The Vestment Maker.
With her Whidbey Island Vestment Company,
Emily Uhl aims to bring beauty into The Liturgy.
Read more at http://nwcatholic.org/vestmentmaker.
Correction: Head Seamstress Claire Wilson's name
was mis-spelled in this video due to an error in the print story.
Available on YouTube at
Illustration: ALTARWORTHY
The following Text and Illustrations are from
Being raised with my brother by a single Dad, this was the first time I recall ever seeing female things. They were alien. Fascinating. I wanted to touch them all and the kind woman noticed this and took time to show me some of her treasures as she packed them into boxes.
Before we left that evening, she opened a tiny lacquered box, with herons edged in gold, and asked if I knew what the silver dome was inside. I couldn’t guess. She asked if I would learn to sew someday, and I assured her “Oh yes!”, without any idea what she was talking about. She gave me the box to take home and I never saw her again.
Before we left that evening, she opened a tiny lacquered box, with herons edged in gold, and asked if I knew what the silver dome was inside. I couldn’t guess. She asked if I would learn to sew someday, and I assured her “Oh yes!”, without any idea what she was talking about. She gave me the box to take home and I never saw her again.
But, ten years ago, I started repairing Vestments (how I became Catholic is a different story), but I suddenly recalled that little orange box and pulled it out to use it for the first time.
A full forty years had passed and I saw it with new eyes.
The graceful name, engraved on the side, stopped me in my tracks . . . Maria.