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In the days we had together, the ladies learned to assemble an embroidery frame and start the first motif in the Guild’s instructional book. We continue to meet monthly […]

I was caught off guard when I joined the team as to how spiritual it is to serve on the Flower Guild […]

After the 8 a.m. service on November 21, 2020, the Eucharistic Minister noticed a hole in the corner of the green frontal […]

Working with The Right Reverent Carl Wright, we have given Military Chaplain’s stoles an entirely new look. We need volunteers to help sew these stoles. Materials are provided in a kit with detailed instructions[…]

Where to begin when sewing for your place of worship? When Carrie Roberts began sewing for her church years ago, she had a difficult time finding the specialty fabrics, trims, and other supplies she needed […]

What do we mean when we say ‘recycle’ and why do we strive to do this […]

If you do it right, and faithfully, your silver will require little or no polishing for long periods of time […]

Recently I was asked “Do you still do needlepoint?” The next question was “Why?” This started me thinking — why, indeed, do I still do canvaswork when I now am a senior citizen with the usual arthritic aches and pains, especially in my hands […]

It is our tradition in the Episcopal Church to use fresh flowers. That is not to say that we can’t combine them or enhance them with dried or treated plant material. It’s an inexpensive way to increase your supply of flowers and foliage […]

What is the protocol for using colored embroidery on linens? Where should the inscription go on vessels or paraments? Send us your questions and we’ll find the answers […]

Hopefully, this brief step-by-step description of one of our most successful arrangements will be easy to do and excite your imagination with all the variations you can use […

In many denominations, flowers are removed totally from the church and instead are replaced by green foliage during Advent. There are however, always exceptions to the rule […]

One of the most comprehensive and informative workshops held at our Triennial in Indianapolis was conducted by Alice Scarbrough who discussed all aspects of linen construction, maintenance and stewardship […]

Tips from a top florist on how to create magnificent church flower arrangements without breaking the bank […]

We have been sold on the idea that getting our house, or sacristy, clean requires products that are harsh or even downright dangerous, but it’s not true […]

To paraphrase Churchill, art is influenced by the culture in which it is created and then influences the culture that follows. And vestments speak volumes about who we are, how we see ourselves and where we are heading as the people of God […]

The Episcopal Church’s most important liturgical season is the one that starts on Shrove Tuesday and ends on Easter Sunday — filled with liturgical music, altar flowers (or lack thereof), vestments and altar cloths that reflect the passion, suffering, mystery and, ultimately, the ecstasy of the Christ […]

As suppliers of fine quality textile appointments since 1789, Wippell has enormous experience in handling all sorts of fabrics, trimmings and embellishments, and we pass on the stewardship of these various pieces to the altar guild team, who care for them in a most generous way […]

We know how much you value your church heirlooms — the warm glow of brass and silver heightens your experience of the liturgy’s holy mystery. In addition to making church metalware, CM Almy also repairs and refurbishes articles to its proper splendor […]

Special seasonal interest on the altar helps to unite the time of year with the many church celebrations of the Episcopal church year […]

Designing flower arrangements for our altars is a very special call. But when communion is being served, the celebrant and others need room to bless and administer the sacrament without interference from the arrangements around it […]

Do you have an ordination coming up and want to make a present? What could be better than a stole? It doesn’t matter if you cross-stitch, needlepoint, embroidery, weave or paint, or quilt […]

As summer ends, it is a good time to collect dry material in the fields for use as fillers during the fall and winter. This is also a good time to recruit new members […]

“…they shall use gold, blue, purple and crimson yarns and fine linen.” (Exodus 28:5) Finely woven white linen and vividly colored textiles, have been part of our worship tradition for a very long time […]

Because the Easter Vigil begins in darkness, one of the most powerful symbols is the lighting of a new fire […]

This pattern takes a bit of practice, but looks like the ones we used to get when we were young […]

For those who design floral arrangements for your church and wish to grow your own materials, consider these factors when establishing cutting gardens […]

Epiphany is so soon after Christmas that often your plants are still usable. Epiphany asks for white and gold, a nice change after the reds of Christmas, but any color goes since the liturgical one is green. It’s a good season to train new, and veteran, members […]

For me the most joyous years are those when Advent I is the Sunday after Thanksgiving. At Washington National Cathedral, after turkey dinners and turkey soup, we dismantle all of the golds and oranges and reds, replacing them with […]

The name candle comes from the Latin candere meaning “to shine.” While no date can be definitely pinned down for the development of the first candle, accounts of their use date back to ancient times with Biblical references as early as the 10th century BC […]

Vestments and altar hangings are more than a colorful, occasionally changing backdrop to worship. They are congregational treasurers that enhance the liturgy and every congregation has the talent to save and preserve them […]

Summer ends and the majority of the flowers fade. Now is the time to collect seedpods, grasses with plumes and leaves […]

Would you like to stitch kneelers for your church? There is no joy to compare with putting our own work down in the church, to be there long after we are gone […]

Palm Sunday is over, but what is to be done with those leftover consecrated palms? […]

Holy week requires a diversity of arrangements in just one week […]