Here are the paraments and church vestments we sew to order in our Minnesota studio: altar frontals and superfrontals, pulpit and lectern falls, Bible markers, chalice veils and burses, in the colors of the church year. For the full range of chasubles and stoles, see our chasubles and our priest and pastor stoles.
We sew for Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and Episcopal churches. Most pieces here are cut from European liturgical brocades such as Luther Rose, Fairford and Lichfield, and some from tapestry, silk damask or silk dupioni. Many belong to a named collection, so you can dress the altar, pulpit and lectern to match, from superfrontal to burse. To see one kind at a time, go to church paraments or chalice veils and burses.
Vestments and paraments are made to order, usually in six to twelve weeks. If you need a piece by a certain date, ask us before you order; rush production is sometimes possible when our schedule allows, for a fee shown separately. For other sizes, fabrics or designs, begin with the measurement worksheets on our Resources page. If you would rather sew your own, start with our printed vestment patterns, our brocades by the yard and the books in our Historic Library.
Questions churches ask about vestments and paraments
What is the difference between vestments and paraments?
Vestments are what the clergy and those who serve with them wear: the chasuble, stole, cope, dalmatic, alb, surplice and cassock. Paraments are the cloths that dress the church: the frontal and the shorter superfrontal on the altar, the falls that hang from the pulpit and lectern, and Bible markers. The chalice veil and burse sit between the two: they are usually made in the vestment fabric to match, and at the altar the veil covers the chalice and the burse holds the corporal. Our chasubles, stoles, copes and paraments are made in the same brocades, so a set can match.
Which liturgical colors are used in each season?
Violet or purple for Advent and Lent; many Lutheran churches, and some Episcopal and Anglican parishes, use blue in Advent, though blue is not a color of the Roman Missal. Rose may be used, where it is the custom, on Gaudete and Laetare Sundays. White, or gold on the greatest feasts, for Christmas and Easter, for feasts of Christ other than those of his Passion, and for saints who were not martyrs. Red for Pentecost, Palm Sunday and the feasts of apostles, evangelists and martyrs, with red or scarlet through Holy Week in many Lutheran and Anglican churches. Good Friday is red in the Roman Rite and the Church of England and black in some Lutheran churches, and many churches leave the altar bare that day. Black also for Ash Wednesday in many Lutheran churches, and for funerals and All Souls' Day where that is the custom. Green for the ordinary Sundays after Epiphany and after Pentecost, the Ordinary Time of the Roman calendar. Practice varies, so follow your own church's calendar.
How long do made-to-order vestments and paraments take?
Stoles usually take four to eight weeks, and other vestments, paraments and altar hangings six to twelve, as our shipping policy states; many Lent and Pentecost paraments run eight to twelve, and smaller pieces such as chalice veils and burses are often quicker. If you need a piece by a certain date, tell us before you order so we can check it against our production schedule. Rush production is sometimes possible when the schedule allows, for a fee shown separately on the invoice.
Can you make paraments to fit our altar, or to match a set we already have?
Yes. Our pieces are made in standard sizes, and we can make others to your measurements: the measurement worksheets on our Resources page show what to measure, and our design team will send pricing. Larger sizes are a custom upgrade, and other fabrics and designs are available on request. If your set came from us, tell us its collection name and we will check that the fabric is still available. To match a set from another maker, send us a clear photo and we will suggest the closest fabric and trim we carry; dye lots can vary a little.
Can I sew my own vestments instead?
Yes, and many of our customers do. The European brocades we sew with are sold by the yard, and we sell printed full-size patterns for chasubles, stoles, copes, albs, surplices and altar server cassocks, and for pulpit falls, chalice veils and burses. Our Historic Library reprints classic books on vestment making.
