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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.
In reponse to today’s post on Adelaide’s white chasuble,
“What can you do if you already dry-cleaned the vestment? Is it ruined for life? Also my fabric is more of a brocade or satin type would you use the same procedure to clean it?” YOYA
satins (usually used for linings)
100% silk damask weave (read all about it )http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damask
Brocade (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brocade)
Good question. Yes, it is entirely possible to “set” a stain such as an oil-based neckline stain by having the vestment dry-cleaned. We are blessed in this state to have expert restoration and cleaning services by people trained in conservation at the University of Rhode Island. I call for advice if I am stumped. If you have the slightest doubt- check with someone who KNOWS what to do. It takes seconds to ruin a textile, maybe permanently. If your vestment is really in a bad state, the university (Quinn Hall, see the link on this site or click here http://www.uri.edu/hss/tmd/Test.htm) has experts who will be able to restore and refresh just about anything. I have seen the work done in the lab, and it is amazing what the right resource for your problem can do. If you ever stop by Saint Peter’s -by-the -Sea (and you should!), check out the fantastic vintage chasuble restored by U.R.I. which is in a showcase near the narthex. Amazing- you should have seen what they had to start with! You can call for an appointment to bring in your vestment for a consultation and estimate of cost for work which will restore or refresh the garment. In some cases, you may just have to live with some stains which may never entirely disappear. Others can be made much less visible. Another very helpful link to read is this one http://www.conservation-us.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewpage&pageid=634
Prevention is more than half the battle. Proper storage and practices which will reduce soiling and abrasion, insect infestation, proper ventilation, ideal humidity and temperature control, cleaning and handling procedures, etc. will go a long way toward extending the life of expensive vestments and antependia- and need not cost the earth to carry out in your little sacristy.
The way to attack stains before racing off to the dry cleaner is to know what your garment is composed of- this is KEY. There are problems and issues specific to various fiber types, animal proteins like wool or silk, plant fibers like linen or cotton and synthetics. It is also helpful to know the vestment house, and if possible, when the vestment was constructed which may give a clue about fiber content and where to go to start pinning down answers. If it is a memorial vestment, there may be a record of the donation in the office. If you have this information, a call to the vestment house which constructed your garment can often give you helpful hints on the fiber you are dealing with and how best to clean it. Try to keep the neckline tags inside the vestment or parament hem on the textile. Frontals often have dates embroidered on the lining if the set was a memorial. Of course we ALL have things in our closets which have lost all of this valuable information, and we are CLUELESS what the fiber content is. Altar guild secretaries, or sacristans might consider keeping this sort of information documented when new items are ordered, along with the inventory which ALL sacristies should have. Copies of invoices, packing lists, or correspondence when the vestment order is filled can be copied to keep in Altar Guild records. New members will be coming to the guild in the future and any information on sacristy contents, textile or metalware or other material can be vitally important.
You need to know if you have an oil or water-based stain, or a combination of both. Wet-cleaning has its hazards- watermarks, or “tide” marks may be left when using water or detergent solutions.
Finally, vestments usually have more than one type of fiber involved in one garment, maybe a satin lining under silk damask, maybe rayon, cotton, “polyester, vicose, or blends. Trims are loaded with metallic threads, silk embroidery. etc. I would certainly seek out a reputable dry cleaner for silk, silk damask, and satins if the vestment is heavily soiled, or a conservation resource such as found at the university or a museum. Wet-cleaning is not for amateurs and it can weaken some fibers (as I have sadly learned over the years- yes, I have ruined a few things on the way to gaining knowledge!) 
If you would like to send some photos of your damask chasuble, it would be very valuable to see the stains and the vestment.
Thanks for the photos, Adelaide. (scroll down to see the photo slideshow) I am glad to see the hanger is not one of the wire variety. You might consider padding the ends of the hanger with a little foam or batting to ease the stress on the shoulders. Wow- the neckline IS grime-y! Hard to believe that chasuble ever saw the front door of a professional dry cleaners. First, let’s look at those reddish spots. They appear to be rust. Your fabric looks like a light wool in a twill-like weave. I think we will have to attempt spot cleaning on this chasuble. You will need a Q-tip and a bottle of WINK rust remover. First, apply WINK to the Q-tip and test a drop on the inside hem of the chasuble to see if any discoloration occurs. Then with cold water, blot out all traces of the WINK with a white cotton rag (Carbona is another brand of rust dissolver). Now check in a few minutes and see if there is any discoloration. Then proceed to try the WINK on one of those red rust spots. The red should come out very quickly. Apply the cold water once the red is gone and blot out the WINK residue. Blot with a white terry towel to dry . This will be a bit time consuming but worth it. Work “small” with as little product as possible for spot cleaning. Hence the Q-tip!
