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One of my first big undertakings in the sacristy was to restore some old alb laces found in a suitcase in the top of a closet. The strips were tiny brown balls and looked nothing like lace. After gently unraveling the dirty bundles, the bobbin lace revealed itself in all its splendor. Old laces may never again be truly white-white, but you can come pretty close with some tender loving care and patience.
Most of the best 19th century bobbin lace came from Brussels, Venice, or England. Some convents began lace schools to teach young women a trade. Bobbin lace is worked on a cushion with fine linen or cotton thread, pins and spindle-like bobbins. Hand-made lace is highly collectible and valuable. Eventually machine-made laces proved cheaper and faster to make, but did not have the gossamer delicacy and airy-ness of handmade.
I first called Katy Kliot at LACIS in Berkely, California (see our links) who suggested using BIZ to clean and brighten the laces. I found that soaking the laces, and changing the water as it became soiled, loosened up most of the dirt and dust. Laces must be handled gently while washing so as not to break the “brides”- or the thin connecting threads which hold together the motifs. Sometimes I slipped a spatula under the laces to turn them. Never wring or twist lace, or lift it up while it is saturated- the weight of the water will snap the threads. This takes patience. When the Biz has been added to warm water, agitate the detergent to a froth with your hands , then lay in the lace for the soakings. I like to use a plastic dish pan for this process. When the rinsing phase is through, lay the lace on a clean white terry towel and gently pat the lace in an up and down motion which will absorb a great deal of the water. Gently press the lace out with your hand on the towel, smoothing the motifs into place. I then place the towel on my picnic table out in the sun where the brightening rays will do wonders for whitening the lace. When completely dry, store in acid -free tissue, as flat as space permits.
Insertion laces are easy to spot, the edges will be perfectly straight on both sides. Alb and surplice hem or sleeve laces usually have one straight edge and one scalloped or irregular patterned edge. Insertion lace was applied to hems of surplices or albs, then the back cloth was cut away to reveal the lace in front. Generally priests, bishops, Masters of Ceremony, and older altar servers wear the insertion style laces, very young servers have hanging lace on their cottas at the hem.
In the photo above I am getting the procession ready. Young Lucas has a stubborn cowlick that won’t lay down! Do you have an Acolyte Matron to assist before services? If there is a large acolyte guild, one or two people dedicated to keeping the vestments tidy and assisting with young members can be a godsend- and a lot of fun. Youngsters often need prompting to wash hands, comb hair, stand up straight, be quiet, and be ready on time. The position of Acolyte Matron is seen often in England for servers and young choirs.
Clergy always appreciates clean, laid-out vestments, ready to put on with no worries. Lace is making a comeback in the new vestment catalogues. Mostly it is detachable and synthetic on albs and easy to launder. In the good old days, nuns loosely stitched lace on so it could be removed for laundering. Now we have snaps and Velcro! All photos above are from Saint John the Evangelist in Newport, December 2000.
Yes- that is Father Douglas Burger from Woonsocket in the photo above, serving at Midnight Mass as Deacon in his dalmatic.
Thanks to Greg and the Liturgical Arts Committee of Nativity of the Lord Church in Cudahy, Wisconsin for these photos. Wow- one of the prettiest pew end designs I have ever seen!. Greg writes, “We have a tradition that parishioners buy flower memorials for their beloved souls on Easter and that helps defray the cost of decorations and flowers. This year we have pastel birds among the flowers, forsythia branches and trees as memorials”.
Thanks so much Greg- lovely! – Now come on, Rhode Island- show me YOUR Paschal candles and Easter decorating photos!
Some altar guilds in the state have ordered small linens from the Sisters of St. Margaret in Haiti. The convent motherhouse is in Massachusetts with a special mission in Haiti which has helped the local neighborhood by teaching sewing skills. Sister Adele was usually the contact for ordering the small linens, all beautifully hemmed and embroidered. The letter below from our bishop gives an update on their situation there.
Dear Friends,
We have all heard the devastating news from Haiti, and I’m sure that you prayed for the people of the country and the Diocese of Haiti. I have just (11AM) received news that St. Margaret’s convent, school, and orphanage have been destroyed, along with the Cathedral and Bishop’s residence. There is no word about the three sisters stationed there, the children at the orphanage, or the bishop and his family. If any of you receive word, please contact me as soon as possible.
Some of you have asked about donations. I have just received an SOS from Episcopal Relief and Development, and from the Society of St. Margaret. In the name of the diocese I will forward immediately, $3,000 to ERD and $2,000 to the sisters. Further contributions can be made to these entities, earmarked for Haiti. Funds sent to the Diocese, earmarked for Haiti or ERD, will be sent to ERD, as soon as possible. Please see below for information on how to make a donation.
