THE CHASUBLEAfter taking into account the general principles of design in the chapter number one of this book, the designer is then confronted with a new set of possibilities more particular to this vestment. They are:

StyleShapeColourFabricDecorationExecution

StyleAs noted in the chapter on the history of vestments, there is a huge variety of styles available for the designer to choose from. Taking into consideration the person for whom the chasuble is to be made and the location it is to be used (scale), thought should be given to the general style of the garment, is it to be traditional gothic? is it to be wildly modern? or is it be ethnic? or any of the other possibilities available? These are personal decision made by the designer in conjunction with the end user.

ShapeThe next consideration, which is determined by the style is the shape of the chasuble. How long should it be, how wide should it be, should it be rounded at the bottom or square? There are many possibilities.

Traditional Gothic style chasuble

Modern Roman style chasuble

Modern Square cut chasuble

ColourAs already mentioned in the chapter on general principles the overall colour of the garment is largely determined by Church tradition. There is, however, a great deal of latitude in which shade of colour to use and what other colours to combine together. A useful tool to help you with colour planning is a colour wheel. Colours on the opposite sides of the colour wheel are called complementary colours, in other words if used together they complement each other. For example if you are designing a green and gold chasuble the addition of small quantities of red will help to give the design more vitality and be visually more exciting.

(this is an example only and does not have copy-right permission_

FabricFabric can be one of the greatest problems in making chasubles as it is important to find the right weight and quality. For example, if making vestments for a hot climate it is not advisable to use heavy fabrics or to use wool as they will be too hot, lighter more airy fabrics are better. When selecting fabrics thought should be given to durability and care. Some silk fabrics are very attractive but need to be ironed each time they are worn. This is not very useful for items which are worn for short periods of time on a regular basis. The best fabrics are those which drape well and are crease resistant. Often the inclusion of polyester and viscose helps to keep fabrics looking good while not looking too synthetic.

DecorationOften decoration is the first thing a designer will think of when considering a textile project. However, a beautiful design which does not suit the style of the garment on which it is placed or sewn onto the wrong type of fabric can be very disappointing. Often designs have to be changed as work is in progress. Use original designs with an open mind but be willing to change them suit the materials available.

Execution

The final stage of any project is the execution. How do I go about putting all the ideas designs and fabrics together to make the final product?

Once again this is a step by step process.

Make the patternCut out the fabricOver-lock the edgesApply the decorationAssemble to the garment

Pattern Making

Patterns for chasubles are not difficult to find. As they are a flat garment it is quite simple to borrow or use another suitable chasuble. Lay the chasuble flat on the drafting paper and trace around it, making sure to be as accurate as possible and taking into account that there is often a difference between the front and the back.

Below is a scale drawing of the chasuble pattern I normally use.

This is a medium length chasuble (suitable for shorter and taller priests alike) which can be cut either as a traditional gothic style (indicated by the dotted line) or as a

TIPSI am often asked where I get my ideas and inspirations from. Generally I look around me all the time and save ideas and designs in a book to be referred to at a later date. Likewise I collect pieces of fabric that I know will be useful in the future. Another little designer trick I use is to cut out a chasuble shape from a piece of paper so as to form a chasuble shaped window. This can then be placed on book illustrations, photographs, etc. This can be really inspiring and help the designer see what the full-scale garment will look like.

TIPSI have a chasuble pattern cut in a heavy cream polyester/viscose cloth which I use as the basis of all my work. I use only the top section of the pattern, the neck and shoulders, and then vary the bottom section depending upon how tall the priest, how much fabric I have, and the general style of the garment. I find the cloth pattern suits me well as I can frequently pin it with having to replace it, as I would with paper, and it lays very flat on the fabric I am cutting out. Other designers I know use a specially treated thin cardboard for the same purpose. In an ordinary house, however, these pattern pose storage problems as they cannot be

fuller more modern style chasuble. This pattern can also be lengthen to make it into a full modern Roman style vestment. At the neck I have also included the pattern for the interfacing. I usually make unlined chasubles and use a neck facing.

Scale: 1=5cm

The next step in the process is cutting out the fabric. This should be done as accurately as possible to remain true to the original pattern.

