Kaleidoscope

I was looking on the internet for a new design, something inspiring.  I found this basic kaleidoscope, made from 2 contrasting fabrics (and a third for the sashing and backing).  It requires the making of 48 basic pinwheel blocks. 

Making the quilt wasn't so easy and if you look too closely at mine you can see that not all of my corners match up perfectly!  But it certainly was fun trying out something new.

I cut 5 1/2" squares, and the final kaleidoscope "element" turned out to be 28 X 36". 

Here is my quilt!!  With a 3" sashing all around, the quilt measures 34 X 42".

Happy Chanukah!

Hana made this quilt for her daughter's living room couch.  It combines both the scrappy design and the building blocks that we like so much.  Hoping it provides her and her family with a lot of cozy time on the new couch!

Wishing You Much Happiness in Your New Home

This one is made by both of us for our friends who have recently moved into their new and spacious home in the Galilee.  We wanted to make them something special that would look beautiful on their new living room couch!

This couch quilt is made in the "scrappy" style.  Use it in good health!

Good News!!

Hana just got a brand new sewing machine with lots of bells and whistles!  Use it in good health!

So now we are going to increase our production and we have lots of ideas for new quilts.

Take a look at these two new baby quilts, made with 4 inch squares and backed with a cozy flannel fabric.

Couch Quilt

This couch quilt features a stunning piece of maroon embroidery made by the Bedouin women at "Desert Embroidery" in Laquiya.  I chose this piece of embroidery as a centerpiece for this quilt. In addition, I used an element called "building blocks" to symbolize our building a life together in this land. The quilt measures 44 X 60 inches.  

Here it is decorating the home of our friends in London.

New Scrappy Couch Quilt

We made this one together using a simple design which we call "scrappy".  If you look close, you can see 9-patch squares. 

Our friend asked us to donate a couch quilt for an upcoming Hadassah auction.  So here it is!  Made with love!

Baby Quilts

I have been away for a long time and just got back about a week ago and got right back to work on quilting!  We are preparing gifts for Chanukah -- there are place-mats galore.  And here are two new baby quilts, both made with 4" squares, measuring approximately 36 X 42 inches. 

It's a Girl!

We both have three grown children and it seems that we both have one who has expressed some interest in learning quilting.  Here is a first project by Sari celebrating her 4-month-old little girl.  This hanging was made special for the wall above the baby's crib.

Wedding Bells

My cousin's oldest is getting married!  I hope they like this large couch quilt that I made for them!  It is made with the scrappy quilt design combining turquoise, purple and orange!

Blue is for the Sky / Brown is for the Earth

This set of four placemats and mini matching runner were made as a gift for a very special somebody!  Don't you just love the blue and brown combination?

Jelly Roll Table Runner

This table runner was made with a set of pre-cut jelly roll fabrics.  Isn't it stunning?

We sell or give away most of our quilts, table runners, tote bags and placemats.  But this one Hana chose to keep.  Here you see it decorating her living room!

Burnt Orange

This "coexistence" quilt features a large piece of minimalist embroidery that I bought from a woman who lives in Bethlehem.  In order to properly emphasize the embroidery, I tried very hard to bring out its colors by using sky blue and burnt orange.  I also used "building blocks" which is a feature that I've used many times before.  This is meant to be a decorative couch quilt. 

Blues and Browns

This crib quilt features 2 1/2" X 4 1/2" rectangles in blues and browns and greens.  The cute little circles give the quilt a bit of whimsy!

Palestinian Women's embroidery

I went yesterday with a friend from Boston to see the embroidery exhibit at the Islamic Art Museum on Palmach St. in Jerusalem.  The exhibit is just wonderful and well-worth seeing. 

The curatorial material on the walls explains the different designs, the fabrics, the different styles based on geographical region, and the colors.  Take a look at these designs!

In addition, there is a style of "couching" which is actually placing gold or silver threads on the fabric in tiny swirls and attaching them with tiny stitches.

Here are some of the stunning wedding dresses with head coverings. The beige fabric was used in the Ramallah area.

Table Runner

This table runner was made as a house present for a friend of my daughter's.  It includes a central element of building blocks.

Funky Colors

My niece has just moved with her kids from Modi'in to Jerusalem and her daughter will be celebrating her bat mitzvah this month!  Lots of family members are arriving for the big event! 

Here is the single bed quilt that I made as my bat mitzvah gift!  The design is scrappy quilt, which is so easy to make!  The hardest part is choosing the colors that go together.  I was told by her mom not to use any pink or purple, so I chose to focus on turquoise, brown and peach as the colors.  Perfect for her new room in the new Jerusalem apartment!  Hope she likes it!

Happy Anniversary!

