Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour

I am so excited to be  part of this block blog tour. This is the second consecutive time that one of my blocks has been included in this magazine.  Last time my block was called "Beach Cabanas" and I designed a great summery beach quilt  to go along with my block.  You can see it here.

It is truly rewarding to be one of the few Judaic quilt pattern designers.  A bunch of my patterns are published under the name of OyVey! Quilt designs.  You can see them on my website: www.cheryllynchquilts.com/patterns .  And now I can share a  dreidel pattern published in the newest issue of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 8, called "Dancing Dreidels". It is 12" finished.

It is a paperpieced block  that would be perfect to make into a quilt for Chanukah, or it can be used as part of a wallhanging.  Here are some sample layouts.

This third block set was my original planned set.  The idea was that rotating each dreidel  block 90 degrees, pointing towards each other would make the dreidels  look like they were spinning. But, you can see that the dreidels are unrecognizable! Thumbs down for that idea.

The dreidels can also be used as singletons for cornerstones, or how about as Mug Rugs?

 These would be perfect to pair with some Chanukah gelt!

Be warned: if you are going to use "Dancing Dreidels" for a Chanukah gift, you better get stitching.  This year, Chanukah starts the night before Thanksgiving. That's less than 2 weeks away. 

This confluence of the holidays won't happen again for 70,000 years.

 

Now the fun! We will be giving away 2 copies of this magazine that won't be available in the quilt shops until Nov 19th.  So you could be the first one to have a copy. You can get the directions for my block plus 99 other blocks from some of the best designers around.  Quiltmaker is giving one copy away and I will be sending  a signed copy.  You just need to leave a comment  on my blog before Sunday, Nov 17th at midnight, EST.  I will post the winner as soon as I wake up the next day, and let me tell you that I am an insomniac. Please check back to see if you won or sign up with Bloglovin' (see below) to be notified.  You can see some of the other designer's blocks and submit a comment to try and win a copy by visiting Quiltmaker's blog called Quilty Pleasures.  Click here.

 

And there is more good news.  Starting Nov 21st, I will be participating in another blog giveaway.  Michele Foster's Quilting Gallery is hosting a thank you blog hop party.  We want to thank all of our readers.  Each blogger that is participating will have a giveaway.

 After noon, visit her Quilting Gallery and check out all the blogs.

 



Found Surprise

I am a loser.  Not in the personality sense, but in the "I can never find anything way".  I always caution people about giving me things.  I warn them that I probably won't be able to find it when it is needed.  So they usually say that they will just keep.  I like it that way.  It took me years to discover that that was the best way to deal with my loser issues.

Today, of course, yet again, I couldn't find an OyVey! Quilt that I made a while ago, but wanted to re-photograph for a pattern cover.  I looked everywhere.  I finally found a bin to look in that I hadn't opened in a while, but it wasn't there.  Instead I found some pieces that I had made a few years ago.  I stowed them away in the bin when I was trying to de-clutter my studio.  In that bin was a piece that surprised me that I made in a workshop in 2006 with Susan Shie. The class was about diary painting on fabric.  It turns out that I really like it.  I loved her class.  The theme we chose for the piece was doorways.  As I read my writing, I surprised myself.  Did I write all of  that?

No, I still have not found that piece I was looking for.  I'll find it one day when I am looking for something else.

Yippeeee, A New Pattern

Finally, a new OyVey! Quilt Designs pattern.  This pattern has been on the drawing board for about 2 years.  It has been on my website with a caption of "Coming Soon".The covers were printed and so were the foundation paper pieced patterns that I had printed on newsprint.  What took me so long?  Procrastination and other things just got in the way.  So here I present, Starry, Starry Night - a Dreidelrunner:

I am excited about this pattern, because it is the first time that I know of, that a Jewish star has been presented as an easy to piece, foundation pattern.  You can make it as a table runner or as a wall hanging.  Thank you to all of you who so patiently waited.

Torah Cover #2 "Flames"

The body of Torah Cover #1, Pomegranates,  has been completed.  It will  now be set aside to await the other 2 covers.  When the bodies of all 3 torah covers are completed, I will then construct all of the covers at the same time, assembly line style.  This is my plan, since it is quite challenging to construct the actual Torah cover with the wood insert.  My goal is to do it in the tidiest, most elegant manner so that no raw edges can be seen - either inside or out.  Constructing 3 at a time will help me with this ever evolving technique.  It is always on my mind that I am creating these Toah covers to last for many, many years and I must do my best work with longevity as a prime consideration. 

Time to start Torah Cover #2. The theme - FLAMES.  There is a recurrence of the  appearance of flames throughout the history of the Jewish people.  From Moses and the burning bush to the eternal flame to the death camps during WW II.  It's a concept that needs to be celebrated and mourned, and definitely contemplated.  Flames can represent destruction, purification, joy and holiness. 

The initial design concept on paper: 

This time, I used an overhead projector to enlarge the design to full size.  After enlarging it, I still had to make adjustments.  I used this pattern to make the actual pattern pieces from the freezer paper. 

It was fun to collect the fabrics for the flame.  I was looking for colors that ranged from red to yellow.  Some of the silk dupioni I already had.  Some I bought on Fabric Row in Philly and some of the fabric I bought on my most recent shopping trip to NYC.  I was looking for fabric that glowed.

 As  a quilter, one of the most enjoyable aspect  of quilting is developing a working palette.  We call it a stash and it involves accumulating fabric.  Sometimes it is for a specific project - like for my Torah cover.  Sometimes, it is just accumulating fabric because we like it.   Here are some of my silks for "Flames". ( I can't explain it, but the colors are not that accurate. )

I dyed the background of the white silk dupioni using the same technique that I used for the Pomegranate Torah cover.  This time I used various combinations of yellow and red dye.  After dyeing the fabric, I layered it with the batting (I used the same Warm Blend again).  I quilted this before adding the appliques.  By doing the quilting before the addition of the appliques, I was able to stitch the horizontal quilting lines without them being interrupted by the applique.  This method results in a more fluid line and also there are less loose threads to tie off.

I used freezer paper to make the pattern pieces.  Instead of fusing down the pieces, I turned under the edges, ironed the seam allowance to the waxy side of the freezer paper  and planned on using  a machine blanket stitch.  Below is the freezer paper pattern , to be cut apart, with a snippet of the assigned silk color.

The flame pattern pieces were positioned on the Torah cover pattern.  And then the  inevitable.happens.  Even though I had lots of choices for fabric, I just couldn't find the  right one for the central flame.

So what's a girl to do?   DYE!  I hand dyed a piece of fabric using the same silk dyes that I used for the background.  .  Can you see the bit of gradation from the top to the bottom?  This was perfect. This central flame's subtle change in color,  blended with the change in color of the flames.

I used many different  rayon threads for the quilting to match the different colors of silk dupioni.
Here's a close-up. The sheen of the thread really complimented the sheen of the silk.  This looks so rich and vibrant.

And the completed piece waiting to be made into a Torah cover.

Torah Cover Project - Introduction

I have been commissioned by Temple B'Nai Israel  to create 3 torah covers for their synagogue.  They are located on the Eastern shore of Maryland in the quaint historic town of Easton.  Easton has a lovely downtown filled with many quaint shops and restaurants.  The temple was founded in the 1951.  The current torah mantles are from that era and were donated by members from that time.  Although they were beautifully hand made from velvet with metallic bullion stitches and sequins, it was felt that it is time to update them. 
                                                                               

The rabbi at Temple B'Nai Israel, Rabbi Peter Hyman, was familiar with my torah covers from prior commissions.  He contacted me about working with his current congregation.  And thus this torah cover project has become.  This synagogue is lucky enough to have 3 torahs, and so my job was to design 3 covers that would compliment each other and still project an image of tradition, modernism and Judaism.  A member of the congregation, Vicki Zuckerman, along with the rabbi was integral in guiding the project.  They enlisted the help of another congregant to help make the final decision from the 6 designs I presented.

