More beads?

Can't upload photo right now. I'm not even sure that the photo would show what I want. I'm getting off the computer before I smash it.

Brocade

And more pix

I can't figure out how to upload more than a few per post. Here's a few more pix from the Batmi. The color is off, but maybe you can see the brocade clothes a bit better.

Adina's Bat Mitzvah clothes

Here's my parents, husband and myself, and our four kids at our oldest daughter's Bat Mitzvah. I am quite the novice clothing stitcher, but wanted to try to pull it off. All the clothes are made from Chinese brocade that I ordered over the internet. The pattern for my dress is an adapted nightgown pattern which screamed on the envelope, "Use only with knits!" Having zero clue what I was doing, I had to put in gussets (cursing), and futz around with the sleeves a lot. Adina's turquoise skirt, and little Sara's jumper were based on patterns I got off the internet, and I designed Atara Tiferet's skirt myself (if you call an A-line with a ruffle "design.") I had visions of making a tie for my husband, but ran out of time. I have a lot to learn about fit, but the homemade clothing played its role in an evening full of joy and significance.

-Rachel

Tikvah's bat mitzvah outfit

Tikvah fell in love with this pattern (McCalls 4246) and chose a pale mint green cotton with gold curlicues; I chose the ribbon to give the outfit some depth of colour.

I raised the neckline a little, made a couple of muslins to get the fit right, then sewed up this ensemble. For the shirt, I used a lightweight white cotton interlining and lining, hand-stitched down the seam allowances on the princess seams, finished the sleeves with narrow bias tape on the inside edge, hand-sewed the ribbon, and altogether had a great deal of fun making it just right!

A skirt for Ferri

Rachel sewed this one for her six-year-old. Fabric from sis-in-law, design by herself. DH was worried it would look weird, but it passed the DH test.

Michelle's new quilt

For her daughter, who loves it.

What next?

This is a wall-hanging for a baby nephew. Beading? Appliqued name? What do you think? Displayed by my daughter Atara Tiferet.

-Rachel

Welcome to Holy Stitchers!

Hello all! This collective blog is a forum for the Beit Shemesh quilting/sewing group to share work, ideas, and needle musings with each other and other like-minded people. We are:

Rachel Hershberg grew up in Palo Alto, California, and has lived in Israel for 18 years. Her quilts are powerful and beautiful. Rachel teaches Jewish Studies in Jerusalem part-time, has four kids, and her husband is a computer programmer.

Katie Wolicki and has lived in Israel for a long time. She has an acute sense of color, and a weakness for making little animals and people from fabric. Katie has eight kids and her husband is the head of a Talmudical Academy.

Sorcha is British (not her fault), an internist, and mom of three boys. She sews quilts, clothes, and does a lot of sewing for local charities. She also gardens and jams.

Elisheva is also British but spent a decade living in the US. Capable of spending hours doing tiny beading and hand stitching, Elisheva loves to create small quilts. She is a doula and childbirth educator.

Michelle whups us all at free-motion quilting and shows us how baby quilts can be fast, cute and loving. She makes gorgeous quilts in all sizes and styles and loves to experiment with new techniques. She has four kids and is an English teacher.

Roxy has lived all over the world. In Brooklyn she owned a knitting store and taught sewing classes for many years. She knits, sews, quilts, crochets, and is a walking encyclopedia of sewing techniques.