Veiling does not hide or diminish, rather it reveals the dignity and honor that is due to what, or Who, lies beneath the veil. In scripture we find many examples of God's veiled presence among us. The Church carries this tradition forward to reveal to the faithful that He is fully present — Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity — in the Eucharist. The sacred vessels (ciboria), which hold our Eucharistic Lord within the tabernacle, are adorned with the finest available materials and

An amice is a vital part of the Armor of God (Eph. 6.). Though it is a simple piece of white cloth it represents the Helmet of Salvation; and, like any helmet when engaging in battle, it is essential in the spiritual battle a priest must face when approaching the altar to say Holy Mass. It is made (preferably) with linen and has long strands of solid weave cotton tape attached at the top two corners. It is worn across a priest's shoulders and around his neck with the purpose

I recently had the privilege of making a Vesperale for the Newry Cathedral in Northern Ireland. The sacristan, Dalton, contacted me wondering if I could help them replace their original Vesperale. He told me that "the original was most likely made between 1890 - 1925; either when the high altar was installed, or for the consecration when most items in use were got. [The original Vesperale] unfortunately met its end in the sacristy fire of 1959 and [they] wanted to replicate

Every sacristan understands the immense value of this sentiment, especially when it comes to cleaning and preserving vestments. I imagine it was a rather prudent sacristan who invented stole and chasuble protectors. Such a small thing that makes their job so much easier. Attached to vestments with large basting stitches for ease of removal and cleaning these small pieces of linen have a big task in preserving material and preventing damage. It’s no secret how warm a priest ca

We have a top secret restoration project that has been in the works for months. We are looking forward to sharing it with you but, in the meantime, we are making a mess. Like any other art form fiber arts have a learning curve and this project has a particularly steep one as it involves complicated mechanics and fine details that need to be perfectly aligned for it to work properly. I do not say all of this as a tease but to remind myself, and whoever else cares to hear it, o

I am a purger by nature and prefer a clean workspace free of clutter. This could be a problem when a project is particularly messy and ongoing. But, for me, this is balanced out with a good sense of thriftiness and efficiency. All combined it makes for a reasonable discernment process when salvaging and saving materials then applying them to the right piece. Over the years I have seen what seems like useless scraps become the perfect fit for restoring a piece, particularly wh

Every once in a while (probably not nearly enough) I get to make a project just for fun. Not usually anything too big or fancy...until now. I am going to launch some new products and I wanted to make some embroidery samples to showcase some of the designs that will be available. But what designs to embroider? on which fabric? and with what thread? hmmmm....?? Well they say 'necessity is the mother of invention' so that is where I found the answers to my questions. Advent wa

When I receive a commission to restore vestments I enjoy hearing the story behind the piece. Sometimes it involves a dumpster dive, or just digging through drawers, or a dry cleaner (please never ever do this with antique vestments!), but sometimes it is a compelling story of patrimony and prayer that deserves deference. Much like living in an old house you get to enjoy the beauty of craftsmanship and participate in the living legacy of a home that has beautifully withstood