The grime around the neckline is unbelievable! Oh if we could only convince our beloved clergy to wear an amice again! It costs about 30 dollars for a cotton amice which you can wash in a machine- and $800-$1200 PLUS to buy a new chasuble! Here is what I would try first. Line the neckline with a fluffy white cotton terry towel so it fits all around inside the neck opening. Grime around the collar is oil- based, human sebum attracting and holding the dust and dirt. Summer is the time perspiration and body oils are even worse. *Note to amice-less clergy – wash your necks with soap and water with special care! Get a close shave on the beard under the chin, and make-up and perfumes are not kind to chasubles. So we approach this as an oil-based stain. Read more about oil-based stains here http://www.si.edu/mci/english/learn_more/taking_care/stains.html
This will take plenty of patience and multiple applications in most cases. Let’s start with a couple inches of the grime first. Take one cup of luke-warm water and add two DROPS of “ALL free and clear detergent”. ALL free and clear has no dyes and perfumes and is an excellent detergent to always have on hand. Do not use a sponge. A linen or cotton cloth (white) is the tool to use to apply the detergent. Blot on the detergent/water solution. Blot in one direction, don’t rub back and forth, this will cause abrasion to the threads. You may need to do this procedure several times to get the grime out. Be sure to rinse in clear water to finish and remove all the detergent. Blot up excess water with a clean white towel, patting dry. Let’s try this first and if you do not get the desired result, we will go on to more drastic measures! Keep us posted.
At our church ‘Saint Paul the Apostle’, we have a beautiful chasuble which has not been cleaned for a very long time. How do I go about cleaning it? Someone has tried dry-cleaning, and the chasuble looked like it had not been touched. I dare not put it in the washing machine or use ordinary powder / liquid to clean it. Would you please advise me? I have been reading your very interesting info re: church silver and wine stains: all very helpful.
Thank you very much.
Yours faithfully,
Adelaide Pettett
Dear Adelaide, Thanks for your email. Yes, most altar guild members can share a similar story. Dry cleaning is frequently NOT the answer. Before answering, there are a few things I need to know: 1. What is the fabric (synthetic, nylon, rayon, damask, cotton, blend, silk damask, etc.) 2. Can you estimate how old the vestment is, that often gives a clue. 3. Are there spots like rust or grimey stains around the neck? 4. Is the chasuble trimmed with any ornate or metallic threads worked in the gallooning or vesica? 5. Is there lace or any applied or appliqued trim? 6. How is the vestment usually stored? (flat in a drawer, on a hanger, in a closet, etc.). 7. What is the primary liturgical color? Is it possible you can send us a photo?
A careful vacuuming of a textile is the FIRST STEP in removing dirt. This is done with gentle suction. You can stretch the toe from panty-hose over the nozzle of any vacuum to make it slide smoothly and break strong suction. This takes patience and always vacuum in one direction so as not to catch and break any threads. Usually this does wonders to restore a textile. Dust and grime are by far the most common enemies. I always cover a vestment layout on a counter with a clean white cotton dust cover. Dry cleaners use chemicals- and chemicals must be used with great care and knowledge. Wet-cleaning (washing with water and detergent) can ruin your vestment and is seldom recommended unless you know the fiber content without a doubt. Cottons and linens can stand up to wet-cleaning. Silk can be tricky. You must also know if dyed fabrics are colorfast. Dyed trims can “run” into the ground fabric. I saw the MOST exquisite cope at Wallsingham Shrine in England which had been worn in procession on a rainy day. The ground fabric was creamy white and it was heavily embroidered. The cope was ruined when the embroidery work got soaked and the bright dyes “bled” into the fabric. The nuns were desolate!
Tell us more about your chasuble so I can steer you in the right direction. It is so important to air and rotate vestments regularly, change the folds if they must be folded, and never to store long term in those plastic hanging bags.