TIPSI find it best to do all my cutting out in one go so I know I have enough fabric to complete the whole project. Often I will cut out several sets of vestments at one time as it is a task I do not particularly like and it takes a lot of space. I then put each set into a bag to be used later.

After cutting out over-lock or zigzag the edges of the cut out pieces, particularly if you plan to do a lot of embroidery or appliqué on them.

Applying the Decoration

This is often the most time consuming and enjoyable part of the whole process. The number of design possibilities is endless. In the section that follows there are a number of projects. These are intended to show the basic techniques of design and construction so that the reader can then create and manufacture their own designs. (Many of the techniques shown in this section can be applied to copes, stoles, dalmatics etc.)

PROJECTS

Project one: Basic Column Orphrey Chasuble

The style of this chasuble is for a basic gothic style chasuble with a single column orphreys back and front which is edged with a metallic gold braid. The fabric for this project is deep cream 114cm wide (45 inch) Shantung silk and a bright red, gold and cream lotus and cross pattern silk brocade from China.

TIPSI find my overlocker very useful for doing the neatening at this stage of the project as it gives a slightly wider and flatter finish than the average zigzag. I also use the over locked edge later in the project for folding over and sewing the hem.

The finished chasuble and stole.

Required itemsChasuble

FabricOrphrey fabricBraid InterfacingMatching sewing thread and nylon monofilament

StoleFabric matching the chasuble

TIPSThe fabric for the project is 114cm wide, which is just wide enough for a standard size chasuble. Often Chinese silk comes in a narrower width, which is too narrow to use without joining. If you need to join fabric for a project such as this, join the fabric in the middle of the back and front and then cover the join with the orphrey making sure that the edges of the material are hidden underneath the orphrey as this looks much neater.

InterliningMatching or contrasting liningOrphrey fabricBraid Matching sewing thread and nylon monofilamentGold embroidery thread

The cut out pieces ready for assembly

Step one: Cutting out

You will need to cut the following pieces:

Chasuble

Chasuble, front and back (note in illust.??? The difference between the back and front neck)Facing, front and back

TIPSI use tailors horsehair canvas for the interlining of the stole. This keeps it shape much better than many other fabrics, however, particularly with white stoles the dark colour of the canvas shows through in which case you can use a stiff cotton canvas or some other fabric or simply use a fine white iron-on interfacing fabric and iron that onto the canvas.

Interfacing for facing, back and frontOrphrey

Stole

Two matching frontsTwo matching interlining (horsehair canvas or other)Two matching lining piecesTwo matching orphrey fabric pieces

Burse and Veil

Fabric matching the chasuble and stoleAcid free cardboardLining fabricWhite altar linen

Cutting out instructions

Cut out the front and back of the chasuble first, cutting on the straight grain. Then cut out the stole making sure that the lower, straight, part of the stole is cut on the straight grain. Cut out all the other pieces.

Step two:

After completing the cutting out, over lock around the outer edge of the chasuble (not the shoulder or neck) and the chasuble facings, the top layer of the stole, and the

TIPSI find when cutting out it is best to start with the largest pieces of the pattern first and the smallest pieces last. Frequently there is not a sufficiently large long straight piece left for cutting the stole. This is not a problem as the stole can be made in pieces and joined the join being covered with a strip of braid so that it looks like part of the design. Make sure, however, that the joins are matching on both sides. I often use the roller cutter when cutting out stoles as it is much quicker and it is possible to accurately cut several stoles at one time. It is a good idea, if you have a standard stole pattern, to cut out several pieces of interlining at one time and just keep them for the next project.I do not cut the neck on the orphrey until after it is sewn onto the chasuble and the braids have been sewn on. This makes the orphrey more stable around the neck. I also leave an extra 3cm of orphrey at the bottom to form the

edges of the brocade orphrey, then stay stitch around the collar of the chasuble with the sewing machine.

Step three: Decoration

Begin by pinning the orphrey on the front and the back panels of the chasuble (making sure that it is properly centred and it is on the correct side of the fabric).

