New pattern: 54 Hebrew alephbet letters for sewing and crafts
This week I’m excited to release a new Hebrew alephbet letter pattern collection for sewing and crafting. The pattern collection is in PDF format, and it’s available now for download.
Latest Entries
Row by Row 2016 Is On – Support Your Local Fabric Shop
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
Seeing Stars
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
New: Pomegranate Pillow Kit
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 – De-Lightful Jewish Symbol
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
Atarah / Bar-Bat Mitzvah / Patterns / Shop Patterns / Tallit
New Tallit Atarah Pattern: King David’s Jerusalem
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
Take a Look: The Ever Watchful Eye
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
Now in Paperback: Sew Jewish – The 18 Projects You Need for Jewish Holidays, Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvah Celebrations and Home
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
Jewish Mini Quilt Pattern: Shalom Shadow Box – PDF Pattern
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
Get Inspired by this Tallit for the Generations
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 Stands Tall
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
Try this date and dried apricot charoset recipe for Passover
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
The Sacred Space of Teaching
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
Why did my interfacing make my fabric stiff? The answer…
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
What would you sew with this new Jewish tartan?
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
Hemp Fabric Works Great for a Tallit
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
Get Inspired by This Reader’s Tallit Made from Denim
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
The Star of David: The Most Popular Symbol of Jewish Identity
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
Does a Tallit / Tallis Have to Have Stripes?
A reader recently asked about stripes on a tallit, so I thought the topic would make a good blog post. A tallit, Jewish prayer shawl, does not have to have stripes. You’ll often see tallits with stripes in Ashkenazi communities. In Sephardic Jewish communities, however, the tradition is for the tallit to be plain white. … Continue reading
Sew Jewish 