth Morgan
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-8192-1841-4

Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction to the Second Edition—1999
Introduction to the First Edition—1992
Linen: A Tradition
The Holy Linens
Materials and Equipment
Preparing the Linen for Cutting
Hems: Convent, Flat, and Rolled
The Flat Hem
The Convent Hem
The Rolled Hem
Folding the Hem
Stitching the Hem
Setting the Corners
Constructing the Small Linens
Fair Linens
Ecclesiastical White-Work Embroidery
Church Linens: Washing—Ironing—Folding
Conclusion
Sources and Resources

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Linen: A Tradition

Why linen? Why not use some of the new, easy care, "miracle" fabrics for ourfair linens, purificators, palls, and corporals? Is there a reason to use linen?

A reason, yes. A rule or requirement, no.

The reason is simple: our desire to use the finest, most beautiful materialsavailable at God's altar. Beauty is not necessary. Beauty is not always evenefficient. When we prepare God's altar, we are beyond the category of necessaryand efficient. We do all for the utter joy of serving our Lord.

We are in error when we call the man-made fabrics "miracle fabrics." The truemiracle fabrics were made by God Himself. They are wool, cotton, silk—andlinen. In recent years some parishes have turned to the easy care, man-madefabrics for use on the altar. They are finding that these fabrics stretch out ofshape, are not absorbent, hold stains and, oddly, hold wrinkles, too. The lowercost of these fabrics is proving to be money ill spent.

Linen is a joy to use and to behold. Linen launders superbly. Few things cancompare with a beautifully laundered and ironed fair linen. Always rinse theholy linens before laundering. It is traditional to pour this first rinse waterdown the piscina or onto the ground. A moment's reflection on the fact thatthese wine stains are the precious Blood of Jesus will speak to the reason.

Can we use materials other than linen on the altar? We can, as the rubric onpage 406 of our Book of Common Prayer states, "... a clean white cloth."

Scripture says, "Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth"(Matthew 27:59; see also John 19:40, Luke 23:53, Mark 15:46). Our Lord's bodywas wrapped in linen before it was placed in the sepulcher and all our holylinens remind us of this when we use them. Linen is the traditional fabric usedat the altar. It is beautiful and its history is deep in the Scriptures. Let usgive God's altar the best, the finest in whatever is used on it and in theloving service that we render our Precious Savior.

Adapted from an article by Marty Thompson of St. Patrick's Church inAtlanta, which came to me by way of Florence Joseph, who has served as adirectress also.

CHAPTER 2

The Holy Linens

I am a Christian of the Episcopal denomination, which means, in the context ofthis book, that I will be writing about the linens used in the Episcopalchurches. Other denominations have different linens and give them differentnames: Methodists call our fair linen a communion cloth, Roman Catholics shapetheir purificators differently and call the equivalent of our altar guilds,rosary societies. Whatever the size, shape, or name, the techniques used inconstructing these linens remain the same.

The church linens are not in themselves holy. They are holy by virtue of thepurpose they serve. The holy linens are those that come in contact with theconsecrated elements—the Body and Blood of our Savior, Jesus, who is theChrist.

Many books and pamphlets give standard sizes for the linens. I don't think wecan establish standard sizes. Corporals, purifications, and chalice veils shouldbe sized according to the size of the altar and chalice. Some priests preferlarger lavabo towels than others. These decisions can be based upon the needsand tastes of your own church. I would suggest, however, that you make adecision and stick with it. Many sacristies are plagued by "mystery linens."Mystery linens are the ones that appear this week as purificators and next weekas corporals because their size and/or embroidery is ambiguous.

The purificator is used to wipe the edge of the chalice as theconsecrated wine is being administered. Roman Catholic purificators arerectangular. In Episcopal churches the purificator is square and is folded inthirds twice.

The lavabo towel is used to dry the hands of the priest prior tothe consecration of the elements. The lavabo towel is rectangular and sometimesserves double duty as a baptismal towel. It is folded in thirds and then inhalf.

The corporal is placed underneath the vessels containing thehost and wine during consecration. Its purpose is to catch and contain any bitsof the host so that they may be disposed of properly. (This is done by emptyingthem into the piscina or by taking the corporal out of doors and shaking thecrumbs on the ground.)

The folding of corporals is an issue. I cannot tell you how often I have beenasked by clergy to teach the altar guild how to fold corporals properly. It mayappear fussy, but folding the corporal properly is important.

When our clergy celebrate communion, they not only prepare for us the holyfeast, they are also in prayer. We must do all we can to support them duringthis time. A corporal that must be adjusted because it is upside down or wrongside up is not merely ungraceful and an inconvenience, it is disruptive to theworship of the priest. I have given a simple method for folding corporals in thechapter on Washing, Ironing, and Folding. It will be appreciated by every deaconand priest.

The chalice veil is a post-communion cover for the chalice usedin place of burse and veil. Following the ablutions, the purificator is placedin (or on) the chalice, the paten (if used) is placed on top, and the pall islaid on top of the paten. The chalice veil then is laid over the top.

Although the use of a post-communion chalice veil is a time-honored tradition,we haven't seen much of it in recent years because it was supplanted by the useof burse and veil.

The burse and veil are processional vestments. They form a portable package inwhich the eucharistic vessels and elements can be brought to the altar inprocession. As it becomes less common to process the vessels and elements,parishes are returning to the use of chalice veils.

I am not aware of any formal traditions attached to the use of the chalice veil.For instance: is it used only to cover vessels left on the altar, or may it beused to cover vessels placed on the credence table? As neither Leviticus norDeuteronomy speaks to this question, the answer must be "whatever is reasonableand proper." My own sense would be that a chalice veil may be used to covervessels when they are left on the altar but not when they are removed from thealtar to the credence...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Morehouse Publishing
• Erscheinungsdatum: 1999
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0819218413
• ISBN 13: 9780819218414
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 72
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar