Child Sized, Byzantine Style Priest's Phelonion (outer vestment)

Some little boys want to be priests when they grow up, so why not encourage their desire to do so? The child-sized phelonion is a one-size fits-all-boys project, from about 2-6 years old. It's perfect for the boy who can't wait to be an acolyte! (The length will obviously vary greatly, but head and neck sizes do not change drastically during these years.) This is a half-day project for a beginner-intermediate sewist, and only a couple hours for an experienced sewist. There are two ways to complete this project...the recommended way is on this page, but you could also make it the same way that the mini display vestments are made for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

Materials

• Outer Fabric: Child Size Priest Vestment Fabric
• Lining fabric: look for a matching "lining fabric" or a slippery fabric like satin at your local fabric store
• Thread: any thread for the Construction phase, decorative or matched color for the Finishing phase
• 1/2" double fold bias tape
• A small piece of velcro (both sides) - or - a decorative clasp
• Optional: decorative trim
• Optional: a large cross appliqué for the back

Equipment

• Fabric scissors
• Fabric marking tool (pencil, pen, marker)
• Sewing pins
• Sewing machine
• Iron
• Optional: pinking shears

Sewing Instructions

First: Prepare the fabric

1. Wash and dry the fabric to soften and pre-shrink.

• You can treat the raw edges of the fabric so they don't fray in the wash, or let it fray.
• Wash with phosphate free detergent on gentle cycles.
• Dry on gentle with no dryer sheet.

2. If the fabric is wrinkly or has any hard creases, iron the fabric on the reverse side. Use hot with steam for natural fibers, and warm with no steam for polyester.

Second: Cut and prep the fabric

1. Lay the lining fabric right side down then lay the outer fabric right side up on top; pin together in about 5 places.

2. Cut out the outer and liner fabrics at the same time.

3. Cut 1/2" into the edge of the neckline, following the curves, and trimming along the L shaped lines. The "L"s are 1/2" from the edge.

 

Third: Construction

1. Sew the shoulder darts: fold the neck down, right sides together) as shown in the photo; pin. Measure 1" down the fold, make a mark, then draw a line from the mark to the corner of the fabric. Repeat for the remaining 3 shoulders (outer and lining). Sew along the line, curving your stitches along the fold so it will drape nicely off the child's shoulders.

 

2. Match the outer and liner right sides together and pin along the two flaps that form the front. Sew the flaps together with a 1/2" seam allowance. Trim the seam allowance with pinking shears (optional).

 

3. Pull the outer & liner fabrics away from each other, then fold the outer fabric right sides together, and the liner fabric right sides together. Press the seams towards the liner side, match the seams carefully, and pin along the seam halfway from bottom to top. At this point, you can test the head opening on your child to be sure it fits, but it's not necessary.

 

4. Sew along the seam, right next to the existing stitches, being sure to backstitch well to secure the stitches on both ends, and being careful to only sew the two layers of the outer fabric together; feel with your fingers to make sure the liner doesn't peek out between the outer fabric that you're sewing together.

 

5. Open the phelonion as it will look when finished. Press the seams flat on the front. (If you look closely, you will see a light blue line down the center…that’s what happens when you catch the liner fabric in the previous step.)

Fourth: Finishing

*Note: if you do not have any "decorative" stitches on your machine, then you can attach the bias tape with a straight stitch along the open edge of the tape with thread that matches the bias tape. Then when the phelonion is complete you can attach a decorative trim on top of the bias tape.

1. Change your thread to a color that matches the phelonion, or gold or silver, and pick a decorative stitch. Clip or pin the fabric around the neck so that it sews together nicely and doesn't bunch up or slip. Make sure the shoulder seams are aligned and put a pin/clip there to keep them aligned while sewing.

 

2. Starting with the front opening: Take the end of the 1/2" double fold bias tape, open it, fold the end down about 1/4", then fold to a point.

 

3. Insert the bias tape along one side of the front opening, point down, snug into the crotch formed by the seams, and trim the tape where it meets the neck.

 

4. Sew the bias tape to the edge of the opening on the front with the decorative stitch. Repeat steps 2-4 for the other side.

 

5. Cut a piece of the hook side of the Velcro to fit the end of the bias tape. Sew it on to the end with a straight or zigzag stitch. (If you would rather attach a decorative clasp or hook-and-eye, attach the bias tape following the instructions, but without the velcro and the underlap. Make both sides of the neck opening flush and attach the clasp after the bias tape is attached. Small children have trouble with a hook-and-eye which is why I recommend velcro.)

 

6. Snug the bias tape onto the corner of the neckline so that the Velcro hooks face up (away from the child's neck); this piece can extend to the right or left, depending on how you attached the Velco. Sew the bias tape onto the neck, all the way around with the same decorative stitch as before. This is a slow process with lots of starts and stops and turning as you go around the neckline. Be sure that the liner fabric stays flush with the outer fabric so that it is caught in the bias tape and doesn't slip down.

 

7. At the other end of the neck, cut the bias tape slightly past the corner of the neckline, and cut a piece of the loop side of the Velcro. When you get close to the corner, fold the bias tape into itself so that it is flush with the corner of the neck, and position the Velcro face down under the end of the bias tape at the corner. You could put a dab of glue on the back of the Velcro to keep it in place, or tape the Velcro to the bias tape with some masking/painting tape. Sew to the end with your decorative stitch; secure your stitches.

*Note: Since the neckline is finished and the outer and liner are not closed on the bottom, now would be a good time to put a decorative cross on the back of the phelonion. You could attach an appliqué cross to the outer fabric or embroider a cross onto the outer fabric so that there aren’t stitches visible on the liner.

 

8. Now to finish the hemline. Starting at the middle of the front of the phelonion (where the fabric is hemmed together), align the unsewn edges and pin/clip about every 6 inches all the way around.

 

9. Starting at the middle of the back, enclose the unfinished edges with the bias tape and start attaching the bias tape with the same decorative stitch as the neck. Align the bias tape as you go, don't cut the tape until you're at the end. Sew all the way around to where you started.

10. As you get close to the starting point, trim the bias tape just past the start, and fold the edge under to make a nice edge. Sew to the end and secure your stitch.

 

11. If you did not attach Velcro in steps 5 & 7 above, now you can attach the hook and eye or other style clasp to the neck.

12. If you did not use a decorative stitch, now you can attach trim to the top of the bias tape. Try to find a trim that is machine washable, and sew it on.

All done! Give to your favorite little boy and enjoy all the hugs he will shower on you for this special gift!