Sew orphreys onto the chasuble, stole burse and veil using a straight stitch, then check to see that they are perfectly straight before beginning to sew the braid on. Make sure that as you sew on the orphrey that you sew only in one direction, that is, sew both sides of the orphrey and braid from either top to bottom or bottom to top. If you sew them in different direction they have a tendency to distort and wrinkle.

TIPSI often use the ironing board for this part of the assembly, lay the chasuble piece on the board and then lay the orphrey on top. The hardest part of this task is to centre the orphrey correctly. The easiest way I have found to do this is to find the middle of the orphrey and push a pin through the fabric so that it passes through the centre of the chasuble beneath it. If this is done both at the top and bottom of the orphrey it will lie perfectly straight and the rest of the pinning can be done. When pinning the orphrey do not pin in the direction of the sewing but pin across the sewing line. This means the pins can be left in the fabric when sewing and there is less slippage, this is particularly important when dealing with silk/rayon brocades. Be aware that many brocades will have a weft distortion caused by the weaving process. It is always better to use the centre panels of brocade than the selvedge panels

TIPSIt is not a problem to have a slight waving of edges on the orphrey before you sew the braid on as the raw edge of the orphrey will be covered with braid.

After the orphreys have been attached lay the braid over the raw edge of the orphrey and pin. Once again when pinning on the braid, pin across the braid so that pins do not need to be removed when sewing. The using a nylon monofilament sew down the braid remembering to sew both sides of the braid in one direction only.

Sewing the braid on using a nylon monofilament.

Step four: Assembly

Assembly of the garment now begins with a French seam on the shoulders. Start by sewing or over locking the shoulders seams of the chasuble, putting wrong sides together. If you have sewn the seam trim half of the edge off so that the distance from the stitching to the edge is less than one centimetre. Take the garment to the ironing board turn the seam out and iron flat. The right side of the garment should now be facing each other. Sew the seams again, at a distance of more than one centimetre from the edge. Take back to the ironing board and iron the seam again, this time with the garment wrong side together. This now completes the French seams on the shoulders.

Sew the French seam

The chasuble can now be hemmed. For this operation use the over locked edge of the garment and fold two times making sure to make the turn under as narrow and neat as

possible. Begin sewing at the edge of the back orphrey and continue until you reach the front orphrey. Do not sew across the orphreys as this looks ugly. Finish off you sewing on the edge you first arrived at. Start on the other side of the orphrey (in this case the front orphrey) and sew until you reach the back orphrey again. Change the top thread to the nylon monofilament to stitch the hem on the two orphreys or alternatively hem stitch them by hand.

After the hemming is all complete it is now time to finish the collar. First make sure that they are exactly the right size for the neck opening. Pin them and sew the shoulder seams in the facing. Position the facing on the neck opening making sure that it is seam to seam centre to centre. Pin at right angles all around the collar with pins about 2.5 cm apart. Place the garment on the machine, after having removed the sewing table, if possible. Stitch around the neck, making sure you are just outside the stay stitching. Once the sewing is complete remove the pins and clip in to the stitching making sure not to cut the stitching. Turn the facing out and press down. The facing should now sit perfectly flat. Stay stitch the facing down at the seams on both shoulders and slip stitch by hand on both back and front underneath the orphrey. This should not show through to the front of the garment.

Sewing the collar.

The chasuble is now complete and can be gently steam pressed.

TIPSIf you do not have an over locker to neaten the hem it is much more difficult to turn the hem very nicely for a machine stitched hem, consider using a biased satin tape and hand sewing the hem. This looks very smart and gives a good finish.

Project Two: Gothic style chasuble with braid orphrey

Materials

2.4 metres of 160cm wide damask (depending upon the pattern repeat)4 metres of 115cm wide lining silk etc4 metres of Fabric for the orphreys (the amount varies depending upon the style of orphrey)8 metres of braid

Step 1

Place the front pattern carefully on the cloth making sure to centre to design if you are using a damask or symmetrically patterned fabric.

Place the back pattern on the cloth making sure to match the fabrics back and front.

Illustration ?? Note how the pattern continues in both layers of cloth. This ensures that the patterns will match at the shoulder seam.

Damasks are often not 160cm wide but much narrower, 115cm or even less. When using these narrower widths it is necessary to join them. Such joins can be hidden underneath the central orphrey. When joining these remember that the edges of the fabric should be concealed beneath the orphrey.

