A Chalice Veil

On camping events, one learns fast that flies and other insects love open containers of liquid! I noticed that a lot of people just toss a hand-towel or other cloth on top of these containers, and thought that surely there's a way to prettify things. On investigation, I found that there is indeed a period solution: The chalice veil.

The chalice veils I found were primarily used in churches, as a ceremonial covering for decanters of wine. They were generally of silk, cut rectangular/square and lavished with silk embroidery. That's a bit fancy for camping use, so I made my own modifications to that design.

A Chalice
Veil

Total
Kitten Magnet

I've taken to using my chalice veil at home, as well, to keep cats from snogging my drinks. It works!

1 round of fabric (lightweight cotton, linen, silk; nothing with too much body); cut about 9"-12"
Cardboard half-circle
Thick embroidery thread (I used Needlepoint weight Alyce Schroth hand-dyed silk thread)
Bronze-finish pendants, 3/4" or thereabouts
Seed beads in coordinating colors with the pendants and thread
Rocaille beads
Disc-shaped ceramic beads, 3/4"

1. Make a narrow hem on the fabric. Double it so there are no raw edges inside it and sew with as small a stitch as you can. I put narrow trim around the edge at this time and sewed rocaille beads into the trim to add some weight.

2. Measure the cardboard half-circle. Cut it so that it will make pretty scallops evenly around the bottom of the fabric circle. Very lightly trace with washable pencil or chalk.

3. Embroider scallops. Taking the round, make more scallops on top of the row you just sewed. I put seed beads in around the scallops wherever I thought they'd be pretty.

4. Make a daisy in the middle of the fabric. Embroider its outline. Don't go crazy here -- it's likely this may get stained.

5. Fasten the pendants at even intervals at the edges of the piece. Sew on the disc-shaped beads.

6. Put over top of glass when kitten is near. Watch kitten burst into flames with frustration over not being able to dip its paws in your drink.

This page last updated: July 10, 2009

All text copyright Vangelista di Antonio Dellaluna, except where otherwise noted. All portraits are understood to be copyright- free and are presented as research aids only.