Please keep me in your prayers as well, for one of the sisters in Haiti is a very close friend of mine.
In Christ,
+Gerry Wolf
Society of St. Margaret
17 Highland Park Street
Boston, MA 02119-7120
http://www.ssmbos.com/Pages/Haiti.html
Episcopal Relief and Development
P.O. Box 7058
Merrifield,VA 22116-7058
How to Iron Clothes : Ironing with Aluminum Foil
Well- here’s something I just learned about today. Shall we try it? Let me know how it worked for you!
We’ve had some mail today regarding the beautiful textile cards from the Elizabeth Hoare Liverpool Cathedral Embroidery Gallery. These cards, in packets of 8 assorted can be ordered from the Cathedral Giftshop by using a credit card -shipping will be added. If you happen to find yourself in London, Watts on Tufton St. also sells the cards. Here is a sample of one. All cards are blank inside.
http://www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk/store/category/Elizabeth%20Hoare%20Embroidery.aspx
A few years ago I happened upon a great series of little books about decorative arts in the Church, textiles and church architecture which was printed by A.R. Mowbray and Co. of London in a series spanning the first decade of the 1900′s. “The authors will write for the average intelligent person who has not had the time to study all these matters, and they will therefore avoid technicalities, while endeavoring at the same time to present the facts with a fidelity which will not, it is hoped, be unacceptable to the specialist.”- as the Editor’s note proclaims at the beginning of each slim volume.
I am not certain exactly how many volumes there are in the series as I possess only four to date, but here is one of the later editions with a list. You will note the estimable Rev. Percy Dearmer, author of The Ornaments of the Ministers (a must-have history of vestments for sacristies) and The Parson’s Handbook, has forewords and contributions in many of these little books. For everything about The Rev. Percy Dearmer visit this Project Canterbury link http://anglicanhistory.org/dearmer/index.html You may read the entire Parson’s Handbook (full of great information) free at
http://anglicanhistory.org/dearmer/handbook/1899/index1899.html
Ornaments of the Ministers with all of its amazing vintage vestment photographs can be copied and viewed using several formats here http://www.archive.org/details/MN40293ucmf_4
If you know of any other volumes in this series, I would be delighted to know of them. My particular favorite is Church Embroidery by Alice Dryden which was published in 1911. The great period of Church embroidery was from the twelfth to the middle of the fourteenth century (opus anglicanum) and this little book offers many plates and photos of extant pieces of ecclesiastical embroidery of this period. Method and execution are also included with a particularly excellent chapter on couching and stitches.
These little books may be found on ebay, A Libris, Bibliofind, and other out of print online dealers in the 30-50 dollar range. I have had the most success in finding them in England. Well worth the investment!!
The exquisite piece of linen thread bobbin lace to the left was created by hand sometime around 1690-1700 and might be called Baroque- even Rococo. This is a monstrance or benediction veil. What’s the difference between a monstrance and an ostensorium? Not much. Monstrance comes from the verb monstrare, “to show clearly”. You can see the word monstrance in the English word “demonstrate“.
Ostendere also means “to show” and the word as applied to the vessel used for exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is interchangeable with monstrance. A popular form this 
sacred vessel takes is a solar burst at the top of a vertical upright support, with many rays emanating from the central point, the place which contains the round luna, or lunette. This is a double glass or crystal lens set in a cylinder which contains a large priest host which has been consecrated. The lunette is easily removable, and usually each monstrance must have its luna custom-fitted. Monstrances and ostensoria (plural form) are made of the most precious materials affordable, and nearly always at the least gold-plated or sterling silver. Precious or semi-precious jewels are sometimes seen embedded around the lunette or in the base. When not in use, the lunette with the wafer inside may repose in a standing pyx inside the tabernacle. As the monstrance is waiting on the credence table or sacristy prior to the service, it must be covered with a white veil. Silk or handmade lace is preferred. It should completely cover the monstrance all around. 
The lace veil pictured above is 24 x 28 inches although each monstrance will 
have its own height measurements. Monstrances are sometimes constructed to look like miniature cathedrals, with Gothic spires and saints, or as a cross.
A corporal is generally spread on the center of the altar fair linen to receive the monstrance. I have seen some really beautiful benediction corporals in the state of Rhode Island. The white work with Eucharistic embroidery is worked on the finest batiste or fine linen. The corporal is of a generous size, and the burse used to carry it to the altar is sometimes slightly larger than the usual burse, and is always white, or white and gold. The monstrance will be handled with the humeral veil, once the Sacrament has been placed inside. Pockets are often provided at each end of the humeral veil for the hands to slip in. Several churches in the diocese have services of Benediction and observe Corpus Christi with a procession using the monstrance and baldicchino or canopy.
