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Linen Guide

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A Lineup of Linen tips and instructions 

We are always elbow deep in luxurious linen. Here’s what we know.

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Bunny’s Linen Basics

Get the skinny on linen weights and thread counts, shrinkage, plus an altar cloth worksheet for establishing cutting and finishing dimensions.

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PURCHASE LINEN

The St. Martha’s Guild sells two weights of linen through Biretta Books, the webstore of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius. The current linen offerings include an all-purpose mid-weight linen and a heavy-weight linen.

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Roman Finish Corporal Starch 

Here’s the recipe to put a sublime shine on your corporals, as found in St. Peter’s Basilica.

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MITERING CORNERS

Here are instructions for mitering linen corners for both hand and machine stitching.

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CARING FOR ALTAR CLOTHS

Our chief sacristan, tasked with dressing all 13 altars at St. John Cantius, has shared his tricks and techniques for cleaning and starching altar cloths. Bunny said it was a “National Treasure!”

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MAKING PURIFICATORS

Here is a full set of instructions for hand stitching a sublime linen purificator.

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Beautiful Uses for Linen Scraps

Here are a few ways you can use left over small pieces of linen.

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