Of all the symbols of Easter, perhaps none is so familiar as the Agnus Dei. We see it in woven damask for frontals and vestments, on banners and even on special small linen sets for the altar. It must be crowned with a three-rayed nimbus or halo, signifying that it is a symbol of divinity and is featured with the white ground, red cross Banner of Victory.
The LAMB is the symbol associated with Jesus. He is often referred to in the Bible as the “Lamb of God” (Revelation 5:6-14). John the Baptist described Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The Passover lamb (Exodus 12:1-11) has been interpreted by Christians as foreshadowing Jesus’ sacrificial death (1 Corinthians 5:7).
Although the white lily is most often connected to the Mother of God, and is a symbol for purity and innocence, the EASTER LILY, which blooms in the spring close to Easter time has become a popular symbol. Because they are shaped like trumpets, lilies are symbols of immortality (1 Corinthians 15:52). Lilies are seen as pot decoration and cut for altar vases for Easter as well as motifs on church altar rail kneelers, stained glass windows, Easter bulletin decoration and Easter banners.
More rarely seen in decoration or textiles is the BUTTERFLY. It symbolizes the life cycle of Jesus and the Christian in the following order: the caterpillar stage represents natural earthly life; the cocoon represents death of the body; the butterfly emerging from the cocoon represents the resurrection. Another animal connected to the resurrection is the PHOENIX. Believed to have retained its immortality since, unlike the rest of the birds, it refused to eat from the forbidden tree in the garden of Eden.The phoenix lived for 500 years between rejuvenations. Every 500 years, it created a combination funeral pyre/nest for itself of spices and herbs, sat on it and set itself on fire. When the fire died down, an egg would be found among the ashes from which the phoenix which laid it would hatch. It has become a symbol of the resurrection.
Rarely seen in America as a symbol of the resurrection is the SWALLOW which flew around the cross chirping “Svale! Svale!” which is Scandinavian for “Cheer up! Cheer up!” Since this bird hibernates in the mud during the winter, his awakening in the spring is a symbol of the resurrection.
Another rare symbol is the WHALE for as Jesus said “For as Jonas was 3 days and 3 nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth” (Mt 12:40).
The HARE, or wild rabbit is a symbol of the moon. It became associated with Easter because the moon is used to determine the date of Easter. According to the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 21st. Have you ever seen this in church? It just might explain the “Easter Bunny” popularity in modern culture at Eastertide.
The PEACOCK Symbolizes immortality and the resurrection since its flesh was once believed to be incorruptible or immune to decay. The peacock damask below was found in a Rhode Island chasuble
The LION and EGG are other resurrection symbols. In the Bible, Jesus is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah. The genealogies of the New Testament point out that Jesus was a descendant of Judah from whom the eternal ruler was to come. The EGG shell can be seen as a nurturing, life giving tomb. The hatching chick represents Christ emerging from the tomb. The resurrection symbolism of the egg is enhanced by the legend of the phoenix.
Do you know of other symbols for the resurrection?
I have received quite a few requests for patterns for vestments. Simplicity used to have a good one for cassocks and cottas and surplices. If anyone here has suggestions, please drop a line to revdma@aol.com so we may post the resource. Beryl Dean has eucharistic vestment patterns in several of her books, but these I find must be enlarged and the directions are not easy to follow. Elizabeth Morgan has a few patterns on her site http://www.churchlinens.com/sewing_church_linens.htm
This site offers supplies and vestment-making seminars http://www.sewvestment.com/
Here are pre-cut vestment kits.
http://www.everything-vestment.com/
This response just in today: Thanks, Mary!
“Oh, one other recommendation–I’ve bought lots of simply stupendous trim at incredible prices from the vendor “Heritage Trading” on ebay (http://stores.ebay.com/Heritage-Trading). They ship direct from India–the craftmanship and the quality is just jaw droppingly stunning.”
Yes, when Church of the Advent in Boston refurbished a frontal, the trims from Turkey were amazing. India has spectacular metallic thread work in tassels, fringe and gallooning.
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A few emails have come in this week about decorating for Rose Sunday on the 13th. Rose refers to the color of the hangings and vestments, not the flower- although roses are beautiful, if somewhat expensive this time of year. I like the Advent wreath below, which for Rose Sunday has been embellished slightly with a touch of lavender caspia, purple statice and a few pink blossoms picked into the greens. The inexpensive small shrub roses would be ideal. Since the Rose Sunday decoration will be coming down when Sunday has ended, it is a good idea to have a simple, modest display against the greens some churches use throughout Advent.
