The small pieces of the altar are where many church seamstresses begin, and these printed sewing patterns cover them: the chalice veil in two sizes, the burse that holds the corporal, pulpit and lectern falls in two sizes and a diagonal cut, and a small altar linen pattern that gives the measurements and hems for purificators, corporals, lavabo towels, baptismal towels and chalice palls. Two more are for the hardest days: a pall for a funeral urn and a pall for a casket.
Each pattern is printed full size on paper and mailed with written instructions; none is a PDF. The veil, burse and falls are made in the brocade of your vestment set with a lining and trim, and the linens in pure linen, so these pair naturally with our church linen and brocade collections. The small altar linen pattern and the straight pulpit fall are written for beginners; the burse, the chalice veil and the diagonal fall are for advanced seamstresses, and the casket pall is a large lined piece.
Questions about chalice veil and burse patterns
What size is a chalice veil?
Most are 24 inches square; a 30 inch veil suits a larger chalice or a taller arrangement. The pattern is sold in either size; choose one when you order.
What goes inside a burse and a pall?
The burse takes two boards covered in heavy muslin, and we sell pre-cut burse boards as a pair; the pall takes a stiff insert, such as our 7 inch plexiglass pall inserts.