After cutting out the outer fabric layer, cut out the orphreys.Stay-stitch around the neck of the chasuble and over-lock all the raw edges on the chasuble, and orphreys.

Step 2

Pin the orphreys in place making sure that the back and the front match at the shoulder seam.

Sew the orphreys into place using a zigzag stitch. It is very important when sewing orphreys in place, or sewing braid onto vestments that the stitching is done in only one direction on both sides, this prevents any buckling. Sew on the braid.

Illustration ?? Begin by sewing the braid on the cross bars.

Step 3

It is now time to join the shoulder seams. As this is a lined chasuble the back and front are laid face to face before the seams are sewn. Make sure that the back and front cross bars match.

TipsI find the best thread for attaching braid, particularly multi-coloured or metallic braid, is the clear nylon monofilament as it does not show regardless of the colours underneath.

Illustration ?? Note the matching damask pattern and the matching of cross bars.

Step 4

The lining is now fitted into the chasuble. Lining a chasuble is not simply a matter of cutting out a lining fabric sewing them together and bagging out, as it may appear. Rather linings need to be properly fitted and stitched into the garment. This may seem a bit complicated but is quite easy and certainly worth the trouble.

Step 4:1 Cut out the lining to match the outer layer, leaving 2.5 cm extra fabric around the hem. 4.2 Sew the shoulder seams. Lay the lining fabric over the outer layer, good sides together. Pin the neck making sure to match the seams.

4.3 Sew around the neck, clip the inside of the collar and turn the lining through and press. Lay the whole garment on a large work surface with the back flat on the surface. Fit the lining into place and pin the shoulder seams of the outer layer and lining together so that they are a perfect match.

4.4. Now fold back the two top layers. Then fold back ¾ the back lining in a straight line. Starting about 6 inches from the hem, stitch across the garment picking up only a single thread of the outer layer and a small section of the lining fabric.

This exercise is not to sew the two layers of fabric together but rather to hold the lining in place and stop it from sagging. 4.5 After sewing three rows back and front you now do the same about 10cm from the hem all the way around both back and front. 4.6 After completing the support stitching for the lining you hand sew the whole hem with a slip stitch, making sure that the stitching is as invisible as possible.

The chasuble is now completed. The pattern and sewing instructions for the matching stole may be found in the chapter on stoles.

Project 3: Appliqué Chi Rho

The only real difference between this project and Project One is the use of an appliqué instead of a column orphrey.

Required items2.5m Fabric Two pieces of silk 50cmX30cmPaper back bonding filament

Two pieces of TearawayWaterproof black marking penRayon embroidery thread1X200m Metallic gold embroidery thread

Step oneFollow the instructions for Project One, from step one through to step three leaving out all instructions concerning the orphrey.

Step twoTo begin the appliquéd Chi Rho, trace the reversed Chi Rho design onto the paper backed bonding filament. Iron the traced design onto the silk and cut the design out.

Photo showing the cardboard template of the left, the motif traced onto the bonding paper and the final cut out Chi-Rho ready to be ironed on.

Step threePlace the cut out appliqué onto the front of the cut out chasuble. Place the design about 15cm from the neckline making sure to put the design exactly in the centre. Iron in place and then iron onto the back of the fabric the Tearaway backing paper.

The motif ironed onto the front of the chasuble.

Tips,

Remember when using the iron on design paper the design will come out reversed. This can be a problem when using a design which is not symmetrical and cannot be reversed. The easiest way to reverse a design is to copy it onto some tracing paper then turn it over. If you have a photocopier available to you run the tracing paper through the photocopier and the design will be automatically reversed.

Tips:

To make sure the design is properly centred I fold each panel in half and lightly iron down the centre. This gives a nice sharp line to follow and ensures the design is perfectly straight.

When placing a single design on a chasuble make sure that it is placed as high as possible. The design should sit on the chest not on the stomach. For the Chi Rho design pictured I placed it 12cm from the neck.

Begin to stain stich around the motif beginning with those parts of the design which will eventually look as though they are at the back.

Finish the first layer of satin stitching all around the motif.