A few simple pink roses in a vase of pristine water on the bulletin table at the back of church is a welcoming touch that announces this Sunday of Refreshment. If your church is very large, with a great altar and reredos, you might consider something on a larger scale, in proportion to the worship space which can be seen from the back of church. A custom which I kept at one of my former parishes was to use two very large stone altar urns filled with pink roses in several shades, lavender caspia, and salal greens, which at the end of the services would be dismantled and the roses going to the mothers of the parish or in bud vases to shut-ins or parishioners in the hospital .
Here is a formal altar arrangement of matched silver vases using the purple, blue and pink colors of Advent with pink gerbera daisies as the pink rounds focus, and purple stocks and delphiniums for the spikes. At this time of year, this would be an expensive flower choice. I am a big fan of carnations, which are a bargain just now, and are especially lovely when used as the sole flower in the arrangement, large single heads mixed with multi-headed miniature carnation stems, and silvery eucalyptus for greens and spikes.
Here is an arrangement I did of yellow roses which sets elevated behind a center tabernacle. Several bricks are used which are hidden behind to raise up the arrangement, and a long plastic green window box holds 4 bricks of Oasis foam inside. This arrangement uses 24 long stemmed, large-headed roses and could be very effective done in shades of pink roses for Rose Sunday.
Here is a simple loose asymmetrical arrangement using lilies and freesia (costly at this time of year). Local supermarkets do have some very pretty pink lilies just now, but it is more the shape than the flower type of interest here. This could be done just as nicely with small pink roses, a few larger pink roses, and the baby’s breath or some purple statice. This is one of a pair, with the opposite side reversed on the other side of the cross.
Throughout the coming weeks, do have someone from the altar guild designated to take photographs of your church decorations- how often do we wish we had done this when January rolls around? It is a practical record for future altar guilds and a treasure for the church archives. For those altar guilds having Christmas parties over the next two weeks, be sure to take a group photo and put the names and date on the back. An altar guild photo album will provide so many wonderful memories over the years. And please do send in photos of your Advent and Christmas decorations to share here! (Revdma@aol.com)
Recently we discussed the symbolism of the pelican as used in church art, textiles and architecture. Two other birds often seen in ecclesiastical usage are the phoenix and the peacock. The peacock is a symbol of immortality because it was once believed that the peacock’s flesh did not decay after death. Early Christian paintings and mosaics use peacock imagery. Peacock feathers are sometimes seen used as church decorations or in floral arrangements during the Easter season.
The peacock replaces his feathers annually; therefore the peacock is also a symbol of renewal. The early Christians praised the many “eyes” in its feathers as signs of the all-seeing God. The fabric swatch above showing a peacock motif is from a rose-violet cope from the 1950′s.
Early belief held that the Gates of Paradise are guarded by a pair of peacocks. Augustine refers to peacocks as a symbol of the resurrection.
In early Catholic art, literature and Catholic symbolism, the Phoenix is a 
symbol of Christ, representing his resurrection, immortality, and life-after-death. It has been an ancient and universal symbol of the sun and mystical rebirth in many cultures. The legendary red “fire bird” was believed to die in its self-made flames periodically (each hundred years, according to some sources) then rise again out of its own ashes. The phoenix is a popular motif for kneelers, as shown below in needlepoint.
We have a request for a Sacred Pelican embroidery motif. There are numerous transfers which I can send which would have to be applied by tracing on the cloth using transfer paper if you can do your own embroidery. St. Jude’s has a more contemporary machine embroidery banner in several sizes featuring the Pelican at http://www.stjudeshop.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/_/Pelican-on-a-Purple-Tapestry-/productID/2cc818b0-2394-4247-8d4d-c75c729bdfbe/categoryID/5e927507-614f-41e1-971c-83c94206561d/
The hunt is on for a new motif or a “recycled” on which has been removed from an old vestment. If you see one, let us know!
Well, it’s September 1st and we’re back online from a busy summer. In my mailbox this month was a request for small-sized cassocks for a children’s choir. Does anyone have some tucked away in sizes 6-14? Red is preferred but black will do. We also are looking for the little white cottas in the same sizes. Please drop me a line at Revdma@aol.com and I can arrange to pick up these items!
