A stunning Wall Hanging

Our friend Cheryl asked for help in creating this wall hanging.  We gave advice, technical assistance and a bit of inspiration.  She did all the hard work! 

Using beautiful batik fabrics that she found in a specialty fabric shop, she created this "scrappy" wall hanging, which she plans to hang in her guest room.  Pretty special, isn't it?  Congratulations to Cheryl!!

In Memory of my Mother

Everything I know about sewing, I learned from my mother.  We had an old Singer sewing machine in the basement, near a ping pong table which was piled high with stuff, and she sat there patiently doing her sewing.  We spent a lot of time there together, especially when I was in junior high school.

I have been trying to think of a theme that would bring me warm memories -- and I came up with this quilt which features birds, seen through a series of latticed windows. 

 Even though it is January,  spring is coming (symbolized by Tu B'shvat) and the days are slowly getting longer.  Every year in the springtime, I remember standing by the dining room window with my Mom, watching for robin redbreasts -- the first sign of spring in the northeast!  We had a casement window, with a screen that had a small box that could slide, so that you could get to the handle of the window which opened outwards.  So, I have a very definite picture of our peeping through little windows, watching for the robins.  Here you can see the birds, framed with a latticed affect, and a peacock fabric (I can just imagine the robins "strutting" around on our front lawn), and bordered by bright yellow sunshine and blue sky!  This quilt measures 40 X 50".

Color combinations

When planning a quilt, you should have 2 basic colors in mind.  From this everything else will develop.

Here are a few samples that might help you in choosing color combinations for your quilt!

First of all, it is important to choose light and dark colors that complement each other.

Next -- choose color combinations that you love -- such as --

• brown and blue
• purple and green
• blue and beige
• turquoise and purple
• brown and turquoise 
• purple and yellow

This new quilt that we just completed combines green and peach. This is a couch quilt (44 x 58 inches) in the scrappy design, with a cozy flannel backing.  The quilt was prepared as a gift for my niece who recently bought a new home.  She has a maroon couch in the family room and I hope this will match!

Another color combination could be maroon and beige as seen in this coexistence couch quilt.

Or blue and gold in this pinwheel baby quilt.

It's a Girl! And it's a Boy!

Our close friends just had twin grandchildren! 

Wishing them much nachas, health and happiness.  May they grow to become wonderful individuals, each with his/her own unique talents!

We prepared these matching little baby quilts for them! 

More tiny strips

As you can see, we are having fun with a wild array of colors.  These tiny strips all come together to form a wonderful blend!  Who would have believed!

Little tiny strips mesh together to make the whole!

During the last rainy days here in Jerusalem, I decided to take out my stash and create something special.  This is a small blanket - 36 X 44 inches (90 X 110 cm.) - meant to be a crib blanket or a couch quilt.  It is made entirely from 2 1/2 X 4 1/2 inch strips!  Isn't it amazing how the wide variety of colors and patterns all mesh together so nicely.  On a cold winter day creating a quilt which brings warmth and pleasure to others can bring so much joy and satisfaction to the quilter!

Wherever Inspiration Takes Us!

The biggest project of the last month has been a queen-size coexistence Quilt

My son-in-law hustled a commission for me from his aunt, who lives in the Galilee.  She is an Arab Christian woman who wanted a queen size quilt for her daughter who is getting married this spring.  More importantly, she requested that I integrate a major element of Palestinian embroidery within the quilt.  I ordered the embroidery from the Bedouin women at Desert Embroidery in Laquiya and created this quilt around their inspirational work!