How to Sew the Vestments Set

 

Kit Materials Included

  • Storage box
  • Manikin
  • Polyester satin fabric: priest and deacon outer vestments
  • Small vestment pieces prepared for final steps
  • Cotton poplin fabric with interfacing and neck stitched: priest sticharion
  • Black felt: priest and deacon hat
  • Gold thread (remainder from preparing small pieces)
  • Sew-on Velcro (4.5”)

Supplies Needed

  • Sewing machine
  • White thread
  • Basic sewing tools
  • Hand sewing needle
  • Black thread (about 36")
  • Masking tape
    Tip: use masking tape to hold Velcro in place while sewing; remove after sewing.


      Sewing Instructions

      Priest Sticharion

      1. Cut out the sticharion along the black outline. Snip the four red diagonal lines in each armpit. 
      2. Using the gold thread: Fold one of the bottom edges up to the edge of the first gold stripe, then fold again so the finished edge is along the gold stripe. Sew a straight stitch across the folded hem to secure; repeat on the other side.
      3. Cut out the neck hole along the edge of the thread.
      4. Switch to white thread; sew a ¼” rolled hem on both sleeve cuffs.
      5. Hem the eight unfinished edges (underarms and body) by folding the edge back ¼” (fold once) and secure with a straight stitch. Seam allowance is important as it can make the sticharion too tight if the hem is folded more than 1/4".
      6. Fold the sticharion in half with right sides together so that the bottom hems match.
      7. Sew the sleeves shut from the cuff up to the short red line, sewing as close to the folded edge as possible. (The smaller the sleeve opening, the harder it is to put on the manikin.) Sew the sides shut from the bottom hem up to the short red line. There will be a wide opening under the armpit to fasten the belt (zone) properly.
      8. Turn right side out. 

       Epimanikia (Cuffs) – for Priest and Deacon

      1. There are two sets of cuffs included, but you only need one set if you're only dressing one manikin at a time. Save the second set just in case these tiny pieces get lost!
      2. Cut four pieces of Velcro ½” wide.
      3. Sew the Velcro to each epimanikia like so: 

      3. Trim threads.

      4. Cut out each epimanikia around the Velcro and along the edge of the satin stitches. 

         

        Epitrachelion (Priest Stole)

        1. Cut out the neck hole and cut off the excess fabric around the epitrachelion right along the edge of the stitches. 

        Zone (Belt)

        1. Cut a ½” piece of Velcro.
        2. Sew the Velcro to the zone: hooks on the front side at one end of the zone, and loops on the back side at the other end of the zone.
        3. Cut off the excess fabric right along the edge of the satin stitches. 

        Epigonation (Shield)

        1. Cut off the excess fabric right along the edge of the stitches; don’t cut off the ribbon. 
        2. Trim the ribbon ends on the back side of the epigonation. 

        Orarion (Deacon Stole)

        1. Cut two ½” sets of Velcro (hooks and loops).
        2. At the 9.5” mark: sew the hooks to the back side and the loops to the front side.
        3. At the 19” mark: sew the hooks to the back side.
        4. Save the loops remaining (the fourth Velcro part) to sew onto the deacon’s sticharion.
        5. Cut off the excess fabric right along the edge of the satin stitches.


        Deacon Sticharion (Outer Garment)

        1. Cut out the sticharion outer fabric and liner on the black line.
        2. Place outer and liner right sides facing with the outer fabric on the top (so you can see the pattern through the wrong side of the fabric). Make sure the cross on the outer fabric is on top of the logo on the liner fabric. Pin securely.
        3. Leaving a turning hole about 2-3” wide in the bottom back of the sticharion, sew along the edge of the gold trim all the way around.
        4. Clip the 90* corners perpendicular to the stitches (do not clip the stitches!) and make snips into the armpit corners up to the stitches. If there are black cut lines remaining, trim them off. 
        5. Turn the sticharion right side out and iron the seams flat (as well as you can, polyester satin doesn’t iron well).
        6. Close the turning hole with a straight stitch.
        7. Pin near the neck to keep the two layers from slipping, then use a satin stitch to sew around the neckline (like the priest sticharion and epitrachelion as it came in your kit). Sew right on the line. Cut out the neck hole along the edge of the stitches.
        8. Take the remaining piece of Velcro (loops side) from the two ½” pieces of Velcro cut for the orarion and sew it onto the sticharion’s left shoulder (as worn). Place it lengthwise along the shoulder so it is in line with the long axis of the neck opening, and close to the satin stitches around the neck (see photos above).
        9. Fold the sticharion in half so that it makes a completed garment, then close up the arms and sides:
        10. Choose five places on each side to close the sticharion, replicating the buttons used on the real deacon’s sticharion. Two under the arm and three down the side.
        11. Hand sew together with several close loops.

        Phelonion (Priest Outer Garment)

        1. Cut out the phelonion fabric (outer and liner) along the black line. Pinking shears are best, as satin frays very easily.
        2. Shoulder darts: fold the fabric as shown in the photo below & pin. Mark a point 1/2” down the fold, then draw a line to the corner of the fabric. Sew on the line; repeat for all four shoulders (outer and liner). 
        1. Pin the outer and liner fabrics together, right sides facing, with the outer fabric layer on top (so you can see the pattern through the wrong side of the fabric). Satin is quite slippery, so put in a lot of pins or clips.
        2. Leaving a turning hole about 2-3” wide in the bottom of the phelonion, sew the fabric together along the bottom edge of the “trim” that is printed onto the fabric, going all the way around to the other side of your turning hole. Use a 3/8” seam allowance around the top of the fabric where there is no printed-on trim.
        3. Clip the 90* corners perpendicular to the stitches (do not clip the stitches!) and make cuts into the seam allowance along convex curves. If there are black cut lines remaining, trim them off. 
        4. Turn the phelonion right side out and iron the seams flat (as well as you can, polyester satin doesn’t iron well).
        5. Hand sew the front closed with a whipstitch on the inside (stitching through the liner fabric only). 
        6. Close the turning hole with a straight stitch, or consider sewing all the way around the bottom edge of the phelonion with a decorative stitch.

        Hat – for Priest and Deacon

        Hand sewing:

        1. Take a length of black (or dark) thread, thread it on to a needle, and tie the ends together.
        2. Turn the rectangular piece of felt into a loop with the short edges touching.
        3. Sew the short edges together without any overlap.
        4. When you get to the end, take the circle piece of felt and set it on top of the loop.
        5. Sew the circle to the top of the loop with a straight stitch so that the cut edges of the loop and the circle stick out toward you, and your stitches are going up through the loop fabric (about 1/8" from the edge) and up through the circle fabric (about 1/8" from the edge), then down through the circle and down through the loop. You're trying to make a lip that sticks out horizontally.
        6. Sew all the way around the loop.
        7. Secure your stitches and cut the thread.