Candlemas, on February 2nd will fall on a Monday this year and in some churches it will include a blessing of the year’s supply of candles. Also called the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, the day celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, it is one of the twelve Great Feasts, and is sometimes called Hypapante (lit., ‘Meeting’). Other traditional names include the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, and the Meeting of the Lord. In many Western liturgical churches, Vespers (or Compline) on the Feast of the Presentation marks the end of the Epiphany season. In the Church of England, the Presentation of Christ in the Temple is a Principal Feast celebrated either on 2 February or on the Sunday between 28 January and 3 February. Candles to be blessed are covered with a white cloth. The priest will wear a purple stole for the blessing of the candles with holy water and prayers. Altar hangings and vestments for this day should be white.
A prayer for Candlemas Morning
All-powerful Father,
Christ your Son became man for us
and was presented in the temple.
May he free our hearts from sin
and bring us into your presence.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.
Christian Prayer, commonly said at Candlemas
Canticle of Simeon (Nunc Dimittis)
English (Book of Common Prayer, 1662)
1 Arnold Place Route 2
Exeter, Rhode Island 02822 (United States)
Phone: (401) 294-2044
I have always had great service and wonderfully fresh greens and plants from this nursery in Exeter. Please ask for Claire when you call and mention you are ordering for a church. Have your tax exempt number ready. I highly recommend delivery service- it costs a little but the plants will arrive perfectly sleeved and in good condition and your delivery person will see to unloading the truck and carrying in the pots for you. If you wish dark green foil “cups” on all of your pots, please specify at the time of ordering. There is a charge for this per unit. Here is the price list for 2008 holiday plants. They also have cyclamens, orchids, mums, and other types of potted plants.
Amaryllis bulbs- a nice alternative to poinsettias-plant early!
Unbelievably, it seems, Christmas Eve is only 4 weeks away. The annual appeal for Christmas flower and greens should now be appearing in Sunday bulletins, church December newsletters, and web sites. Over the next week, this site will be entirely devoted to ideas, photos, and tips for decorating the church for Christmas and Epiphanytide. This Sunday, the Advent wreath will make its appearance as we head into a new church year, Lectionary Year B. Some churches display plain green wreaths on their front doors or wreaths with purple bows. This is also the time to check supplies for the very busy weeks to come.
1. Take inventory of wine and bread or wafer supplies and order now if supplies are low.
2. Make sure the white and red sets of vestments and paraments are in good order and ready for use.
3. Check last year’s budget for flowers and decorations, and make sure this year’s dedication forms and envelopes are easily accessible in the narthex, weekly bulletins, guild hall. etc. Give a deadline for returns.
4. Don’t wait until the last minute to polish brass and silver.
5. Make a rota of who will be around over the holidays to water and maintain flowers and plants.
6. Catch up on any mending and ironing of fair linens and small linens so the drawers are full.
7. Be sure to have a sacristy “wishlist” with several needed items at the ready. Christmas is often a time in which benefactors wish to donate an item for church use such as a vessel or vestment, linens or brassware.
8. Purchase topsoil and any bulb plants which will be used for Christmas decorating. Pot soon for blooming Christmas week. Flowers of the Holy Land include bulb plants such as crocus, amaryllis, lilies, as well as aloes, hibiscus, roses, Stars of Bethlehem, cypress, cedar, and olive greenery.
White cyclamen in miniature or large- sized blooms makes a great long-lasting potted plant. It also comes in red, pink, and red-orange. These make great plants to take to shut-ins after Christmas. Paperwhite bulbs are another fragrant addition which may be started now in pots.
Recently St. Augustine’s Church in Kingston ordered a new red chasuble and stole, a memorial gift designed by Adam Kochlin studios, and I was delighted to learn of another contemporary vestment designer. Adam Kochlin has studios in Canada, New Jersey and England, and a catalogue featuring vestments, paraments and banners may be obtained through the website. http://www.adamkochlindesigns.com/
Orders for catalogue items are sent to Sussex, New Jersey.
The designs are very original and feature multi-colored pieced work in beautiful Dupioni silks in colors of stained glass windows. The photograph to the left is featured on the current catalogue (volume 35). This particular chasuble is called “Jerusalem”. The chasubles are light-weight and sumptuous, with a great cut and originality of style and line. Visit the website to see more examples.
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