Did Hanukkah sneak up on you, too? Heck, even Thanksgiving snuck up on me. Only yesterday I realized I needed to check in with my kids on which foods they’d like for Thanksgiving. Then I realized Hanukkah starts only 10 days later. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for Hanukkah sewing. For folks who … Continue reading
On the Friday before Rosh Hashanah, Sarah Jacobs, the author of the blog Sarah in NYC, was facing a deadline to finish a custom kittel –the white coat traditionally worn by men on special occasions. The deadline was later that day, but she took time to talk to me about the kittel, her work, and … 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
A huge thanks to Dr. Carol Gerson for sharing photos and details of this button-closure tallit bag she designed to accompany a hand-made tallit for a bar mitzvah boy. Making the tallit was a family project, with the bar mitzvah boy choosing the design elements, Dad on the sewing machine, and Mom helping out, too. … Continue reading
Update: Sew Jewish is now available in two versions: Paperback on Amazon.com and the SewJewish Etsy Shop. PDF format for instant download on Etsy. The book includes the 18 projects you need for Jewish holidays, weddings, bar/bat mitzvah celebrations and your home. Just in time for holiday gift giving! Get all the details on Etsy. Continue reading
We finally posted an About page. Here’s an excerpt: …My design philosophy is to use simple techniques and quality materials and to craft items that will last a long time. In large measure, I want things to last because I see sewing as an important part of building a sustainable future for my family and … Continue reading
Our newest addition to the Sew Jewish Shop is a pomegranate-themed atarah (neckpiece) and corner pieces for a tallit. The pattern comes with step-by-step instructions and illustrations as well as lots of tips, so even beginning sewers can get great results. Visit the Sew Jewish Shop for the pomegranate atarah pattern. Maria Bywater is the … Continue reading
Even as we employ symbols in the creation of Judaica, remembering the words of Abraham Joshua Heschel, the twentieth century theologian and civil rights activist, reminds us of their limitations: The use of symbols whether in the form of things or in the form of actions is required by custom and convention; the fulfillment of … Continue reading
I’m pretty excited to open the new Sew Jewish Shop with this pattern for an atarah and corner pieces for a tallit featuring a Jerusalem cityscape. The pattern is called King David’s Jerusalem, and it includes step-by-step instructions and illustrations for you to make your own atarah and corner pieces for a tallit. For details, … Continue reading
This Shabbat most synagogues will read the Torah portion Tetzaveh, in which God tells Moses what clothes the priests should wear when serving in the Temple — a hat, trousers, tunic, and belt, and additional garments for the High Priest — and also how to make them. But the Torah doesn’t say who sewed them. … 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
![Free Atarah and Corner Pattern for Your Handmade Tallit [PDF]](https://sewjewish.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/atarah-pattern-pdf.png?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "Free Atarah and Corner Pattern for Your Handmade Tallit [PDF]")
Are you making a tallit? As promised, here is a pattern for an atarah (neck piece) and corner pieces. Earlier, we posted instructions for making a tallit that used a purchased atarah. Now, with this pattern, you can make your own. Neither the atarah nor the corner pieces are strictly necessary for a tallit, but … 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
Update: You’ll now find full instructions for a tallit as well as a tallit bag, kippah, and other projects in the Sew Jewish book, available in paperback from Amazon and in PDF format directly from Sew Jewish. The tallit is the one sewing project (besides the curtains that hung in the Tabernacle and Temple and … Continue reading
This video by Jewish Pathways explains how to tie tzitzit to a tallit better than any other I’ve seen. It’s the one I always refer to: Here are a couple of my own tips: Each time you start a new set of windings, pinch the hanging tzitzit threads together just below the knot. Make the … Continue reading
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