I am back from vacation! The weather has been so humid and muggy the past few weeks. Does your sacristy smell musty? So few churches are air-conditioned in New England and most sacristies are closed and airless during the week. This can be deadly in the summer months-but what can you do? If you do not have an air-conditioned sacristy, there are a few measures which can be taken to help prevent damage to vestments, mildew, and that musty odor.
Textiles like to be comfortable at about the same temperature human beings enjoy. Ideally, 50% humidity and 60 degrees farenheit is the dream climate for textiles- but highly unattainable unless you have a museum set-up. You can however, remove vestments from those big plastic storage zip-up bags. 
These have their own mini-environment which is not good in summer months for long-term storage. A de-humidifier is a cheap and effective device for removing moisture from the air. It’s a good idea to leave tight-fitting drawers and closet doors open so air can circulate. Simple standing fans placed at each end of the room can keep heavy air circulating, which is important. Recently I found at the Christmas Tree Shop, those dehydrating crystals which come in a small plastic tub. These absorb excess moisture in the air and can be placed in the closet. Although it is a strong temptation to open and leave open sacristy windows, street dust and pollutants and insects can enter and cause problems.
If you store wine in the sacristy, be aware that it may turn vinegary if stored where the temps rise high. There’s nothing worse than Taylor Tawny Port from under the sink in a hot sacristy! What a terrible “bouquet” and flavor! Keep your wines cool, even if it means storing them elsewhere in the church during the summer months. Pita, and other types of made bread for the altar will mold very fast. It is best to keep these refrigerated during the week and remove just before use. Even wafers become gummy and softened. You may try keeping wafers dry and crisp in a tight plastic container in the refrigerator instead of in a sacristy cabinet.
Finally, do remove all flowers and foliage from the sacristy trash can. Left for even a couple of days, the smell of rotting cellulose is very unpleasant, and becomes a source for mold and mildew. If flowers are left on the altar from Sunday, the water will need to be changed frequently during the week as bacteria grows fast inside the vases and the smell is horrific- something that must not be countenanced for altar flowers! Summer is a challenging time to keep things fresh and odor-free. The good news is that September is coming soon!
These days the clasp or closure for contemporary copes are usually tabs of stiffened cloth which feature a hook and eyelet arrangement, but in years gone by, the metal, sometimes jewelled ornaments of closure sewed to each side of a cope were pretty impressive and featured chains which connected the two side motifs. In existing vestments from the 20th century, inexpensive round or hexagonal disks are sewn on each side, and closed by means of a plated chain. The disks often have IHS, a heraldic design, cross, or other religious symbol pressed into the metal. Humeral veils will also be found using the morse and chain closure, although more commonly ribbons seem to be the case. The now-rarely-seen cappa nigra or cemetery cloak used to sport a pewter or silver morse and chain and looked so graceful blowing in the wind in winter. The big mystery for me is just where the word “Morse” came from originally. The Pope is wearing a morse of unusual size in the photo above.
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Also called the Monille, Firmula, Firmule or Pectorale, the name originally referred to the rectangular ornamented piece of material attached to the two front edges of the cope near the breast to prevent the vestment from slipping from the shoulders. Morses were provided with hook and eye, and were often richly ornamented with embroidery or precious stones. Later, the name was also applied to metal clasps used in place of the of woven fabric. The clasps, however, gradually lost their practical use and became mere ornaments, which were sometimes sewn firmly to the flaps that served to fasten the cope. This was the case when the clasp was very heavy or very valuable. As early as the thirteenth century we have evidence that the clasps formed distinct ornaments in themselves. Many churches had a large number of such morses usually made of silver covered with gold, they were ornamented with pearls, precious stones, enamel, architectural designs, small, figures of saints, etc. They were generally either round, square, quatrefoil, or like a rosette in form. There were also more elaborate and at times peculiar shapes. A great deal of proof of the desirability of costly morses is shown by the old inventories and by the numerous medieval morses preserved (especially in Germany) in churches and museums.” (Catholic Encyclopedia)
Below a photo of the Queen with two of the blue copes of Westminster Abbey showing a cloth tab morse (the copes also appear a tad short on the clergy).
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