I have been creating Judaic textiles since 1999, starting with designing and selling quilt patterns as OyVey! Quilt Designs, http://cheryllynchquilts.com/portfolio_judaic.htm.  Since then I have also done commissions for torah covers and other judaic commemorative textiles.  My designs for Chanukah quilts have been published in many of the nationally known quilting magazines.

I am thrilled to be a part of this rejuvenation project.  Even though I am a fiber artist working alone in my studio, I would like to share my experience and progress.  I will be devoting the bulk of my blogging to creating these torah covers, starting with a quick tour of my studio.

My studio is located on the main floor of my house.  While raising children I found that it was important to have access to my work but to also be available.  This arrangement afforded me flexibility.

My palette is my fabric.  Quilters call it a stash.  It is an accumulation of purchases over many years.  I keep it sorted by color, but find it very difficult to keep tidy - as you can see.

I have 3 sewing machines and my brand of choice is Bernina.  This might not mean anything to non-sewers, but means a lot to those of us that sew.  These machines are work horses and very rarely let me down.

Thread is another source of color.   This is my thread collection above my desk. I use cotton, polyester, rayon and metallic thread, depending on the project.  Most times the thread is a solid color, but sometimes I use a variegated thread.  Thread is used for putting the pieces together, for appliqueing the pieces and for quilting the layers together.  Sometimes it is used for embellishing.

 A very important place in my studio is my design wall.  It runs the entire length of one wall.  Covered in grey felt, I can pin fabrics to the styrofoam underneath.   I use it to help me visualize my progress and make design decisions.

I also use it to pin notes to myself!



So I have used this post to introduce myself to those of you who are not familiar with me and to tell you a little bit about my working environment.  Please feel free to post comments and I will try and answer any questions you may have.

My next post will reveal the unanimously chosen design for the first torah cover.

Happy Passover

Passover begins Monday, March 29th, at sundown. The Jewish holiday starts with a meal called a sedar. The sedar is a ritual meal that is guided by a book telling the story of the Jew's exodus from Egypt. It reminds us of how we went from being slaves to this wonderful thing called freedom.

To me, the Jewish religion is so much about tradition. I no longer have parents and have no siblings living near me, so the ritual of a sedar becomes my responsibility and my honor to pass on to my children. In simple terms, Passover lasts 8 days and during the holiday we are not allowed to eat leavened products and certain types of wheat and vegetables. This ban on leavening is symbolic of the quickness with which the Jews had to leave. There was no time for the bread to rise. So we eat Matzoh, unleavened bread.

As a child, I remember my mother cleaning the house of all types of bread and non-Passover products. She scoured the kitchen countertops and covered them with oilcloth. Then she placed a set of glass dishes that we only used for Passover on top of the counters. We were no longer allowed to open any of the doors. There was also a separate set of utensils and pots and pans. Then there were the special foods mostly made by Manischewitz that were placed on top of the counters. We were only allowed to eat food that was labeled Kosher for Passover. It was hard as a kid. No bread, no sandwiches for school lunch, none of our regular cereal, no pasta. So there was always some type of little treat that we never had during the rest of the year to make us feel a little less deprived.

Setting up my kitchen for Passover is not as rigorous a process as in my Mother's day. I do not follow all of the rules that she followed 40 years ago. My homage to my Mom are my glass dishes. Each year at the end of Passover, they are washed, wrapped in paper towels and put away in boxes. The day before Passover, I take them out of the box, wash them and lovingly place them on my kitchen counter. I think of my Mom.

I bought a beautiful handmade glass sedar plate that holds all of the symbolic foods for the sedar.

I take out my Matzah cover

that I made from a pattern I designed as OyVey! Quilt Designs.

I now have my own special treat that I make for my family called Caramel Matzoh Crunch.

And I am so happy to have my children and husband around my sedar table as we celebrate our freedom together.

A little treat for them to take home. And if you'd like to send a cute greeting to some of your family or friends that couldn't be with you, send a free e-card. (s0me of them are better than others.)

Happy Passover to all those that celebrate it.