Step Four

Begin to satin stitch around the motif. Set the stitch width a half setting narrower than you want the finished width to be. This allows a little room for correction the second time around and helps to build up the surface evenly. Once you have stitched the whole motif, change to the metallic gold filament and move the stitch width setting to the desired width. Stitch over the previous embroidery.

Step Five

Tips

For the base colour use a good rich gold colour which will blend well with the top metallic thread. If the machine misses a stitch on the second round it will not be noticed. I also try to eliminate any tight corners in the design as it can be very hard to sew a nice smooth curve.

When you have finished both layers of stitching peel off the backing paper and pull as many of the embroidery thread through to the back and tie them off.

Step Six

Complete the project as in step four of the Project One.

Finished appliqué

Special notes on machine appliqué.

Many of the projects in this book are made using machine appliqué.

Machine appliqué is a very quick and easy method of embroidering a motif on a vestment, but it does require some skill and patience. These will be gained through practice. Here are some pointers to help you as you attempt your first appliqué project.

Things to avoid: Tight curvesMotifs that are too small

Step One:

Make sure you are seated comfortably at the machines, with the needle directly in front of you. You need to be able to manoeuvre fabric with both hands equally. Some fixed sewing tables, in fact, place the centre of the machine directly in front of the user rather than the working side. This means that the person sewing is in fact twisting slightly. Often when working on an appliqué the work takes many hours and to sit badly can affect the quality of the work and ultimately the health of the sewer.

Step Two:Think the design out clearly in your mind before you begin to sew. Look to see which part of the design is going to look as though it is at the back. This part must be sewn first. The next layer of sewing will go over the beginning and end of the back work. See illustration??? The Rho of this Chi-Rho pattern was stitched first so that it would look as though the Chi is sitting in the front of the Rho.

Step ThreeBegin working on a natural place where the design begins or ends. This saves having to over lap as the extra layer of sewing sometimes shows.

Plan your sewing direction. If you are working on a design with curves, make sure that you feel comfortable with the direction you are stitching. If the curve feels awkward to sew, try from the other direction. Anticipate your curves well in advance so that they do not surprise you as you may find that you end up making the curve tighter than it should be.

When using metallic threads, I always use a rayon thread the same colour as the final colour for the first row of stitching. This helps to cover the raw edge and is invisible when finished even if the machine drops a stitch on the second row. It is also a much more economical use of the metallic threads which often cost twice that of rayon threads. I use either a special bobbin filament for the underside of the work or a rayon thread as these are finer and softer so allow for greater stitch density. They also give a much smoother and finer appearance. When operating the machine, make sure that you do not move the cloth when the machine is not stitching. Try to coordinate the machine speed with the rate at which you move the appliqué.

Step FourOnce you have completed the first row of stain stitching, neaten any threads which are on the outer edges of the work. If necessary, change thread to the colour or type you want for the second row of stitching and widen the stitch width by a half setting (depending upon the machine). Begin the second row over the top of the previous row. The slightly wider stitch width gives you room to make any little corrections you might need as you sew the second layer.

Step FiveDraw all threads to the back and knot off so that they will not pull through to the front and unravel. Remove the backing paper.

Project 4: Christ Enthroned Chasuble

Materials

The original design with the cut out basic components

Free-arm embroidery of the background rays. Note the way the embroidery area is divided into sections so that all the rays go in the same outward direction.

The completed background rays with halo

The next layer of pieces are laid on the background

The first row of satin stitch is applied. Note the purple drawing where the embroidery will go.

The design just prior to attaching to the garment.

The finished Christ Enthroned chasuble suitable for the Feast of Christ the King and other major feast days.

A CATALOGUE OF DESIGNS

A blue and white set suitable for feast days of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It can also be used during the seasons of Easter and Christmas

Tree of life design based upon Psalm 1.

Column orphrey of commercial braid

A red chasuble suitable for saints days and Pentecost

A variation of the Chi Rho design using Chinese silk brocades

A while silk chasuble for the Christmas/Epiphany season

A gold chasuble for Christmas and Easter seasons

A Tree of Life chasuble based upon the coronation cope of King Roger II of Sicily