One of my daughters is celebrating her 10th anniversary.  Their home already has so many quilts -- quilts for the children, for the parent's double bed, and a couch quilt for cuddling and watching TV.  However, I never made them a "coexistence quilt" and felt that I had to make something special. 

This quilt has 3 pieces of Bedouin embroidery -- one is the central element and two long strips near the top and bottom.  They seemed to love the quilt when I gave it to them tonight!  The colors are really bold!

Beach Bags

Amy's sewing machine has been in the shop for repairs for more than 2 weeks and she is dying of quilting withdrawal!  In the meantime, using Hana's machine, we have begun making lots of beach bags as summer gifts!  Take a peek.

Totes

A quick tote bag for a friend!!  She asked for a tote bag and she got it the same day!  I used store-bought handles to make it a bit more elegant.  The bag is great for sunglasses, bottle of water (in this case, she likes iced tea), and an ipad.  Enjoy!

It's a Girl!

Amy's daughter had a beautiful little girl this week!  She is delicate and sweet and all is well with mother and daughter!

Here is the cute carriage quilt that Amy made for her.  After all, she needs a quilt from her savta, for coming home from the hospital!

The quilt is made up of 3 inch squares, measures about 24 X 36 inches and is 100% cotton.

Blue Mountains

This is my first attempt at trying the majestic mountains pattern that Hana used for her wall hanging.  It's a fun pattern and so easy! This quilt is the size of a baby carriage quilt.

Overnight Bag

Our daughter is expecting a girl!  Doesn't every little girl, no matter how small, deserve her own overnight bag?  Take a look at this!

The pattern for this bag is by Jean Nolte, taken from Fons and Porter's Fun Quilts, Summer 2007. 

Greens and Browns

My daughter and her husband bought a new rug for one of the bedrooms in her apartment.  She  told me that she wants to emphasize the green and wants to get matching curtains in green.  So I went directly to work!  Here is the decorative couch quilt that I made for that room!  The quilt measures 42 X 60 inches.

French Braid Quilts

Our friend Malki just completed this exquisite french braid quilt.  She says she was inspired by an exhibit of french braid quilts that she saw in a quilting shop in Nova Scotia, where she bought the book French Braid Quilts by Jane Hardy Miller with Arlene Netten, which provided her with the design for this beautiful work of art!

Malki obviously loves bright colors!  The final product is well worth the painstaking work that went into it!

King Size Quilt

My project of the last month was creating this tremendous king size quilt.We did a lot of work on this together, which was so much fun!

This is a "coexistence" quilt, since it incorporates embroidery made by Bedouin women in the northern Negev.  It is made especially for my niece and nephew who live in New York City.  They chose the colors, the women at Desert Embroidery in Laquiya prepared the embroidery to order, and I made the finished product!  A wonderful partnership. 

Note the element of "building blocks" that I used for the overhang on both sides of the quilt.  You can't see it in the picture above (because I took the picture on my own bed which is only queen size) so I am also showing it in a close-up.

Majestic Mountains

Hana's daughter lives with her family in the Rockies.  Here's the wall hanging that Hana made for their living room!  It's stupendous!  It's amazing how appropriate it is for a family living in a gorgeous mountainous region!

The design for the mountain motif was taken from the Quiltville website.

Here it is hanging on the wall --

Creating A Family Heirloom

Our friend Cheryl decided that she wanted to make something special for her daughter's 40th birthday.  This wall hanging is meant to illustrate many of the aspects of her daughter's family life.  Cheryl used applique to cut out and attach the various elements.  See how many of the elements you can identify -- sefer torah, puzzle pieces, and much much more! 

Congratulations to Cheryl on creating such a beautiful heirloom!

Touring with Madeleine

Last week, I went to visit my Bedouin women friends at Desert Embroidery in Laquiya, in the northern Negev.  These are the women who make the stunning embroidery that I integrate into my "coexistence quilts". 

I drove down together with Madeleine Lavine, a well-known and well-regarded tour guide. It was her first visit to the Desert Embroidery shop in Laquiya.  Take a look at her write-up of our visit, which she posted on her blog entitled Touring with Madeleine.   There is even a photo of me talking with Na'ama Elsana'a, the director of the non-profit organization for the empowerment of Bedouin women, which runs the Desert Embroidery shop.  According to Madeleine, I was practicing some of my elementary Arabic when she took this picture!

Cheering up your home on a cold winter day!

During the last few days, we have been under siege here in Jerusalem, while a minor storm raged outside.  While cooped up at home, I made this set of four placemats and matching table runner as a gift for my son-in-law's parents who are celebrating two major life cycle events!  May they have much nachas and good health!

Happy New Year!

It's a new year!  May it bring joy and blessings to all of our quilting friends!  It's a rainy day here in Jerusalem and I am looking forward to a cozy day with one of my quilting friends who is coming over to plan her new project!

Take a look at this recent baby quilt, filled with butterflies!