When the weather turns chilly it’s a great time to make a super snuggly aleph-bet cuddle blanket for a little one in your life. This second tutorial based on the Sew Jewish book features: For sewists new to applique: Detailed description and demonstration of techniques for getting beautifully finished machine appliques. For even experienced applique … Continue reading
Make some waves! Learn how to sew wave tucks for a handmade hand towel in this first video tutorial based on a project in the Sew Jewish book: the al natilat yadayim hand towel. I designed this hand towel especially for the hand washing before eating bread and before eating the matzah during the Passover … Continue reading
Embroiderers through the centuries have turned to the chain stitch, especially folk artists. The stitch was a popular choice among Jewish mothers who embroidered Torah scroll binders to commemorate the births of their sons in 17th-19th century Eastern Europe. The embroidered chuppah scene above, created with chain stitches, is typical of scenes found on the … Continue reading
The slip stitch is a great way to sew a seam closed invisibly from the right side (outside) of a project. It’s a great hand sewing stitch to have in your repertoire. I’ve been using the slip stitch a lot lately, so I thought now would be a good time to share the technique: Start … Continue reading
The year I lived in Tunisia opened my eyes to a whole new world of Jewish culture, especially during the spring holiday of Lag b’Omer. The holiday takes place thirty-three days after the first day of Passover. In my American community, we celebrated with a picnic, but on the Tunisian island of Djerba, the El … Continue reading
Yesterday a reader wrote to ask for advice on how to make a tallit katan, the small tallit typically worn under a shirt for daily use. It’s something I had been looking into although I haven’t written up a project, so I thought I’d share with you what I know. Because making a tallit katan … Continue reading
Prints help make life fun. Polka dots, florals, checks, batiks, abstract designs — all add dimension to applique projects. We’ve collected our top tips for choosing them and using them: Match the scale of the print to the size of the applique. Small appliques call for small prints, otherwise the pattern will overwhelm the applique, … Continue reading
![How to Make Your Own Wedding Chuppah Pole Stands [Video]](https://sewjewish.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/chuppah-pole-stands-video-thumbnail.png?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "How to Make Your Own Wedding Chuppah Pole Stands [Video]")
Are you sewing a wedding chuppah? In this video we show you how to make stands for the chuppah poles using flower pots, PVC piping, and about $10 worth of concrete. The stands are very much like the stands we’ve used for huppah rentals at our sister site, Huppahs.com. They’re very steady. This is my … Continue reading
Squares of fabric whip up into drink coasters pretty quickly. Make a set for yourself or a hostess gift. We kicked ours up a notch for a Passover craft swap with pomegranate appliques based on the pomegranate atarah pattern — I’m kind of in a pomegranate place right now — but the general instructions apply … Continue reading
This excerpt from the pomegranate atarah video tutorial focuses on the technique of making machine appliques from silk dupioni fabric. Spoiler alert: Use sheer fusible tricot interfacing to back the appliques, and baste the appliques on to the background fabric before finishing the edges. The video walks you through the steps. Use dupioni silk when … Continue reading
Add a beautiful silk atarah (neckpiece) to your handmade tallit. We show you how in this video tutorial to accompany the new pomegranate-themed atarah pattern. The tutorial includes lots of details and tips for doing machine applique with silk, so even if you’re a beginning sewing enthusiast you can create a lovely atarah that makes … Continue reading
In this video tutorial for machine applique you’ll see: How to navigate around an applique’s corners and curves with smooth, high-quality results. Top techniques for beginning and ending the stitching. The ideal position of the stitches on your applique. To complement this video, you may also be interested in the written tips and photos in … Continue reading
To all you Supermoms out there, we know you’re busy saving the world 365. And with Purim coming up, you’re going to make sure everyone else has a costume before you think about your own. So to make things a little easier on you this holiday, we’re sharing my Supermom costume idea from a few … Continue reading
In my last two posts I mentioned that you can use the eyelet setting on many models of computerized sewing and embroidery machines to quickly create reinforced holes for the tzitzit strings on your tallis (tallit, tallith, prayer shawl). I thought you might like to see that magic in action. Here are two videos that … Continue reading
![Here’s an Easy Way to Sew Tzitzit Holes in Your Tallit [Video]](https://sewjewish.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/jerusalem-corner-hexagon-with-pattern.jpg?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "Here’s an Easy Way to Sew Tzitzit Holes in Your Tallit [Video]")
When you’re sewing a tallit, making holes in the corners for the tzitzit strings can be tricky if your sewing machine can’t make eyelet circles automatically. We’ve come to the rescue with a technique you can use with any sewing machine. This video explains. It’s full of details and tips, so even beginning sewists can … Continue reading
![To Easily Sew a Neat Tzitzit Hole on Your Tallit, Don’t Make a Circle, Make a Hexagon [Free Printable Pattern]](https://sewjewish.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/sew-hexagon-tallis-hole.jpg?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "To Easily Sew a Neat Tzitzit Hole on Your Tallit, Don’t Make a Circle, Make a Hexagon [Free Printable Pattern]")
Update: You’ll find a video version of these instructions here. If your sewing machine has a setting that automatically creates nice, circular eyelets, that’s a great way to make reinforced holes for the tzitzit on the corners of your tallit (tallis, tallith). But if your sewing machine doesn’t have that capability, making neat circles using … Continue reading
We just finished our first video, How to Sew a Challah Cover You’ll Love Using (If you follow us in Twitter, we accidentally announced it there early on Friday). It’s a video to accompany one of our first projects, How to Sew a Challah Cover that Zings. We’re planning more videos for new projects, and … Continue reading
![You’ll Want to Sew this Reusable Shopping Bag [Free Printable Pattern]](https://sewjewish.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/free-pattern-shopping-bag-b1.png?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "You’ll Want to Sew this Reusable Shopping Bag [Free Printable Pattern]")
Just in time for Sukkot, we offer this pattern for a hardy reusable shopping bag. This sturdy tote will last longer than most reusable shopping bags you’ll find, and it stands up to a good sanitizing wash. It’s the perfect size for carrying apples and other treats freshly harvested from the farmers market, orchard, or … Continue reading
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