Are you sewing a wedding chuppah canopy or having one made for you? You’re probably also looking for poles or a frame to hold up the canopy. Birch branch chuppah frames are popular for weddings because they just look super charming. And birch chuppah kits can be ordered online, which makes them super convenient. Last … Continue reading
Here’s a new version of the Olam chesed yibaneh embroidery pattern. Earlier this year I posted a hand embroidery pattern for a tallit atarah (neckpiece) with the theme Olam chesed yibaneh. The English translation is “We will build this world with love” or “We will build this world with kindness.” The design was inspired by … Continue reading
Surprisingly, matzah print fabric rose up to become the theme of the week in my studio. It started with a project from Cathy Perlmutter’s new book. Then the matzah cover won the most popular sewing pattern in the shop. And then someone asked when the matzah cover kits would be back in stock. There was … Continue reading
Have you ever finished an embroidery project and wanted to hang it up using the hoop as the frame? Use these instructions to add a back to a hooped embroidery project and give it a finished look. Add a ribbon, and it’s ready for hanging on a wall or window. For the hoopla in the … Continue reading
Get Stitch-a-hedron! in paperback (Amazon) or PDF (Etsy). Stitch-a-hedron! the latest book by Cathy Perlmutter, is just plain fun. Or maybe that should be fun with planes, as in flat surfaces. All the projects in the book are based on polyhedrons, three-dimensional shapes made from flat surfaces. Combine six squares and eight hexagons, for example, … Continue reading
It’s Hanukkah season and here’s your dreidel game refresher in fabric and thread. There are lots of variations, but this is the classic version as I learned it. Good luck! Start the Game At the start of each round all players put a chocolate coin into the center pot. The first player spins the dreidel, … Continue reading
Did Hanukkah sneak up on you, too? Heck, even Thanksgiving snuck up on me. Only yesterday I realized I needed to check in with my kids on which foods they’d like for Thanksgiving. Then I realized Hanukkah starts only 10 days later. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for Hanukkah sewing. For folks who … Continue reading
Personalize your cell phone sleeping bag, the cut-and-sew project available at Spoonflower (Cell Phone Sleeping Bag Cut-and-Sew Project), by adding your name with embroidery. You can use an electronic embroidery machine, of course, and you can also embroider a name by hand. If you’re giving the bag as a gift, a hand-embroidered name gives your … Continue reading
The blanket stitch comes in handy for several uses. As an embroidery stitch, you can use it to outline an object and give it a real folk art look. Or use it to hand-sew an applique onto background fabric, like the hamsa in the photo. You can also use it to finish a narrow hem … Continue reading
This stitch creates a dashed line. Pass the needle up and down at equal intervals through the layers of fabric or trim. A typical stitch length is about 1/8” (3mm), but you can adjust the length based on the materials you’re working with. If the fabric allows, you can make more than one stitch at … Continue reading
The eye of this little dove is made with a French knot. How to Embroider a French Knot A key to making a French knot is to start with the thread in front of the needle. Then, rap the thread around the needle several times. The more times you wind the thread around the needle, … Continue reading
The French knot is one of the most popular and widely-used embroidery stitches. But sometimes you only need one, as for the eye of this little dove. Here is a technique for anchoring a single French knot. It’s especially useful when the knot is isolated and not conveniently near any other of your stitches. In … Continue reading
Sew a set of honeycomb place mats for your Rosh Hoshanah table and get ready for a sweet new year. These mats would be great in the sukkah, too. This is a simple pattern, easy to sew, and it’s a free pattern to boot. L’shanah tovah! Wishing you a good year! Materials Recommended fabrics: The … Continue reading
Let’s talk about that moment in a sewing project when you’re about to make that first cut in your fabric. It can be intimidating. Sometimes it can be downright scary. And sometimes that fear is enough to stop a project in its tracks. I’ve had sewing students tell me they’d pay someone just to stand … Continue reading
I’ve really been inspired by people who’ve put themselves on the line for the sake of building a better world. I’ve been looking for ways to contribute, if only small ways. This is one of those small ways. It’s a pattern for a hand embroidered atarah, a neckpiece for a tallit prayer shawl. The design … Continue reading
Even the little ones can get in on the holiday fun with their own soft toy dreidel. An you can get the PDF pattern in the shop! This dreidel sports the traditional Hebrew letters and a pointed bottom just like a classic dreidel, but in soft toy form. The letters are machine appliqued, and I’ll … Continue reading
![How to Sew the Slip Stitch [Video Tutorial]](https://sewjewish.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/slip-stitch-matzah-cover-video-thumbnail.png?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "How to Sew the Slip Stitch [Video Tutorial]")
The slip stitch is a great hand sewing stitch for closing an opening in a seam from the right side of the fabric, or outside of the project. Even though you’re sewing on the outer surface of the project, the stitches are virtually invisible. I use the slip stitch often in finishing projects, including the … Continue reading
The dream: make a matzah cover that looks like a piece of matzah. For more than a year the idea had been kicking around the back of my mind, and after two months of getting the pattern just right –as well as figuring out how to photograph it– the dream is now a reality. This … Continue reading
