Rorate Caeli

You Suggest: Affordable, beautiful sacred linens for churches -- and work-from-home opportunities for women

We try to stay away from pure promotions of businesses, even good ones such as the business mentioned below. But when a reader submitted this piece to us, we were compelled to publish it, not only because they offer a great service, but because there may be employment opportunities for women with this skill set:

By Monsmellis


Yesterday’s beauty and quality may not be as easy to find today as it was in the past, but it does exist, and I am happy to spread the word.

Traditional, high-quality, 100% fine Irish linen altar cloths and sacred linens (corporals, purificators, palls, amices and albs) are being beautifully produced at very affordable prices, in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Details in Design is a hidden treasure, making hand-cut, embroidered and hemstitched linens and cloths. The studio also sells fine linen French and Roman albs and surplices, takes custom orders for embroidered albs, and sells lace for the altar and albs.

Traditionally the Church has ordered that sacred linens and altar cloths be made of 100% linen. Sadly, many churches today have replaced linen with polyester and cotton, quickly ordered as an afterthought from bulk catalogs. Priests who don’t disinterestedly use what is already available may consider true linen, but then dismiss the idea after seeing unreasonably high prices in catalogs, or online. Thankfully, Details in Design is an affordable alternative, while ensuring beauty and quality. Sadly, this studio is basically unknown, even to traditional Catholic clergy.  

Details in Design is a small labor of love, whose staff work for the greater glory of God, making only the best with the best, for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. They also offer classes at the Williamsburg School of Needlework, for those interested in the traditional production of sacred linens (intensive courses, as well as shorter workshops) including embroidery, whitework and hemstitching.  

The studio is also offering paid positions for women – already proficient and comfortable in embroidery and sewing – in making these sacred linens and altar cloths. This is an excellent opportunity for traditional Catholic women especially, particularly those discerning a vocation, stay-at-home wives and mothers, the retired, etc. Details in Design is also interested in training promising young women on site, at their Williamsburg location. 

Perhaps it now falls to lay women to pick up where so many religious houses left off, in producing these items for sacred use. This possibility joins the privilege and the merit of preparing linens coming into (direct) contact with the Sacred Body and Blood of Our Lord in the Holy Mass, with the economic advantage of always-helpful modest income.

I hope to help Details in Design to become much better known among priests and the faithful, interested in the Mass: particularly the dignified vesting of the altar and the sacred ministers. This company’s beautiful products and expertise can only compare to its great prices!

For those interested in ordering these products, classes or sewing for the studio, or for more information, please visit: www.communionlinens.com.