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Kits for Church Robe Patterns and Sewing Patterns for Clergy Vestments:

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Instruction Booklets and Patterns

This section contains a group of booklets I have written myself.  I've drawn this information from 30 years of my own experience and - equally important - from the input of students, friends and customers who have kindly given me their own good ideas.  I try very hard to write for the beginner I once was.  (I remember clearly trying to learn from books written by experts who had forgotten what it's like to be a beginner!)  In the process of learning, I made every mistake possible - at least once!  I want to save you from this!

- Constructing Chasubles and Dalmatics - With Notes Concerning Vestments For Hot Climates  My intent in writing this booklet is to give you every bit of information about contructing chasubles that you might possibly want.  (There's probably a lot of information in this booklet that you never thought you'd want to know!) I've never had anyone complain that it contains too much information. - $14

- Chasuble Master Pattern - $15 This is more than just 'a pattern'; it's meant to be an invitation to expand our design opportunities.  Our vestments are meant to make liturgically eloquent statements - just as our leaded glass windows are liturgically expressive.  Too often, we limit ourselves to one size of chasuble - the size 'we've always used'.  Chasubles come in a nearly infinite range of widths and lengths.  I believe that varying the sizes of our chasubles can increase the eloquence of the parish suite of vestments.  For instance: Perhaps the design of the green chasuble might be best if it is rather spare - shorter and narrower for the hot summer months.  But, the chasubles used at Christmas and Easter make the festal statement more eloquently if they are designed to be both wide and long. 

- Dalmatic Master Pattern - $15 This is a simple, straight-forward pattern, slightly flared through the sleeves and body.  It's designed to be easily re-sized to fit any body type.

- Constructing Stoles - $14  A note here: When a person is thinking about learning to construct vestments, they very often decide to try a stole first because stoles are small and look easy.  This is a mistake.  After struggling with their first stole, many people never try vestment making again.  This is too bad because all you need is to be given the 'tricks of the trade'.  While stoles are not difficult to make, they are picky and tricky.  Your first stole will be a bit of an 'experience'!  However, after you've worked your way through the first one, you'll hold it in your hands and say to yourself: "Ah.  Yes. Now I understand."  And then you'll go right on and make lots of stoles - and have a good time doing it.  I recommend that you purchase one of my teaching stole kits - which includes this booklet, a pattern and all materials. 

- Priest's Stole Pattern - $10  This pattern has worked consistently for me for years and years.  The neck/shoulder area is nicely curved so that the stole rests smoothly on the shoulders.  The center seam is properly angled so that the ends hang straight down the front (a major fault in stole design causes the ends to either 'toe in' or 'toe out').

- The 'New' Deacon's Stole Pattern - $10 This pattern is the liturgically correct alternative to the 'dog-leg' deacon's stole.  It's also MUCH easier to construct!  And, to my mind, it's appearance is infinitely preferable!  If you absolutely must have the old dog-leg pattern, I can sell you that one too.  But, this 'New' pattern is better.

- Constructing Copes - with pattern for a shaped-shoulder cope - $30  An unfortunate characteristic of most copes is that they are not stable on the shoulders - they shift and get crooked.  The slight shoulder shaping in this pattern changes all of that!  This is a five-piece pattern that also allows you to adjust the fullness of the cope from very spare to very full. 

- Round-Yoke Surplice Pattern - $15  This is the full 'Cathedral' style.  The pattern was taken originally from one of Vincent's books.

- Square-Yoke Surplice Pattern - $15  This is the more 'modern' version.

- Constructing Pulpit Falls (a primer for constructing frontals) - $8

- Cassock-Alb Master Patterns (email me for a picture) - $40

- Altering Ready-Made Shirts To Fit A Clergy Collar - $8  The selection of clergy shirts available from catalogues leaves a great deal to be desired.  These instructions tell you how to remove the existing collar of a ready-made shirt or blouse and recut it so that the shirt or blouse will take a clergy collar - vastly increasing the number of blouse and shirt styles for our clergy.