Category: Processional Canopy

POST 4: With all the embroidery complete and every panel cut to its final dimensions, it was time to assemble the canopy. This was my first canopy project, and while I’ve spent decades constructing garments and vestments, this piece challenged me in ways I didn’t anticipate. The deadline was firm—VaHi Mardi Gras parade was approaching—and…

POST 3: This stage of the project is about precision. With the rough cuts and embroidery complete, it’s time to trim everything down to its final pattern dimensions. This step serves two important purposes. First, it allows the embroidery to be positioned intentionally. Now that the stitched elements are complete, I can place them exactly where they…

POST 2: For this canopy project you’ll need fabric, interlining, and a few basic sewing supplies. Because this piece is meant to be seen from every angle — under it, around it, up close, far away — the way the fabrics sit in relation to each other is important. In my design, the “right” side of the main…

POST 1: A processional canopy is a textile carried on poles, traditionally used during Eucharistic processions to shelter and honor the Blessed Sacrament when it is carried in a monstrance. The canopy creates a visible, moving focal point in the procession—both practical and symbolic—marking the presence of the sacrament and giving it prominence within the community. While…