Wreaths are not a major motif in Judaism, but Jews have used wreaths as holiday decorations and wedding accessories since antiquity, when the Temple stood in Jerusalem. Although today wreaths are strongly associated with Christmas, Jews were making wreaths for festive occasions before the birth of Jesus. And as a symbol, the wreath image plays … 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
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
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
In Paperback at Amazon and PDF download on 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 … Continue reading
Let’s talk about that moment in a sewing project when you’re about to make that first cut in your fabric. It can be intimidating. Sometimes it can be downright scary. And sometimes that fear is enough to stop a project in its tracks. I’ve had sewing students tell me they’d pay someone just to stand … Continue reading
This is the season when the weekly Torah portion returns several times to the subject of the Tabernacle the Israelites built after leaving Egypt. Building the Tabernacle was a community project that involved sewing, weaving, and embroidery, among other crafts. I thought this would be a great time to post an excerpt from the introduction … Continue reading
