Pope Benedict

We recall with sadness that day three years ago when our beloved Pope Benedict was called from this life to the next.  How greatly we miss him !  But we rely on his intercession and continue to reflect on his profound teaching in the brief years of his Pontificate.

AMDG

On the Feast of S' Thomas Becket

On this Feast of the great English saint and martyr Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, we are pleased to present a recently made set of vestments. 

The design of the chasuble shewn adjacent is a variation on the Studio's Saint Cuthbert chasuble, which is a very ample vestment. 

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Posts describing the venerable chasuble of Saint Thomas (which was in the semi-conical form), can be viewed here and here.

Although visually similar to the original Becket chasuble, there is no attempt to produce an exact replica of it; instead it is an adaptation of the venerable chasuble, intended for convenient modern use.

The vestments are made from an English ecclesiastical brocade, which is fully lined in blue taffeta. A narrow braid, designed by the Studio in an early mediaeval style, was used to ornament the vestments in the distinctive manner.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Information on placing an order.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for optimal viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG

During the Holy Days of Christmas

During this Christmas Season, the Saint Bede Studio is pleased to resume presentations of our festal vestments.

This set is made in the style now associated with Saint Philip Neri : the Italian style of the 16th and early 17th centuries.  The vestments were made from a brocade of gold silk and metallic thread and fully-lined in a taffeta muted-gold in colour.

This chasuble is ornamented in the well-known Roman style, being the TAU at the front and a column at the back, formed by a rich brocade in colours of ivory and golden thread, with an outlining galloon. 

 

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Information on placing an order.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for optimal viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG

A Greeting on this Most Holy Feast

 

To all friends, customers and readers of this Blog, 

sincere wishes for a Blessed Christmas.

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill be made low; the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places, plain; and the Glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.
Isaiah 40:4-5.

Michael Sternbeck
The Saint Bede Studio
December 2025

In the Season of Advent 2025 : 5

As Advent draws to a close, the Saint Bede Studio is pleased to present this simple violet dalmatic. 

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.

Although there are many different shades used for Lenten and Advent vestments (none of which has a claim to being the correct colour), nevertheless, this particular shade of violet is closer to what was used during the mediaeval period and until the beginning of the 20th century.  It is a subdued colour, but not dark, closer to the shade of the flowers violets. 

Instead of the ubiquitous treatment of gold ornament, these vestments are ornamented with galloons of charcoal and silver and are lined in taffeta of silver-grey. The dalmatics are ornamented in a modified form of the Roman manner.

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Information on placing an order.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for optimal viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG

In the Season of Advent 2025 : 4

As Advent continues, the Saint Bede Studio wishes to present this simple set of violet vestments.  It is part of our range of vestments, called Saint Anselm.

The vestments were made from silk in a lighter shade of violet and ornamented with a column, front and back.  The ornament was formed from silver dupion silk and one of the Studio's unique braids Saint Edmund (based on a design of AWN Pugin).

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.  

The chasuble is unlined, but faced at the neckline, helping it to sit well and not crumple.  

Click on the images for an enlarged view. 

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Information on placing an order.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for optimal viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG

In Times of Disturbance

A further set of Rose vestments

The Studio is pleased to present a further set of Rose-coloured vestments.

The vestments depicted in this post were made for a Catholic Cathedral in Ireland and are according to a form of Gothic Revival which we designate Saint Benet.

These vestments were made from dupion silk in a dark and lovely shade, like to the petals of an actual rose.  The vestments were fully lined in a lilac-coloured taffeta.  

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

The ornament was formed from a braid from the range of the Studio's unique offerings, called Rosa Antiqua.  The braid is in a darker and a lighter shade of rose in a stylised floriated design.  

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Information on placing an order.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for optimal viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG

Gaudete Sunday 2025

Twice a year, the Church breaks the tone of its penitential seasons by the use of rose-coloured vestments. 

Rose-coloured vestments were never commonplace and they still are not.  Many different colours have been deemed by the Church as acceptable as liturgical rose.  Some of these are a salmon shade; some a silvery-pink, almost mushroom-colour; some close to what we would call Bishop's purple or fuchsia; and some red with overtones of gold.

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.

The vestments depicted in this post are according to a form of Gothic Revival which we designate Saint Benet.

These vestments were made from dupion silk in a quite lovely shade of rose.  This dupion silk is distinctive for having weaves of two complementary shades, which appear different at alternative angles.  The photographs accompanying this post shew these differing appearances.  The vestments were fully lined in a taup-coloured taffeta.  

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

The ornament was formed from a braid from the range of the Studio's unique offerings, called Saint George.  The braid is in the colour of platinum and burgundy, upon a crimson background.  A narrow galloon outlines the perimeter of the chasuble.  Both these braids are derived from the designs of AWN Pugin.

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Information on placing an order.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for optimal viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG

A Rose by any other name but Pink

Figure 1. Pope Paul VI in 1978

wearing a rose chasuble 

made from dupion silk.
Image: L'Osservatore Romano

Twice a year, the Church breaks the tone of its penitential seasons by the use of rose-coloured vestments.  Rose-coloured vestments were never commonplace and they still are not.  Nevertheless, you will find various pronouncements these days (usually on websites) about what the real or authentic shade of rose is which is to be used for vestments.

Newsflash: there is no official shade of Rose designated by the Church, nor has there ever been.  One reason for this is rather simple: only in the nineteenth century did the process of dyeing fabric become sufficiently sophisticated to ensure that much the same shade of a colour emerged from one batch of fabric dyeing to another.

