Purple Set

A pretty cursory inspection will reveal that the Purple Set isn't a set at all. It came about like this. The chasuble I discovered at one of my favourite hunting-grounds, Church Antiques in Walton on Thames, but it consisted just of the purple jacquard fabric and the braid. It also looks distinctly home-made - it isn't symmetrical and doesn't actually hang straight, especially on my slightly wonky shoulders. It must have looked very strange if it was ever used, but it had ties to secure it which implied it HAD actually been worn. I didn't notice how rough it was until I got it home but by then was determined to make something of it. I laid a coarse interlining (it was a pig working out all the irregular bits to fit), sewed on a light gold-coloured lining, and then put black velvet down the orphreys. The purple is actually a lovely shade and works very well with the black. I think all chasubles should have a cross on the back, so bought the embroidered cross from eBay and popped that on as well. This isn't my favourite chasy by any means - it's only 36" from neck to hem, which is short on me - but it works OK despite the efforts of some mysterious substance which somehow got onto it while I was doing the work and attacked the fabric at various points.

The stole came from Mr Taylor of the Cowley Road, Oxford, who made my white ordination stole, and the maniple was an eBay purchase. Its fabric is really spectacular and I can only imagine how gorgeous the chasuble must have been that was associated with it, but despite being from another set entirely it fits fine with the other pieces.