The pomegranate has inspired Jewish artisans for centuries, since the day God inspired Betzalel to embroider pomegranates on the hem of the High Priest’s robes. Drawn by their beauty and symbolism, today we add them to all kinds of projects from ritual items to holiday decorations and home decor. To help you bring your … Continue reading
I’ve been indulging in slow stitching this season, specifically hand stitching appliques. I can recommend it to create some relaxing moments for yourself this season. Continue reading
A festive pennant banner to brighten your space this Hanukkah and for holiday seasons to come. Make it with the Hebrew alephbet letter pattern set and this free dreidel pennant pattern. Continue reading
Kind of *love* this Hebrew monogrammed tote. Here’s how I added an applique monogram to a favorite tote bag, and how you can too. Continue reading
You don’t need a fancy programmable sewing machine to create beautiful machine appliques—Use these techniques for smooth stitching around corners, curves, beginning and ending machine applique stitches. Continue reading
I recently learned a new technique for starting embroidery, and it’s so much easier and faster than the traditional way I learned that I had to share it. It also provides an easy way to anchor a French knot. Continue reading
My favorite gift I received as a kid was a sewing kit. My mom gave it to me when I must have been in about fourth or fifth grade. She had found a metal box with a hinged lid and carrying handles that flip down to the sides so you can pull open the lid. … Continue reading
I imagine that most everyone reading this post has a sense of the various styles of face mask sewing patterns out there, each pattern with its own pros and cons. This center seam version is the style I’m focusing on at the moment. I like that there are minimal gaps around the mask. The curved … Continue reading
Can you tie-dye a wedding chuppah canopy? Yes, you can! Tie-dye is one of the easiest and most fun ways to add color and personality to your chuppah. In this post I’m going to show you how to tie-dye a chuppah canopy in a ring burst pattern using a Sew Jewish silk chuppah canopy. To … Continue reading
Guest sewist Susan Yaskin explains how to make a rag quilt, like these Jewish-theme quilts she made for her granddaughters as Hanukkah gifts. Making a rag quilt is faster and easier than making a classic quilt, and if the idea of quilting a whole blanket at once seems intimidating, then making a rag quilt may … Continue reading
When doing machine applique, turning sharp corners can be tricky. I’m talking about the kind of sharp corners you find on a star, like a Star of David. As you approach a pointed corner and the applique narrows to a point, the stitches become wider than the applique. The stitches can end up spilling onto … Continue reading
Deborah Katchko-Gray is a professional cantor and accomplished needle artist. When she’s not weaving melodies with her voice she’s weaving embroidery thread, creating Judaica with a technique called Swedish weaving. Swedish weaving is a type of embroidery in which the stitches are worked on the surface of the fabric. Rather than the needle passing to … 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
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
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
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