Many different colours have been deemed by the Church as acceptable as liturgical Rose.  Some of these are a salmon shade; some a silvery-pink, almost mushroom-colour; some close to what we would call Bishop's purple or fuchsia.

Another thing is certain: Bubblegum Pink is not Rose, nor has it been a traditional variation for use on these days. Whilst not intending to get into the argument as to whether the use of pink (be it vibrant or subdued) is a fitting colour for a man to wear, Bubblegum Pink certainly manifests a lamentable lack of liturgical good taste. And yet we find so many pink vestments for sale from ecclesiastical suppliers etc.

Figure 2. Pope Paul VI greeting a priest
after Mass in Saint Peter's on Laetare Sunday 1978.
Both are wearing rose 

chasubles made from dupion silk.
Image: L'Osservatore Romano

At an old post on the Blog, The New Liturgical Movement, we find a number of interesting vestments in that shade of Rose commonly found in Italy in centuries past: a salmon colour.  Go there and take a look.  But don't be mistaken about that particular shade of Rose being universal: it was used in Italy, but probably not much elsewhere.

Adjacent are two pictures of another shade of Rose.  These are sets of vestments worn by Pope S. Paul VI on Laetare Sunday, 1978. The vestments are made from dupion silk of a very subdued silvery-rose.  Ornamenting them is a column-orphrey almost fuchsia in colour.  Sadly, these vestments have not been seen in Papal Masses since :  lamentable sets of brighter pink vestments, of rather unimaginative fabric and design, have been used instead.

Below is an image of a set of Rose vestments made by the Saint Bede Studio of similar colour to the vestments of S. Paul VI.

AMDG

Guadalupe

On these adjacent Feasts of Saint Juan Diego and our Lady of Guadalupe, the Saint Bede Studio is pleased to present a set of vestments in honour of the Blessed Virgin.   

These vestments are ornamented is an adaptation of the well-known Roman style, a TAU at the front and a column at the back.

But they are ornamented in imitation of the beloved image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, being the colours of ivory, gold, blue and rose.  The orphreys are formed from a beautiful blue silk damask with an outlining galloon in old-gold and burgundy.  The lining is formed from taffeta in a subtle shade of rose.

These vestments are in the Studio's Saint Philip Neri style, which is the product of years of research into historical vestments and refinement of dimensions for comfortable use.  The Studio revived this more ample 16th century style of the Roman chasuble in 2007 and since then we have made many of them.  Beware of poorly-made imitations!

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Information on placing an order.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for optimal viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG

On the Immaculate Conception of BVM

To commemorate this beautiful Feast of the Immaculate Conception, we are pleased to present these images of sets of vestments in honour of the Blessed Virgin.  

These vestments are in the Saint Bede Studio's Maria Regina style.  This was the first orphrey braid the Studio developed specifically in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Since then, we have designed several other unique Marian braids.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Enquiries.

Information on placing an order.

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics. 

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG 

In the Season of Advent 2025 : 3

In this Holy Season of Advent, the Studio is pleased to present a further set of violet vestments.

These vestments were made from an English ecclesiastical brocade, in a rich shade of violet and lined with a taffeta red in colour. The vestments were ornamented in the Roman manner with the crimson red damask, outlined with a galloon in colours of burgundy and grey and a narrow galloon of the same colours.

This set is a modern interpretation of the chasubles illustrated in various depictions of Saint Philip.  Although ornamented in the Roman manner, this is an earlier and more traditional form of "the Roman chasuble" being both wider and longer. 

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.

Click on the images for an enlarged view. 

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Enquiries.

Information on placing an order.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG 

In the Season of Advent 2025 : 2

In this Season of Advent, the Saint Bede Studio is pleased to present this set of vestments.

The vestments were made from an ecclesiastical brocade in a deep shade of violet.  A deep, narrow chevron formed from Peacock blue brocade was framed with a galloon comprised of knotwork in black upon a taup background.  This formed the chasuble ornament, front and back.  The vestments were fully lined in a lovely teal-blue taffeta. 

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.

These vestments are in the Studio's Saint Cuthbert form which is ample, but carefully shaped to avoid falling upon the wearer like a blanket.

Please click on the images for an enlarged view.

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Enquiries.

Information on placing an order.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG

The Feast of Saint Francis Xavier

On this Festal day, we are pleased to present a set of vestments in the style described as Saint Philip Neri.  It is a style which would have been very familiar to Saint Francis Xavier.

This set is a modern interpretation of the chasubles illustrated in various depictions of Saint Philip.  Although ornamented in the Roman manner, this is an earlier and more traditional form of "the Roman chasuble" being both wider and longer.  As made by the Saint Bede Studio, this style of vestment is very comfortable to wear.

This particular set was made from an ecclesiastical brocade in a shade of ivory, it was lined in a golden taffeta and ornamented simply with an outlining golden galloon.

Please click on the image for an enlarged view.

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Enquiries.

Information on placing an order.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG

In the Season of Advent 2025

During this holy Season of Advent, the Saint Bede Studio is pleased to present a set of violet vestments.  

This distinctive set of vestments was made from silk dupion in a lighter hue of violet; it was lined with a taffeta in a dark shade of purple.  The colour of the vestment inclines towards blue; but it is distinctly violet, as distinct from purple or blue.

The chasuble is in the style we call Saint Cuthbert,  being a contemporary version of a mediaeval chasuble.  The chasuble is very ample, being both wide and long, and is ornamented with a narrow braid in the familiar "Y" arrangement.  

The braid ornamenting these vestments is purple and ivory, upon a black base.  It is complemented by a narrow galloon in a lighter shade.

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.

Click on the images for an enlarged view. 

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Enquiries.

Information on placing an order.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG