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Resources and Links
Here are some of my favorite resources. If you have more
suggestions, please email me at cathy.perlmutter@gmail.com
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FABRIC SHOPPING
I don't have any financial affiliations
with ANY of these companies, except in the sense that I tend to send several of them lots of
my money!
Matzoh fabric
Fancy Delancy, out of Colorado, does not yet have its own
website. Order through their catalogue.
All profits go to the Jewish Children Adoption Network. Request the catalogue from
jcan@qwest.net, tel. 303/893-6942, fax
303/893-1447, address 1635 Osceola St., Denver, CO 80604.
The Jewish Fabric Store.
www.thejewishfabricstore.com.
(Formerly www.1-800-dreidel.com.) The telephone number is
1-800-Dreidel. Service is friendly and reliable. Tell Lori I sent you.
Jewish-themed
fabric, locally
Your Local Quilt Shop (LQS) If you shop at a your local, independent
quilt shop, you will be sure of getting high-quality fabric. Tll the owner that
you are interested in Jewish-themed fabric. When it arrives, BUY
LOTS!
Chain Fabric Stores The quality of the
fabric often isn't as good as at quilt shops, so this is not the ideal
source for heirloom projects. But sometimes it's all we have. Tip: To find the Jewish fabric, scour the Christmas fabric! (Often on the bottom shelf, aka
'The Secret Annex.').
BY REGION. If you can recommend a bricks'n'mortar store that carries a lot of Judaic fabric, let me know and I'll post it here!
Florida: Reader Marcia Pascoe told me about Rainbow's End, in
Dunedin, Florida. The largest quilt shop in the state, they offer
many Judaic prints in both their Holiday sections, and in their
bargain 'back room.' Website at
www.rainbows-end.com.
California: The
legendary Los Angeles fabric store Michael Levine in downtown L.A.
carries huge amounts of novelty fabrics, including the largest number
of Judaic prints I've seen in one place. Sometimes on sale!
http://www.mlfabric.com/homepage/.(
Jewish-themed
fabric, online or mail-order
When my local shops don't have what I want, I look online. Here are some
of my favorite sites. (Warning: This section could keep your
credit card up way past its bedtime.) Try keywords like 'Jewish' 'Hebrew'
'Star' 'Hanukah' (Channukah, Chanukah, Hannukah, Hannuka, etc.). Scour
'Holiday' and, yes, Virginia, always peek in the 'Christmas' section, too.
The Jewish Fabric Store.
www.thejewishfabricstore.com. (Formerly
www.1-800-dreidel.com.).
Not just matzoh fabric! This shop also carries large quantities of
Judaic-themed fabric. For information, telephone Lori at 1-800-Dreidel!
Fancy Delancy Along with matzoh fabric they also sell many other Jewish-themed fabric, plus fabrics that
might not have started out with Tribal intentions---like several Federal-style
1890 indigo reproductions (with 6-pointed stars);
blue-and-white sashiko-style fabrics with the traditional Japanese 'hemp'
pattern (Guess what kind of a star?); Chinese food fabric; 'How to Get
a Husband' fabric; mah jongg fabric, and and even fabric featuring a
hard-won husband attempting home repairs and electrocuting himself, falling
off ladders, etc. I laughed! I cried! I spent! They also sell buttons,
quilt patterns, and more. To see all the offerings, request a paper catalogue, at jcan@qwest.net,
tel. 303/893-6942.
Fabric Paradise.
www.fabricparadise.com
This shop specializes in novelty fabrics of all kinds, including many Judaic fabrics. (Enter the word
'Judaic' or 'Chanukah' in their search box).
www.Jewishpeople.com
Several Judaic designs. Sunshine Sewing
http://www.sunshinesewing.com
. Put 'Jewish' in the search engine for some Jewish-themed fabrics. They
also now sell Judaic quilt patterns! (See next listing).
NEW!!!
www.faynicolldesigns.com
Eight new Judaica Art Quilt Patterns by Fay Nicoll, owner of Sunshine
Sewing Company. Patterns and Kits available for each. Fay has been an
entertainer in the Jewish music industry for many years, has appeared on
Broadway, and has 4 Jewish music albums to her credit. She is now
devoting her extraordinary creativity and energy to her Judaica Art
Quilt Patterns. They're gorgeous! Quiltshops.com http://quiltshops.com/search.htm. This isn't a store---it's a search engine for more than 50
online quilt shops. Enter your search term, and click "thumbnails".
You'll see snapshots of all the fabric on one page!!! Price variations are fascinating. Making a 'plague' matzoh
cover? Type in 'frogs,' and see what hops up! Speaking of which, Fabric Shop Hop.
http://www.fabshophop.com/fabsearch.asp Similar to the service above, it searches dozens of shops
with one click. They're affiliated with the Fabric Shop Hop, which is a lot
of fun. (If you happen to like fabric).
eQuilter.com. Huge selection---great place to find
novelty and theme fabrics for every topic under the sun (from Bingo to
Zorro), at fine quilt shop prices (plus shipping and handling).
Quiltconn.com. Great selection, service and reasonable prices.
www.Gloriouspatchwork.com
Fabrics designed by color genius Kaffe Fassett. His striped fabrics are sublime.
They are also, the website explains, are woven by people who need the work in India (making their use a sort of a mitzvah).
The fabrics can be ordered from his website, but is also found at many local
and online quilt shops.
For people of the (college text) book: At Bearpaw
Quilting, I couldn't find any Jewish-themed fabric, but the shop
does carry more than 30 licensed cotton college prints. (They also have
many military, sports, and other novelty prints---plus the new line of
Elvis prints! [Elvis, of course, was
secretly Jewish]). Go to
http://www.bearpawquilting.com/cgi-bin/Store/store.cgi.
Searching for one particular, possibly out-of-print fabric?
Two excellent sites devoted to this type of quest are:
www.missingfabrics.com,
and
http://www.quiltregistry.com/community/forum/fabfinder/index.html.
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Quilting groups, websites,
artists, patterns and
businesses
The Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Needlework.
http://www.pomegranateguild.org/
for the U.S. branch, and
http://www.pomegranateguild.ca/ for the Canadians. This nonprofit international organization
is a fabulous resource, and their websites are loaded with eye candy!
American Guild of Judaic Art. Includes many quilters. Check them
out by clicking "Weaving/Fiber."
'The Six Million Stitches Project Rita Lenkins Hawkins,
of blessed memory, was such inspiration. She
ran an online Jewish needlework group, and she launched the Six Million
Stitches Project. If you go to the website, at
http://6millionstitches.clicksitebuilder.com/index.html, you will see
many projects that came out of her passion. The site
asks for a $1.00 donation to the U.S. Holocaust museum, in Rita's memory, for
every project you download.
Temple Beth Zion's Faith Quilts Project. As part of a larger
project, 36 members of this Brookline, Mass. Temple, (from kids to seniors), created
two 7' x 14' tapestries.
http://www.tbzbrookline.org/love/hesed.php?id=5470&page=5470. Learn
about the larger, Boston Faith Quilt project, here:
http://www.faithquilts.org/.
Deb Mishael, a Houston-based Jewish educator, offers a
free, no-sew 'Shema' quilt pattern geared to classrooms. Directions at
http://www.debimishael.com/CAJE_art.html. Many other resources for Jewish education,
plus hand-made greeting cards.
The Quilters Cache, a pattern design company by Marcia Hohn,
http://www.quilterscache.com/,
offers a free paper-pieced Star of David pattern, at
http://www.quilterscache.com/S/StarofDavidBlock.html, and a free
Hannukiah (Hanukah menorah), at
http://www.quilterscache.com/M/MenorahBlock.html .
Irit Art
http://www.iritart.com/ena. Israel's largest manufacturer of Jewish
stickers. They can also print their
designs on fabric. For more information, contact Eitan Poplinger, their export
manager, at Eitan.irit@gmail.com.
Quilts With Style magazine
has a pattern for an unusual, 3-D Star of David, in issue 61
(November/December 2006). It was designed by Liz Schwartz and Stephen
Seifert.
http://www.quiltswithstyle.com/main/Projects/Magen_David.html.
Joy of Silk, www.joyofsilk.com.
Massachusetts artist Joy Chertow is a silk painter who sometimes
collaborates with quilter Elana Schreiber. Check out the
magnificent tallitot, and torah covers (in the 'Temple Photos' section).
She also offers tallit workshops, so youngsters can help create their own.
Art & Remembrance.
http://www.artandremembrance.org. Poignant tapestries of Esther Nizenthal Krinitz, a child Holocaust survivor
who, at 50, began stitching her memories into needlework and fabric
collages.
Batts in the
Attic.
www.battsintheattic.com. Simple Judaic patterns including Hannukiah wall hanging, Passover set (afikomen bag and cover),
and more. Made by quilt artist Paula Reid.
Canaan Art. www.canaanart.com. Shulamit Ron is a gifted
Israeli artist and quilter. View her wonderful work at
Richard Caro makes custom huppot.
http://www.rcarodesign.com/chupahs.htm.
DesignsSewJewish.
http://members.shaw.ca/sewjewish/SEWJEW Stephanie Shaeffer,
in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, sells finished quilted Judaica, as well as
several patterns for Judaic projects, including holiday table runners,
Judaic-themed baby quilts, etc.
Fancy Delancy Their printed catalogue has pieced and
foundation-pieced patterns, including an aleph-bet, a "Shalom Y'all" wall
hanging, a challah cover, matzoh cover, etc. For a catalogue, email
jcan@qwest.net, telephone 303 (893)6942,
fax 303 893 1447; or write them at 1635 Osceola St., Denver, CO. 808204.
Temma Gentles. Sublime!
www.temmagentles.com.
Judaica by Marilyn, The Tallit Lady. Marilyn's quilting specialty
is watercolor quilts; but she also makes glorious, peronalized tallitot,
chuppot, kippot, baby gifts, and more.
http://www.levyjudaica.homestead.com/
HuppahQuilt.com http://www.huppahquilt.com
For people who want a huppa that is a group art project as well as a keepsake wallhanging.
These folks provide a complete kit, guidance, and inspiration, and they do
ALL the sewing..
Ricki Jacobson has made many lovely appliquéd Judaic art quilts, at http://members.shaw.ca/rgjacobson/index.html
Jeanette Kuvin Oren and N. Amanda Ford make spectacular quilted Judaica. http://www.kuvinoren.com/.
Inventing Tradition Art quilter Elizabeth Rosenberg offers
stylish Judaic quilt projects,
including challah and matzoh covers, an aleph-bet, and two different
Hanukah wall hangings. Go to
http://www.inventingtradition.com/gallery.htm, and click on 'Patterns.'
Paula Nadelstern makes the most astonishing kaleidoscopic stars
imaginable, including many based on a 6-pointed star. Visit her website is
at http://www.paulanadelstern.com/
. Her quilt, Kaleidoscopic IV, The Crystal Canopy, is a huppa.
Oy Vey! Quilt Designs
http://www.geocities.com/oyveyquilts/. Cheryl Lynch offers a kippah pattern, a lovely aleph-bet sampler; 'Shalom banner'; challah cover; newlyweds under a
chuppah
wallhanging; 'lightable' menorah, and matzoh cover patterns.
Quilters Newsletter Magazine. This magazine's website has a free
pattern for Rachel's Star, a lovely wallhanging. (You'll also see a version of it
in the 'Gallery', made by Elizabeth Janowitz). Find the pattern by entering the words "Rachel's Star' in the search box at
www.quiltersnewsletter.com/qnm/feature20.htm
Quiltworx.com, Judy Niemeyer Quilting. Check out the 'Diamond Wedding Ring' pattern, which combines the traditional American double-wedding ring pattern with six-pointed stars, and a floral
appliqué
border. (See a chuppa actually made from this pattern, by quilter Erica
Kolatch, in my Gallery).
Adam Rhine paints
luminous Jewish mandala and calligraphy designs; some have been adapted
to needlepoint. kits. Very inspiring. See his work at
www.hebrewart.com.
Melanie Siegel is a Canadian artist who does not make quilts,
but uses textiles and beads in
abundance. One of my favorites is her 'Tent of Abraham and Sarah.' It's in
the 'Textile' section of her site at
http://65.50.61.43/msiegel/enter/ .
Heather G. Stoltz is a scholar and a quilter who has made a series of quilts about Biblical women. Great Judaic baby quilts,
too. Check out her site at
http://www.sewingstories.com.
Elsa Wachs. Innovative, moving Judaica.
www.elsawachs.com.
Women of Biblical Proportions, and Men of Biblical Proportions.
http://www.wobp-mobp.org/. I was
privileged to participate in one of these fascinating traveling quilt
exhibitions (see Passover II).
Jewish quilting camp. One more reason to move to Wisconsin,
at least for a week.
Information and great pictures at
http://osrui.org/devorah.
(See also my Gallery Pages, for many more Judaic quilting sites!)
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Judaic machine-embroidery designs
Embroidery Arts.
www.embroideryarts.com. A Hebrew aleph-bet intended for monogramming.
Download individual letters for a small fee, or buy the entire set.
http://www.embroideryarts.com/monogram/hebrew.html.
Embird. www.embird.com
has an aleph-bet on their "alphabets" page, #25.
Auntie M Designs.
www.auntymdesigns.com. Click on 'Embroidery Designs,' 'Hebrew Alphabet.
'
Stitches by Sue. www.stitchesbySue.com.
Several
aleph-bets, and more Stars of David than you can shake a yad at. She
recently added a darling Passover "plagues collection"
(Insofar as plagues can be darling.)
Cactus Punch. www.CactusPunch.com.
Some two-dozen Judaic machine-embroidery designs. Put 'Jewish' in the search window.
Designs can be purchased in a store, or downloaded directly. Toll free number is 1-800-487-6972.
DesignsSewJewish
At
http://members.shaw.ca/sewjewish/SEWJEW Stephanie Shaeffer, in
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, offers several cute Jewish
designs--one a fanciful children's aleph-bet, the other--hope you are
sitting down-- adorns your,
uh, kosher wine bottles with, uh, bibs, dresses, tallitot, vests, skirts, capes, and of course, tutus,
with words like 'Shabbat Shalom' and 'Oy Vey!' Oy vey!
She also sells patchwork patterns.
AnntheGran. At
http://annthegran.com/free_designs_frameset.htm Free designs contributed by readers. From the home page, click on 'Judaica.'
Then, click 'Chanukah' for even more.
Buzz Tools. Hobbyists share their original designs at
this site, and several are Judaic, plus an aleph bet. Click on
'Free
Designs' 'Alphabets and Symbols,' and on 'Free Designs' 'Religious,' at www.buzztools.com.
Fancy Delancy Offers a lovely Hebrew font
which works with Brother (.pes), Babylock (.pes),. Bernina (.pes), Pfaff (.pcs),
Viking (.Hus), Elna (.sew) Janome/New Home (.sew), Singer/P.O.E.M. (csd),
Tajima (dst), and Melco (.exp). Email them for a picture at jcan@qwest.net,
tel. 303 (893)6942, or write them at 1635 Osceola St., Denver, CO.
Carol Price. This machine
embroidery site offers a Hebrew aleph-bet.
http://home.att.net/~carolcp/index.htm. (Click on 'sets for sale').
EmbroideryDesigns.com.
www.embroiderydesigns.com.
Type 'Jewish,' 'Hebrew,' and/or 'Hanukah' in the search window.
Bernina. I am told that the Bernina Artista software has a
Hebrew alphabet, and Judaic designs, which can also be transferred to
Janome machines.
Tallitot (Prayer Shawls)
http://www.scheinerman.net/judaism/tallit/index.html.
How to tie the tzitzit.
http://www.hanefesh.com/edu/Tzitzit_Shawl_Prayer.htm#cu
More tzitzit directions. N.Amanda Ford wrote a fascinating essay and instruction sheet for making
a tallit, at
http://6millionstitches.clicksitebuilder.com/index.html, Click on
the page titled 'Directions1', and scroll down.
'The Jewish Catalogue, a Do-It-Yourself Kit,' by Richard Siegal, et.
al., published by The Jewish Publication Society of America. Excellent tallit and tzittzit
tying instructions. The Crafty Needle (formerly California Stitchery), has
many needlepoint kits and canvases for tallit cases and atarot; but
most relevant to quilters are their 'how to' books, 'On Making A
Tallit,' by Marilyn Eisenman, and 'Tallit Traditions,' by Bobbie Premack. TALLIT
ACCESSORY SUPPLIER
Plain white tallitot (for embellishment), tzitzit. and atarot
(optional rectangular collar bands), can be purchased from many
different Jewish supply stores, or mail order. Possibilities:
The 613 Mitzvah Store, 9400 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035.
Tel. 310.247.9613. No website, but if you live in or near LA, this is
the place to drive for tzitzit. A wide assortment of sets, all of them wool,
guaranteed kosher, with prices ranging from about $2 a set to $12 and more.
Shatnez Information Explains Torah law on fiber mixing.
http://shatnez.n3.net/.
Kippot
And if you don't have time to make your own. our readers have
recommended:
- Eileen Chadis, who maintains one of the most awesome
Jewish crafts sites on the web, also sells fabulous handmade crocheted
kippot. See them at
http://www.chadiscrafts.com/yarmulkahhome.html . (And be sure to
check out her hundreds and hundreds of free craft projects, while
you're at it!)
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J. Lowy Skullcap has good
product, good service, bargain prices (according to a quilter we know),
and lots of flashing signs.
http://www.kipot.com/index.htm.
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Mazel Tops. The good news: No flashing signs. The bad news: BLASTING
shmaltzy music. So turn down the volume when you visit this site, which will
sell you mass quantities of kippot made from fun fabrics,
http://www.mazeltops.com.
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The Kippa Connection,
www.kippaconnection.com.
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It's a mitzvah
It's so easy to do a good deed when you're a quilter. And
it's so much FUN! Here are some ways.
Israel 'Quilted Hugs' - 'Chibukisui - Project. Created in Israel, by Elana Schachter
and friends. Beginning and veteran quilters hold 'quilt-a-thons' to make comfort
quilts for distribution to victims of terrorism. Distribution is
overseen by the social
work organization ATZUM. The project is
in need of quilting supplies, especially batting and cotton thread.
For more information, contact
Roberta Bernstein,
ATZUM P,O. Box
23773, Jerusalem, Israel 91237, email
Roberta@atzum.org.
The project has
received generous support from Stephen Friedman, a real menche, at
fabric.com, in Atlanta, Georgia. US quilters interested in donating
quilts can contact him for details---he's
helping underwrite shipping costs. He's at
friedman@fabric.com.
Project Linus.
http://www.projectlinus.org/.
Distributes quilts to U.S. children in need.
ABC Quilts.
http://abcquilts.org/home.html
. Founded in 1988, to give love and comfort to at-risk babies. "We
define 'at-risk' as those babies born HIV-positive, affected by their
mother's drug or alcohol abuse while pregnant, or abandoned. Our
international network of volunteers has delivered over a half million quilts
since we were founded." This project specializes in teaching people to
quilt, and even offers a curriculum guide for teachers.
The AIDS Memorial Quilt.
http://www.aidsquilt.org.. Working on a project like this can be a
healing experience. Learn more about volunteering at
There's more information about memorial
quilts on my Memory Quilts page.
Recommended reading
Intentionally Jewish
Tupa, May Rockland, The New Work of Our Hands, Contemporary Jewish Needlework and Quilts, Chilton Book Company, Radnor PA, 1994. The only book about Jewish quilting, this book was my first inspiration.
Includes Jewish symbols you may not have known about (hearts, angels, wreathes, elephants, snakes!); several Hebrew alphabets;
many photos. The earlier edition of the book, The Work of Our Hands; Jewish Needlecraft for Today
(Schocken Books, New York, 1973), covers some of the same territory,
but also includes some different projects (including dolls).
Aber, Ita, The Art of Judaic Needlework, (Charles Scribners' Sons). Not focused on quilting, but has some quilted projects and many great ideas. (See below, 'Where to
buy out-of-print books.')
Frankel, Ellen and Teutsch, Betsy Platkin, The
Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols, (Jason Aronson, Inc., 1995.) I refer to this small paperback book constantly for background information on Jewish objects, holidays, and symbols.
Siegel, Richard, et al., The Jewish Catalogue: A Do-It-Yourself Kit,
The Jewish Publication Society of America. Causee, Linda, Symbols of Faith,
(American School of Needlework, 2002). True, there's a large crucifix on
the cover of this book, But if you read it the Hebrew way, from back to
front, it transforms into a Judaic resource! The back cover is all
Jewish blocks. And, of the 44 7" blocks within this book, at
least a quarter are Judaic The Judaic designs include a 6-pointed star; a
rainbow and dove; a curvaceous 'chai', (chet-yud, for 'life'); a shofar; a
7-branch menorah; a Chanukah menorah; two different kiddush cups; Noah's
ark; dove; rainbow; wheat
branch; palm branch; a really cool pomegranate, and―most extraordinary
of all―the tablets of the 10 Commandments, each commandment symbolized
by an embedded paper-pieced Hebrew letter.
(See 'Learn to Quilt' below, for introductions to paper piecing).
Potentially Jewish
Learn To quilt
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To learn strip-piecing and basic quilting: Burns, Eleanor,
An Amish Quilt in a Day, Quilt in a Day, 1986. This is the first quilt book I ever owned and used, and it got me hooked.
Burns teaches the simplest, fastest techniques for the
way-coolest results. Directions are extraordinarily clear. Her other Quilt in a Day books (like Irish Chain,
Log Cabin, and others) are also an excellent way to begin
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To learn paper-piecing: Christine Thresh's website has an
terrific tutorial, at
http://www.winnowing.com/ppp.html. Any book by Carol Doak is also a
good way to learn.
Jewish learning
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Your rabbi, or the rabbi of the people for whom you are making the
quilt. If you have any specific concerns about ritual or religious
items, it's a good idea to talk to the relevant rabbi first. The Jewish
community is diverse, and what's okay in one community is definitely not
in another. (Serious understatement!)
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Torah. You can find any number of Bibles in print,
but that's so old-fashioned! Find what you need online, at http://bible.ort.org/intro1.asp. This
site, run by World ORT, is designed as an online bar/bat mitzvah
tutor, but it's a whole lot more. It includes the entire
Torah, the Haftarot, summaries of each portion, and blessings. See the
text in Hebrew, English, transliteration, trope---and click a button to HEAR
it! You can print out the text for your own personal use. However, this
site forbids unauthorized reproduction and distribution--- which I
believe means you are not permitted to print their text directly
onto your fabric and put it onto your quilt, regardless of the purpose of
your quilt (whether you are selling it, or stuffing it in the bottom
drawer). What you can do, presumably, is use their Bible as a guide,
retype the biblical quotations into your own word processing
program, and then choose your own fonts, sizes, styles, etc---just as you
might do from a paper
Bible.
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CD ROM Bible. I own the Davka Corporation's
CD ROM Judaic Classics Library Bible ("The Complete Hebrew/English Bible
on CD with powerful search program."), (www.Davka.com). It allows
me to find the passages I need quickly, to put it in another font
(depending if that font plays nicely with theirs), and then print it out, without copyright hurdles. Davka is extremely understanding of artists' needs
and, once you actually purchase their product, do not seem to require you
to obtain signed legal waivers every time you want to make a quilt.
(Beware though: Other folks do. Don't copy ANYTHING from the web to put on
a quilt without written permission from artist or the site owner.)
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www.jewishencyclopedia.com. The good news: The 12-volume Jewish
Encyclopedia, first published in 1901, is now online. The bad news: It's 100 years old and hasn't been
updated yet. No Israel. No blueberry bagels. No Adam Sandler.
Maybe that's not all bad?
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Ritualwell.org provides resources
for creating contemporary Jewish rituals. "Our hope is that
this site will connect Jews to a living Judaism and empower us all to mark
important times in our lives with ritual."
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Hebrew History Federation, at
http://www.hebrewhistory.org/index.html. Scholarly research about Jewish art and craft.
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www.MeltonArts.org.
'Learning Judaism through the Arts.' Resources for Jewish art
educators, and links to a wide variety of Jewish artists.
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Judaism
101. http://www.jewfaq.org/#Author.
The conservative author presents predominantly orthodox
perspectives and traditions. A handy modern Jewish
encyclopedia on one site. Not to be confused with another Judaism
101 site, from the Orthodox Union (see below).
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My Jewish Learning. www.myjewishlearning.com
Articles, mini-courses, quizzes, discussions, recipes, etc. 'Transdenominational'
perspectives on Jewish topics, presented by Hebrew College in Newton
Centre, Mass, and 'Jewish Family & Life!'
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http://scheinerman.net/judaism
Explains Jewish rituals and traditions.
Family-oriented.
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Ask Moses, at www.askmoses.com. Well, okay,
maybe not Moses himself, but at least this site tells you what the Lubavitcher Hasids think.
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The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, at
http://www.ou.org.
Their Judaism 101 area is very useful. Reach it at
http://www.ou.org/about/judaism2.htm.
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The Conservative Movement,
http://www.uscj.org/index1.html.
Also check out The Women's League for Conservative Judaism, at
http://www.wlcj.org; click on their
'Outlook Magazine' for fascinating articles about women and Jewish ritual.
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The Reform Movement. http://uahc.org/search/.
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The Reconstructionist Movement. http://www.jrf.org/
Includes weekly Torah portions and interpretation.
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The Jewish Renewal Movement, at www.aleph.org.
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Interfaith Family. www.interfaithfamily.com.
The subtitle for this site is "Encouraging Jewish
Choices."
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www.Holysparks.com. The
fascinating, kabbalah-inspired work of calligrapher Rae Ekman.
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www.cdtorah.com
Study with the great Chassidic rebbes,
while you drive.
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Diamant, Anita, The New Jewish Wedding, Simon and Schuster, 1985.
Actually, ALL of Anita Diamant's non-fiction books are terrific
resources.
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Salkin, Rabbi Jeffrey K., Putting God on the Guest List; How to Reclaim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Child's Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
(Jewish Lights Publishing, 1996) Inspiration for anyone making a quilt for a bar or bat mitzvah child.
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Shatnez Testers of America, at
http://shatnez.n3.net/. Everything
you ever wanted to know about Torah law on fiber mixing.
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Yiddish Dictionary Biz hundert un
tzvantzik, and visit this site, which features phonetic
spellings and translations of everything your Bubbie used to say in
Yiddish so you shouldn't understand. Loads of fun! A sheynem dank. It's at
http://www.koshernosh.com/dictiona.htm .
Out-of-print book shopping:
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Tools and
gadgets
Magic Star 6 Template, by Mace Motif.
Make kaleidoscopic 6-pointed stars, neatly finished around the edges, ready for a fast hand- or machine-appliqué.
Ask at your local quilt shop, or order online from Quilt Crafts,
http://www.quiltcrafts.com/rulers.html#MagicStar (scroll down to the
'Magic-Star' rulers). You may also be able to order it from the
inventor, Mace McElligot, Mace Motif, 106 Manito Rd., Manasquan, NJ. Tel. 908-223-4434.
See also
Six Pointed Stars page.
Clearview Triangles. Sara Nephew's 60-degree triangle tools are well-marked
and adaptable to any quilting system. She also sells isometric graph paper,
and many inspiring books, at
http://www.clearviewtriangle.com.
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Miscellaneous
General Jewish Crafts (Fiber, paper
crafts, polymer, more)
Sandra Lynne's Gallery,
http://www.sandralynne.com/gallery/judaicrafts.html.
Inspirational! Encyclopedic! Awesome!
Chadis Crafts Fun Pages,
http://www.chadiscrafts.com/fun/
Also inspirational, encyclopedic, and
awesome!!! More than 50 pages and 1000 links! SO many kid - and senior- friendly craft project ideas, directions, and
supplies! This site will blow you away.
NEW Deeply Felt Studios
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deeplyfelt/sets/72157594547728107/. Felted
Judaica from a Canadian fiber artist.
Stencils
Stencils make letter and design
transfer so easy, especially if you're working with groups and/or children.
But finding good Jewish-themed stencils isn't easy. Here are the few sources I know about, and
tell me if you know of others!
The Stencil Company Several Judaic-themes in the 'religious' section of this online store. Find them at
http://www.quiltingstencils.com/index.asp. Thanks to Vicki Dempsey for the
referral.
Jewish Gifts Galore, at
jewishgiftsgalore.com.
Click on 'Stencils.' You choose the alphabet, font, size, and message
you want, in Hebrew and/or English -- they cut it. Very
reasonably priced. They also have laser paper cuts, that
can easily be used as quilting design stencils (Click on 'Scrapbooking')
Vicki D. told me about this place, too!
The Learning Plant, at www.thelearningplant.com. Simple and
fun plastic stencils, including several aleph bets.
Judaica for Kids, at Judaiacaforkids.com,
(click on 'Stamps and Stencils'). Brass
templates, including one aleph-bet and several symbols and messages. Sales
manager Wendy Weinstein Darrow promises if you mention Judaiquilt, they'll
take 10% off your first order.
Rubber
stamps
Zum Gali Gali.
http://www.zumgaligali.com/toplevel/the_stamps.html. Judaic and more.Ruth's Jewish Stamps (I love Mona Lisa in kippah and tallis) at
http://www.ruthsjewishstamps.com/ .
Althea Park Judaic Greetings
http://hometown.aol.com/AAHowell/index.htm
Addicted to Rubber Stamps at
www.addictedtorubberstamps.com This is a megasite. and some of
their zillions of offerings are Judaic. (Search 'Holidays' 'Hanukah,' and
'Hebrew'.)
1-800-Dreidel at
1-800-dreidelcrafts.com, often carries Jewish-themed rubber stamps, including an aleph bet set,
though it's not always on their online catalogue (call them for details).
Stamp-Happy.com. If you can tolerate the music, you'll find several cute Chanukah and Star of David
stamps, at http://www.stamp-happy.com/rs_hanukkah.htm
Stamping on velvet, for a rich, embossed look, is hot (it involves an
iron). Great for challah covers and the like. Learn how to do it from the Hot
Potatoes Rubber Stamp folks, at http://www.hotpotatoes.com/velvet.asp.
Tchotkes galore
Are you ever possessed by an overwhelming urge to sew zillions of little
tiny Jewish things to your quilts? I am. Here are possible things:
1-800-Dreidel, at 1-800-dreidelcrafts.com has buttons and charms.
Just For The Mitzvah, at
www.Jewishcrafts.com, sells star-shaped aleph bet beads. Click on
"General" .
Judaica for Kids, at Judaicaforkids.com. You can buy
very large quantities of gold plated dreidels, or aleph bet beads, or mah jong earrings here.
Etc.
Interesting article about
a Jewish community quilting project in Atlanta in the late
1990s. http://www.atljewishtimes.com/archives/1998/060598cs.htm
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Putting
photos on fabric
Using computer technology:
Most of my experience has been with printing directly on fabric from my
computer's inkjet printer. How to get the fabric through the printer?
Iron it to the waxy side of freezer paper, either commercial freezer paper
from the supermarket (Reynolds); or a heavier-duty brand made for crafters,
available in many quilt stores and catalogues.
Or, for extra insurance (and slightly more cost), you can adhere it
to full-page size Avery Labels (these can be reused many times).
Once the fabric is securely pressed onto the backing, with no wrinkles,
trim to exactly 8 1/2" by 11". Next, put the paper-backed fabric
through your computer printer, watching (and praying) that it doesn't jam.
Now here's the problem: With most printer inks, the image will wash away
the first time it encounters water. All "dye-based" printer inks are
washaway. (The support material for your printer and model will tell you if
it contains dye-based inks).
At these point, relatively few printer inks are permanent. The
permanent inks are the so-called "pigment inks." (Mnemonic: Permanent and
pigment begin with P). Again, the instruction book for your printer and
model number will tell you.
Many Epson printers, and now some HP and Cannon printers offer pigment
inks. My Epson, a relatively inexpensive CX4800, has DURAbrite ink.
Epson's Ultrachrome inks are also permanent. (Even with these inks,
some people recommend
spraying lightly with a clear acrylic like Krylon, after printing, to
prevent rub-off in the long term.) While these printers can be inexpensive,
the ink refills, of course, are not.
And what if you have a more common, dye-based ink printer? The fabric
will have to be treated (before and/or after printing), either by you or a
manufacturer. The options are debated endlessly. The sites mentioned in the
last paragraph of this section will help you sort through some.
My own experience with making dye-based printer images permanent has been with:
Bubble Jet Set (TM). This product is said to work with the
majority of printer inks that aren't waterproof . It did work fairly well
with my HP prints. Some say that Bubble Jet Set-treatment also makes
the waterproof inks look better. But it is labor-intensive.
Bubble Jet Set is a chemical fluid. You soak your fabric in it for five
minutes, hang it dry (over something clean and plastic---untreated wood or
rope can leave a stain), then iron the fabric to freezer paper as
described above. Put it through the printer. Let it cure for a half-hour, rinse with
Bubble Jet Rinse. Dry, and it's
ready to sew. It leaves the fabric soft.
However, I have found that after several washings, the pictures lightened
more than I would like. The bottle MUST be fresh--- fluid from old, reused,
or opened bottles hasn't worked well for me. The cost per 8 1/2" by 11"
sheet of fabric will run about 25 cents. More information at:
Printer fabric.
The most expensive option ($2 sheet and up), and the most convenient.
Pretreated fabric, already on a paper backing, ready to go through your
printer. There are cottons, silks, even organza, offered by different
manufacturers. Read labels to make sure the fabric can be washed in water
afterwards (some can only be dry cleaned). If purchased in rolls, it
's less expensive. Gloria Hansen recommends the Colorplus (c) rolls
(
http://www.colortextiles.com/products.html). Jeannie Spears of
SoftFabricPhotos.com tested several different sheets for an article in the
January/February 2007 and
March, 2007 issues of Quilters
Newsletter Magazine; she felt EQ Printables were among the best.
Iron-on transfer paper. Made by various manufacturers, sold in
stationary and craft stores, quilt stores and quilting and sewing
catalogues. They work great---for my friend Sue. She scans photos
into her computer, plays with them in Photoshop, including flipping to
a mirror image. (A copy store can do this, too). Then she loads the transfer
paper into her computer printer, and prints the image. Next, she
irons the image onto fabric. (It's the ironing part that doesn't work for
me---no matter how long or hard I iron, I can't get the image to transfer
all the way. I think my iron is flawed). But Sue's images are
beautiful. It does stiffen the fabric slightly.
Unfortunately, You cannot iron the fabric with the image afterward (for fear of
lifting it off), which means you can't put fusible web on the back. Cost per sheet
runs about $2.
Where to learn more about printing from the computer: See the
article on quilter Gloria
Hansen's website, at
http://www.gloriahansen.com/inkjet.html. (Then gape at her awesome quilt.) An
informative commercial site is
http://www.softfabricphotos.com/.
The place to ask specific questions and stay up on the ever-changing technology is the
Yahoo Inkjet Fabric Printing Group, at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/inkjetfabricprinting/.
Other photo transfer methods (including non-computer
methods)
Copy shop help. You might be able to bring iron-on transfer paper,
your fabric and your photograph to a copy shop. In theory, they will
copy your image onto your paper in their machine (though I've heard that
some copy shops balk). A shop that offers tee-shirt making services is a
better bet, and they may have their own heat transfer paper. They might also
be willing to do the pressing onto your fabric, on one of their heavy duty
presses.
Vodka, etc.
For more ideas, traditional approaches, and home recipes---which run a
fascinating gamut from packing tape to vodka---- the bible is: 'Imagery On Fabric,
A Complete Surface Design Handbook,' by Jean Ray Laury (C&T Publishing,
1997).
The technology in this area changes constantly, so every now and then, it's
a good idea to google "Photos to fabric" (and phrases like that!)
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Putting
Hebrew on fabric
Possible
approaches:
Hebrew computer fonts. This is the
most flexible approach. Once you have some Hebrew fonts in your computer,
and know how to use them, you can easily print lettering onto paper. Use
that as a sew-through pattern, or to cut a stencil. Or you can even print the lettering directly
onto fabric! (For permanence, see 'Putting photos onto fabric' section,
above).
The best thing about using fonts is that
there are many to choose from, and the text can be resized as needed.
You may already have free Hebrew fonts built
in to your computer. There are many places to buy them,
solo and in groups. I have the Davka Corporation's Hebrew Font Gallery
(1995) (http://www.davka.com/Images/hfg/all_font.jpg). Find all their products at
www.davka.com. I have spoken with
them about using their fonts in my quilts which will be shown, books, etc.,
and they told me this is not a copyright problem.
Font programs are not "Hebrew word
processors"---(quite a bit more expensive than fonts.) With fonts, you will
have to type left to right, even though Hebrew words are spelled right to
left, which can make you crazy. Even worse, different Hebrew fonts are not
consistent about which key generates which Hebrew letter (An "A" may become an "aleph" in one font, and a "lamed" in another!).
I eventually figured out a system that lets
me cut-and-paste letters to form short phrases and sentences fairly quickly.
If you want to transfer LONG Hebrew texts to fabric, however, you're better
off investing in a Hebrew word processing program.
Rubber stamps. These take practice, but the effect can be wonderful. I've stamped letters with
permanent ink and acrylic paint mixed with fabric medium (or not, if I'm
lazy). I find that
inexpensive craft paints sold in little bottles (especially metallics) work
fine. Be careful what aleph bed stamp set you buy. Some lack vowels
and final consonants. (See 'Rubber Stamps' section above for
suppliers).
Premade stencils. By far the
quickest,
easiest approach. They don't come in many different fonts, and just a few
sizes. You can trace through them with a pencil or light fabric marker, and
then sew, paint or color directly over that. Or use a gel pen. Look for them
at Jewish supply stores; several online vendors are above,
under 'Stencils.'
Machine embroidery. See
'Judaic embroidery designs,' above.
Learn more about Hebrew letters (making and reading them!) at :
http://www.safrus.com/alephbet.html
http://www.nationalfinder.com/jbs/callig.htm
http://www.nationalfinder.com/heblet/#ALPHABET. A delightful
"collection" of calligraphy.
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