Wreaths are not a major motif in Judaism, but Jews used wreaths as holiday decorations and wedding accessories even in antiquity, when the Temple stood in Jerusalem. Although today wreaths are strongly associated with Christmas, Jews made wreaths for Shavuot and other festive occasions before the birth of Jesus. And as a symbol, the wreath … Continue reading
One of the most fun developments of Jewish wedding planning over the past few years has been the emergence of DIY kits that enable couples to build their own chuppah frames. While the first kits on offer were almost entirely made from birch branches, you can now find chuppah kits using a variety of materials. … Continue reading
This month, when so many students are going back to school, seems like the perfect time to highlight Rachel Braun’s book, Embroidery and Sacred Text: New Designs in Judaic Needlework, in which Rachel draws on principles of mathematics to develop needlework designs that explore Jewish spirituality. Rachel teaches high school math and statistics, and she’s … Continue reading
Based on my experience making custom wedding chuppah canopies, the most popular wedding chuppah sizes are 5.5’x5.5’ and 6’x6’. Over the past few years I’ve created close to two hundred custom chuppah (aka huppah, huppa) canopies, and these are by far the sizes that clients request most often. These sizes provide ample space under the … Continue reading
Couples planning weddings have lots of options when it comes to their chuppah, and the person supplying the chuppah frame is often not the same person creating the canopy. How do you make sure the canopy and the frame will be the right size for each other? This blog post explains the dimensions that count … Continue reading
Roses are red, or yellow, or blueish, But did you know they can also be Jewish? OK, that was kind of corny. And we all know roses come in a lot more colors, like white or pink or peach. But the rose’s status as a Jewish symbol is less well known. A Symbol of God’s … Continue reading
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
