If you’re looking to push the boundaries of Jewish sewing, let’s take a trip to Japan. In a post last month about fabrics whose patterns suggest Stars of David, two of the swatches were based on the traditional Japanese hemp leaf pattern, known in Japanese as asanoha. The rich history behind the hemp leaf pattern … Continue reading
Hey quilters, Row by Row 2016 is on. The annual fabric store hop launched on Tuesday, and this year’s theme is “Home Sweet Home”. All summer long, local quilt fabric shops across the United States and Canada are giving away free, original quilt row patterns based on this year’s theme. A handful of shops in … Continue reading
My focus on Jewish sewing often has me seeing stars —Stars of David, specifically– where I don’t think they’re intended. I do double-takes on floor tile patterns, carpet designs, wrought iron fences, and fabrics. Especially fabrics. Here are some fabrics that I think you’ll agree do good impressions of Stars of David and would make … Continue reading
Have you ever gotten an itch to stitch but were afraid you wouldn’t have time to finish a project, so you didn’t start? This cute little pomegranate pillow is perfect for those times, because it doesn’t take long to sew. I originally designed it for a hands-on workshop to teach beginner-level applique and sewing techniques, … Continue reading
Shabbat candles, and the candles we light for Jewish holidays, are a fixture of Jewish life and Jewish design. They feature especially prominently on challah covers, and are used here for a tzedakah jar. But why do we light Shabbat candles? Early rabbinic teachers derived the practice from the prophet Isaiah’s call to make Shabbat … Continue reading
Here’s the newest PDF pattern: an atarah and corner pieces for a tallit (tallis) featuring a Jerusalem cityscape. It’s called the King David’s Jerusalem Atarah Pattern. It’s a machine applique pattern, and it includes instructions for sewing the atarah and corner pieces to your tallit. You can find the atarah pattern ready for download in … Continue reading
The eye appears in Jewish art, especially Jewish folk art, going back centuries. It suggests the eye of God that is always watching over the world, and represents divine protection. Fish, with their eyes that never close, also represent divine protection. Hamsa designs often incorporate eyes. I like the idea of combining folk symbols of … Continue reading
The Sew Jewish book is now available in paperback! Yeah! After the PDF version came out, so many readers asked about getting a physical book, especially to give as gifts, that I plunged in to figure out how to make it happen. I’m so grateful for everyone’s interest and support. The paperback version is now … Continue reading
The latest Sew Jewish pattern is the Shalom Shadow Box, a mini quilt that highlights traditional Jewish folk symbols of peace and divine protection. The five symbols on the quilt are drawn from Jewish popular culture, the Torah, and Judaism’s mystical tradition: The Hebrew word “shalom,” for peace Dove with olive branch Hamsa, also known … Continue reading
This bold, modern tallit was created by reader Susan Yaskin as a bat mitzvah gift for her granddaughter. The tallit and matching bag are made from Dupioni silk. An embroidery service created the lettering and Stars of David for the bag. The blue and gold colors and the diagonal stripes give the tallit a modern … Continue reading
Among Jewish symbols, the Tree of Life —Etz Hayim— stands tall. Its roots stretch back to the Garden of Eden. Here’s the Torah passage where we first encounter it: And from the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food, with the tree of … Continue reading
Are you ready for something new for Passover? If you’re used to an apple-walnut charoset on your Seder plate, how about trying this variety made from dates, dried apricots, and almonds. The recipe is inspired by Tori Avery’s Sephardic Charoset Truffles. For Tori’s truffles, she pulses the main ingredients in a food processor, then forms … Continue reading
Yesterday evening we finished a four-day tallit making class at a local synagogue. Eighteen students participated, most of them around bar and bat mitzvah age, but some as young as eleven and also several adults. Yesterday’s class was dedicated to finishing tying the tzitzit, which we started the week before. So much positive energy. Every … Continue reading
Sewists who are used to using fusible interfacing or iron-on adhesive web for quilting fabrics and other cotton fabrics are often surprised to find that the same interfacing or adhesive web can make silk and silk-like fabrics stiff (I know I was surprised the first time it happened to me, and I’ve heard from several … Continue reading
Have you been looking for a tallit with Scottish flair? Have you wanted a kilt but weren’t sure where to find one that comforms to the Jewish laws of shatnez? Scottish rabbi Mendel Jacobs has you covered. He’s just registered the first official Jewish tartan with the Scottish Tartans Authority. Scottish rabbi hawks ‘kosher’ tartan … Continue reading
If you plan to sew a handmade tallit and you’re looking for a fabric that’s in line with your commitment to environmental sustainability, consider hemp. Growing hemp is particularly environmentally friendly. The plant needs little water to grow. An acre of hemp yields twice the fiber for fabric than cotton. Unlike plants that deplete the … Continue reading
Everyone who’s made a tallit by hand, especially a tallit for a teenager, has probably considered at least for a moment if it would work to use denim. Well, Darlene Gordon has done just that, sewing a tallit from white cotton denim. And she shared the above photo. It looks really cool! Darlene made the … Continue reading
Within the constellation of Jewish symbols, the Star of David shines the brightest. It serves as the most well-known symbol of Judaism and Jewish identity. The Star of David’s wide popularity in Jewish design is a modern development –it replaced the menorah as the leading symbol of Jewish identity only about two hundred years ago. … Continue reading
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