Handmade Liturgical Vestments
Handmade Liturgical Vestments
Custom liturgical vestments and clergy stoles designed for your unique community and worship space.
Each vestment I create is a bespoke, one-of-a-kind work of liturgical textile art. My designs reflect the spirit, symbolism, and sacred identity of the communities they serve.
What Are Liturgical Vestments?
Vestments are sacred garments worn by clergy during worship. They carry both symbolic meaning and visual presence within the liturgy.
I create each piece to support the rhythms of the church year and to reflect the unique identity of the person and community it serves.
Many clients also commission coordinated altar pieces. Learn more about custom paraments.
Handmade Liturgical Vestments Designed Through Discernment & Collaboration
I design vestments based on how the Holy Spirit is working through a particular clergyperson or church community. This process begins with a site visit or consultation, along with conversation and reflection.
For this reason, I do not create stock designs. Each work is tailored to the individual person or community.
First we have our initial conversation and site visit. Then, I create a concept drawing that brings together the ideas, symbolism, and character of the space into a harmonious whole. This drawing becomes the foundation for the project.
Learn more about the design and collaboration process.
Rooted in Place and Meaning
I am deeply interested in creating a connection between each liturgical fabric piece and the art and architecture of the space it will inhabit.
Drawing from photographs and observations gathered during a site visit, I seek to create vestments that amplify the voice of the Spirit moving through the community.
Materials and Craftsmanship for Liturgical Vestments
I work primarily in the finest quality dupioni silk, valued for its vibrant hues, adaptability, and subtle texture. In addition, I may also incorporate liturgical brocades to bring a sense of tradition and solemnity to the work.
Hand Techniques
Much of my work is done by hand, including bias appliqué used to create spirals and knotwork as symbols of the Holy Spirit moving through all of us.
I also use raw-edged appliqué and thread painting to create botanical designs. For this, I layer threads to bring out fine detail such as veins, stamens, and even small insects.
Specialized Details
I incorporate goldwork embroidery for moments of light and festivity, executed entirely by hand.
I also design for machine embroidery when appropriate, allowing for detailed work at a lower price point.
Specialized Details
I incorporate goldwork embroidery for moments of light and festivity, executed entirely by hand.
I also design for machine embroidery when appropriate, allowing for detailed work at a lower price point.
Chasubles & Copes
A chasuble is the principal vestment worn during the Eucharist. It is designed for both movement and visual presence.
A cope is a ceremonial vestment that can be used during processions, blessings, and burials. It offers broader surface for narrative and symbolic design.
A Personal Thread
Some of the most meaningful pieces are those I create for my wife, for The Rev. Canon Kelly O’Connell. Her vestments serve as a creative testing ground, and are opportunity to explore new techniques and push artistic boundaries.
My first full set of vestments, created in 2016, was designed for Kelly’s Easter services. More recently, we added a new stole to that set. It features hand-embroidered columbine flowers and newly developed goldwork techniques.
Interested in Custom Vestments?
Each vestment begins with the story of the space and the person who will wear it.
In addition to full vestments, Christina also creates custom stoles designed to mark significant moments in a clergy person’s life.
Custom Clergy Stoles
Stoles often mark meaningful moments in a clergy person’s life, such as ordination, anniversaries, and transitions in ministry. Each piece is designed as both a personal expression of vocation and a lasting symbol of the work they are called to do.
A stole can be worn on its own, or as part of other vestments.
Each stole is designed and handmade to reflect the unique identity of the wearer.
A Collaborative Design Process
Each stole is created in close collaboration with the clergy person who will wear it. Because of this, they are never designed as surprise gifts.
Every project begins with a simple but meaningful question: “How does the Holy Spirit inspire you in your life and ministry?”
The answer shapes everything that follows, from imagery and symbolism to color and movement.
In one instance, a clergywoman drew her inspiration from scuba diving, resulting in a stole filled with an underwater scene of fish and flowing silver seaweed.
Crafted Details
Hand-Tied Tassels
Each stole features hand-tied tassels. This allows for custom color combinations that cannot be sourced elsewhere. My “fire tassels” have gold on the outside with a generous layer of reds, yellows, and oranges and has a blue core.
When standing still, they look gold, but when the clergyperson moves? FIRE!
Personal Dedications
Each piece may include a gift dedication and a selected verse of Scripture. This adds another layer of meaning to the finished work.
Design Themes Can Include:
- Interfaith & Celebratory – Rainbow stoles for inclusive worship and LGBTQ+ events
- Women in Ministry – “Matriarch” stoles featuring names of women from scripture
- Seasonal & Liturgical – Designed for specific seasons or layered overlays
- Symbolic & Institutional – Incorporating church logos and evolving visual identity
Who This is For
These custom pieces are created for clergy seeking custom liturgical vestments that reflect their identity and community. Bespoke vestments deepen the visual language of worship and become part of the long-term life of the church.
While much of my work has been with Episcopal churches, I welcome opportunities to create for Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and other faith communities who seekthoughtful, symbolically rich design.
Sometimes works are commissioned in memoriam, as an ordination gift, or to mark other milestones in a clergy-member or church's life.
