Burse-making course at Royal School of Needlework: exclusive to the Guild of St Clare

Burse-making at the RSN with Heather Lewis


The Guild of St Clare is collaborating with the Royal School of Needlework to provide a special one day course in burse-making. This is a unique opportunity to learn the skills necessary to make one of the more tricky pieces of the traditional vestment set. The tuition will be provided by RSN tutor Heather Lewis, who led our previous Guild of St Clare course in ecclesiastical goldwork, back in 2012. The course will take place at Hampton Court Palace in the RSN's teaching apartments, and is subsidised by the Guild of St Clare.


The date is the 8th February 2020, and the course will run between 10am and 4pm. Tea and coffee are provided; you will need to bring a packed lunch, or you can visit one of Hampton Court Palace's cafes. The cost, including the materials and the special Guild of St Clare discount, is £105.


For more information please email Lucy on lucyashaw@gmail.com, or book through the registration link on the LMS website.

Sewing Retreat at Douai Abbey

Against a liturgical backdrop of the Feast of All Saints and the Feast of All Souls, the Guild of St Clare held its fifth Sewing Retreat at Douai Abbey.

Fr John Hunwicke led the retreat as chaplain and gave us some perceptive and stimulating spiritual conferences on St John Henry Newman. The Douai Guestmaster, Fr Oliver Holt, very kindly gave us a tour of the Douai archives which include some beautiful eighteenth century vestments, made by nuns from the convent at Lanherne.

They are in remarkably good condition and it was a privilege to be able to see them.

 Work undertaken included making several faldstool covers, a commission for the Latin Mass Society, as well as repairs to chasubles and an embroidered stole.

We are delighted to have found such a comfortable and welcoming venue at Douai Abbey and look forward to returning there in February next year.