During the festival of Sukkot we eat in the sukkah, visit with family and friends in the sukkah, and sometimes, so I’ve heard, sleep in the sukkah, although I’ve never done that. Why not sew in the sukkah? Particularly during the intermediate days of the festival when we’re less likely to be entertaining friends for … Continue reading
Are you thinking about making a wedding chuppah? Earlier this summer InterfaithFamily asked me to write a guest post about chuppahs –the various styles, where to find one, and tips for making one– based on my work at Huppahs.com. InterfaithFamily, if you’re not familiar with the organization, provides Jewish resources for interfaith couples and families. … Continue reading
If you’re like me, it’s easier to take time away from your cell phone if it’s out of sight. Hence, the cell phone sleeping bag, especially useful for tucking your phone away for Shabbat and Jewish festivals. As far as my internet research can tell, the idea of a sleeping bag for your cell phone … Continue reading
Orange Summer by Justine Miller Have you heard the story about the woman who wanted to be a rabbi and who was told by a man that “a woman belongs on the synagogue bimah the way an orange belongs on a Passover Seder plate”? The story has inspired many families, including mine, to put oranges … Continue reading
Happy Purim! To mark the occasion, I’m posting this piece about the Jews in one of the cities of Queen Esther’s Persian Empire: Baghdad. It’s an excerpt from an article I wrote in 2003 on an exhibit about the Jews of Iraq at London’s Jewish Museum. The exhibit was called “By the Rivers of Babylon.” … Continue reading
Do you embroider, applique, do silk painting or other creative fabric technique? Have you ever dreamed about creating a unique wedding chuppah for yourself or someone else but weren’t sure how to get started? Well, I can take care of the first step for you: sewing the canopy. In the Sew Jewish Shop you’ll now … Continue reading
With a little holiday ribbon and some simple hand sewing, you can create this little spice pouch. Use it to hold spices for havdalah, the ceremony to end Shabbat. And, as Creative Jewish Mom Sara Rivka points out, it makes a great holiday party favor. The project is my latest guest post for Sara Rivka, … Continue reading
Mazel tov to Sara Rivka, the creative Jewish mom behind the Creative Jewish Mom blog, on her son’s bar mitzvah last week! This week she took a tiny break from her busy creative pace while I provided a guest post: an embroidered hoopla based on children’s art. That’s my daughter’s drawing on the hoopla, along … Continue reading
Happy hooplas! Lately, when I haven’t been focused on Jewish holidays I’ve been preoccupied with hooplas, or hoop art: fabric art made and framed with embroidery hoops. I love that the embroidery hoop that you work on becomes the frame for your work. It’s charming and sweet and an easy way to display your needlework. … Continue reading
The Jewish new year is on its way — challah dipped in honey! — and the autumn holiday season right behind it. It’s a time for new beginnings, and a great time to start the year with a new challah cover. So I’m releasing the challah cover pattern from the Sew Jewish book as its … Continue reading
Grace Kelly. Kate Middleton. And now brides of all styles are adopting the drop veil. Change the length and you change the mood. Wear it with a garland of flowers, a tiara, or on its own. It’s easy to make your own drop veil, tailored to fit you and your style. Maria Bywater is the … Continue reading
If you’ve ever sewn a gift for someone, you probably know the feeling that you’re giving them a bit of your heart to carry with them. That’s the case with these challah covers that I finished this week for my daughters, who are are headed off to college next month. I’d wanted to make a … 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
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 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
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
No one quite knows anymore when the practice of lighting Shabbat candles began, but traditional sources agree that the practice reflects the prophet Isaiah’s appeal to “call the Sabbath a delight” (Isaiah 58:13). As Friday night falls, kindling the Shabbat candles creates light by which to enjoy the evening, especially the Friday night meal. No … Continue reading
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