There’s a new challah cover pattern in the shop: “Almond Blossoms.” Almond trees are the first trees of the year to blossom in Israel. They produce flowers even before the leaves appear. In late winter, as the days grow longer, the almond trees come into bloom, a welcome sign of renewal and a promise of … 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
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
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
Shalom! The Hebrew letter that starts the word shalom, shin, often appears in Jewish design, particularly on ritual objects like tefillin boxes and mezuzah scroll covers. When used in Judaica, it traditionally stands for one of the names of God, Shaddai, which means Almighty. Shalom, Shin! [Image: Detail from mezuzah scroll cover project in Sew … Continue reading
What makes a sewing project Jewish? I’m continually turning this question over in my mind. Hebrew phrases or Jewish symbols mark a project as Jewish, but what if you don’t use them? How do you give the object you’re designing a Jewish identity or imbue it with a Jewish idea? That was the question I … Continue reading
Get ready to make Jewish tradition your own! Update: Sew Jewish is now available in paperback as well as an instant download PDF. Wow–It’s been a long journey, and the Sew Jewish book has just been released! See all the details and get your copy today in the Sew Jewish Shop on Etsy. What’s Inside … 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
Find yourself looking at any wedding registries lately? How about using that registry as inspiration for a unique, handmade wedding gift: a challah cover that coordinates with the couple’s china pattern? The cover can become a highlight of the couple’s Shabbat and holiday table decor, covering the two loaves of challah bread, for years. Start … Continue reading
Sometimes the answer is simply that it fits into a Jewish life. Which means the answer can be different from person to person. Last week I went to the birthday party of a little girl who just turned three. The party took place at a Jewish center, with lots of folks from the Jewish community, … Continue reading
Peta over at The Not Sew Guilty Quilter just launched her first ever (maybe THE first ever?) Jewish craft and quilting swap. She’s matching up folks to sew Jewish holiday themed table or food prep items for each other. Do you have a Jewish-themed table runner or pot holder in you? One of the guidelines … 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.files.wordpress.com/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
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
Planning a special celebration? You don’t have to settle for those ubiquitous plain organza favor bags. We’ll show you how to sew a set of unique favor bags using fabric ribbon. The ribbon’s pre-finished edges mean you can sew up a set of bags fast with just a few simple seams. For Hanukkah, fill them … Continue reading
This isn’t your grandmother’s challah cover. Well, it could be if you chose to make it with burgundy velvet and gold trim. But why not give your challah cover some zest? We juiced up our version with a raspberry-colored graphic print and a lining with an over-sized floral print featuring a splash of lime. Make … Continue reading
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