Chasubles

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ndismyhome

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Hello. Though I am not Catholic, my wife and I are planning on gifting an old friend with a chasuble on his ordination to the priesthood. That being said, the internet is a confusing place for information on Catholic liturgical vestments. What style of Chasubles are acceptable for use in Mass? How should they fit the priest? How would one measure a person to fit them for a chasuble?
(A side note, my wife is an excellent seamstress and will be doing most of the work herself, if possible).
Thanks for your information!
 
One question: is this supposed to be a “surprise” or does the ordinand know about it already?

I ask this because vestments come in quite a few varieties and it would be much easier to simply ask him his preference in style, fabric, etc, before hand. It would also make life a lot easier for the seamstress to be able to cut a pattern from an existing vestment.
 
Good point made by malphono. Given the wide variety of choices, personal preference is huge. Have you considered a “gift card” of sorts so that your friend can choose his own?
 
Its both. He knows we are making him one, and has consented to being measured etc… He prefers the neo-gothic style ones over the “fiddleback” style ones. At any rate, that part of the question was more for curiosity’s sake than anything else. That being said, he wasn’t terribly helpful on knowing how a chasuble should properly fit and how to measure for one. Several hours of internet searching were also rather underwhelming. Does this provide clarity?
 
Maybe I need to be more specific. How far down the arms should the edge of a gothic chasuble rest? At the wrists? Forearm? Where should the lower part rest on the leg? Knee? Shin? Ankle?
 
CatholicLife said:
churchlinens.com/
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I second this site. The woman who runs it is very helpful, and she has done a lot of research and teaching in the field of making church linens and vestments. Her instructions would be very useful to an experienced seamstress who has no experience with chasubles and especially with stoles. (The stoles are actually harder to get right than the chasubles, but they are both unlike other garments in many respects.)

She also sells liturgical fabrics and has a second woman to recommend who will help with good quality machine embroidery. 👍
 
ndismyhome said:
Maybe I need to be more specific. How far down the arms should the edge of a gothic chasuble rest? At the wrists? Forearm? Where should the lower part rest on the leg? Knee? Shin? Ankle?
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You can look at the models on the web sites for ideas, but this is allowed to vary greatly, according to the preferences of the priest and according to what the parish has to provide. For instance, an altar society might purchase a set of vestments for the parish, using the measurements of a priest who is 6’ 4". Their next pastor or the priest’s substitutes for his vacation may be 5’ 10". Even if he’s permanent, he may have to make do with those until it is time to replace them. That’s how wide the latitude is, and why it is that wide. With a Gothic chasuble, if he’s not tripping or knocking stuff over on the altar with the sweep of the fabric, and doesn’t look as if he’s a 18 year old in a 10 year old’s clothes, then it’s a go. With the traditional ones, it has to be small enough so that the stiffness doesn’t make the garment appear that it is the vestment that decides when to rise and when to sit.

If weather will not be an issue, some of the synthetic fibers and blends have a very nice drape, wrinkle less, and wear very well. If the priest is going to be saying Mass in hot weather, however, have the chasuble cut as short in the width as he would be comfortable with, no cowl but a plain-cut neck, and in a natural breathable fabric with a weight just heavy enough so that the vestment will not need a liner. You might ask him if he would like a chasuble in white linen or silk, suitable for weddings and funerals, so he will never be stuck dying in a polyester chasuble in August.

Some priests have very definite sentiments about the style elements of the chasubles they wear, and some literally could not care less, at least not once the rubrics are satisfied. (IOW, “I don’t care, as long as it is made according to the GIRM.”)
 
EasterJoy’s post is excellent. However, since you are making the chasuble just for your friend, you should be more precise in the fit.

Obviously his preferences rule, but usually length is a few inches above the pant hem in front and back. The piece over the arm should reach the wrist, but not be so long that the sweep of the garment gets caught on things. I have seen hosts go flying off the altar because of this. Of course, priests also become adapt at ‘hitching’ up the chasuble on their arms.

Best plan would be to cut more of a U than a semi-circle. That eliminates the “poncho” look that sometimes makes the good father look like he is wearing a blanket.

The neckline (cowl vs not) is again merely a preference. Some like it and others feel like they are being choked. If the weather is warm, the cowls are often uncomfortable. Remember that Father will be wearing pants and shirt plus alb / cassock underneath.
 
Mrs_Sally said:
EasterJoy’s post is excellent. However, since you are making the chasuble just for your friend, you should be more precise in the fit.

Obviously his preferences rule, but usually length is a few inches above the pant hem in front and back. The piece over the arm should reach the wrist, but not be so long that the sweep of the garment gets caught on things. I have seen hosts go flying off the altar because of this. Of course, priests also become adapt at ‘hitching’ up the chasuble on their arms.

Best plan would be to cut more of a U than a semi-circle. That eliminates the “poncho” look that sometimes makes the good father look like he is wearing a blanket.

The neckline (cowl vs not) is again merely a preference. Some like it and others feel like they are being choked. If the weather is warm, the cowls are often uncomfortable. Remember that Father will be wearing pants and shirt plus alb / cassock underneath.
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Yes. You want a chasuble made for a particular priest to fit according to his specifications, if at all possible. Otherwise, you’ll find that the chasuble manufacturers have size charts that indicate length and width depending on the wearer’s height. (Although they seem to vary with ethnic group ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8793422, the ratio between height and arm span are assumed to be roughly predictable.)
 
I’m from ND, too and there is a convent here that makes vestments. They are very willing to teach people how and share patterns. My mom as visited them and they were very helpful. PM me if you want more info!
 
Make sure it’s green and fiddleback. Don’t listen to anything he says. Tie him down and measure him. Don’t let his silly sense of taste contribute to the downfall of the fiddleback :D!
 
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