Chuppot As the wedding ceremony is performed, the bride and groom stand beneath a canopy, which symbolizes the home they will build together. The chuppah is attached to four poles, and the open sides symbolize the open tent under which Abraham welcomed guests. A chuppah can be a simple cloth, a tallit or prayer shawl, even a family tablecloth. It lends itself perfectly to the medium of quilting.
Megan & Andy’s Chuppah
Made for my daughter and son-in-law’s 2017 wedding. They chose a four seasons theme, using trees that represent locales dear to them: A cherry tree in bloom and a maple tree with autumn foliage for their home states of Maryland and New Hampshire; winter birches recall their college days in Maine and their first years together in Boston; a tall redwood represents their new life together in California, and fond memories of vacations on the west coast. Favorite birds perch in the branches of the trees, including Andy’s favorite, the cardinal. The interlocking rings represent their unity and love.
Michael & Mia’s Chuppah
Made for my son and daughter-in-law’s 2015 wedding. The dark gold ring is embroidered with Mia and Michael’s Hebrew names and their wedding date. The light gold ring is embroidered with a poem by Yehuda Halevi, a medieval Spanish philosopher and poet: “Ever since you were the home of love for me, my love has lived where you have lived,” which I selected because it reminded me of the couple’s song, “Home,” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. The border depicts the seven biblical species, sacred fruits and grains which are grown in the land of Israel: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. The harvest of each of these fruits and grains occurs at different times throughout the year, promising a continuous cycle of abundance. Perched among the dates are two doves, symbols of possibility, harmony, and love. The three other species represent Vermont, the special place Mia and Michael met and married: the Hermit Thrasher, Red Clover, and the Sugar Maple are the state bird, flower, and tree. Exhibited in Sacred Threads, 2017. Featured in Sacred Threads catalog.
Michael & Mia’s Seven Species Chuppah Quilt
This companion piece was created because where on earth would they be able to display that big chuppah in the tiny New York apartment? I used many of the same fabrics in this smaller version, but created it using traditional Baltimore Album quilt techniques, inspired by Elly Sienkiewicz. Exhibited in Sacred Threads, 2017. Featured in Sacred Threads catalog, and the September/October 2017 issue of Machine Quilting Unlimited magazine.
Tree of Life Chuppah
Hand-guided machine piecing, appliqué, embroidery, thread sketching and quilting using hand-dyed and commercial cotton and silk fabrics; polyester batting; cotton, rayon, polyester, and metallic threads. 54″ x 72″ 2006
Delphinium Blue and Daffodil Yellow Chuppah
Hand-dyed silk, cotton and polyester threads, machine pieced and free-motion quilted. 60″ x 80″ 2006
Temple Wall Chuppah
Hand-guided machine piecing, appliqué, embroidery, thread sketching and quilting using hand-dyed and commercial cotton and silk fabrics; polyester batting; cotton, rayon, polyester, and metallic threads.
Family Heirloom Chuppah
Silk dupioni, metallic thread. Machine pieced and embroidered. The center embroidery was a family heirloom.
Family Heirloom Gift Quilts
The couple requested small versions of the chuppah to present as gifts to their parents, with the word “love” stitched in English, Hebrew, and Spanish.
Family Tree Chuppah
The groom commissioned this chuppah as a surprise for his bride. Hand-painted silk, with their family trees written in the leaves, and silk dupioni to match the bridesmaids’ dresses.
Synagogue Commissions Judaic ritual items lend themselves beautifully to interpretation in fiber. Working with a committee to help create something meaningful for a temple is something I truly enjoy.
Shaare Tefila Congregation, Olney, Maryland
This mantle was created to honor the memory of a music teacher, choir member and leader, and pianist of the synagogue. The ivory and black design echos the keys of a piano, and the free-motion quilting is a visual representation of the movement of music. The Hebrew words are from Zechariah, “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion.” 2021
Tifereth Israel Congregation Bimah, Washington, DC
Hand-dyed and commercial cotton and silk fabrics; upholstery velvet; cotton and rayon threads; raw-edge appliqué; machine pieced; free-motion machine quilted. The Interior Parochet, or curtain, hanging on the inside back wall of the ark, is quilted with the names of the congregants who helped to fund the project. The entire commission included the interior parochet; the simple, sheer exterior parochet; six torah mantles; two small lectern covers; and the torah reading table cover. The inspiration for the color selection came from Exodus 26:31: You shall make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen. The torah mantles are adorned with appliquéd pomegranates and quilted with the images of bells and pomegranate flowers, to represent the instructions from Exodus 28:33: You shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, all around on its hem, and bells of gold between them all around. The project took over two years to complete. The last photo is of the ark before the installation of the new fiber art. 2007
Beth Sholom Congregation, Potomac, Maryland
In honor of Rabbi Tessler’s Twenty-fifth Anniversary. Hand-dyed and commercial cotton and silk fabrics; cotton, metallic and rayon threads; found tree branch; raw-edge appliqué; machine pieced; free-motion machine quilted. This project commemorated the 25th anniversary of the rabbi of Beth Sholom Congregation, Potomac, Maryland The quilt includes numerous references to Rabbi Tessler and his belief in the importance of community. Thematically, the lower copper-colored plane represents the ancient temple altar, with embroidered and appliquéd images of the temple shulchan, or table, ark, and menorah. The upper pale blue plane represents the transformation of those ancient items into the tangible, modern-day equivalents: the Shabbat table, challah seder, Kiddush cups, and candlesticks. The twelve tribes are depicted in the tents along the left and bottom. The words from Exodus 25: 8, “And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them,” is appliquéd and embroidered along the right and bottom. The Hebrew letters morphs into cherubim on the heavenly ladder, an allusion to the rabbi’s Hebrew name, Jacob. Mordechai, the rabbi’s second Hebrew name, is represented by the white horse. The names of the rabbi, his wife, and their two children are written on the open pages of the seder. Each of over 100 leaves were separately stitched, turned, quilted, and attached to the top of the piece. Members of the rabbi’s family participated in attaching some of them. Characters amongst the tents hold musical instruments and Israeli fruit, representing the family’s love of music, the joy and abundance of the Jewish people, and the connection to the land of Israel. The project took a year to complete. 88″ x 100″ 2009
Portable Ark Doors and Interior
Commercial and hand-dyed cotton and silk fabrics; cotton and metallic threads; free-motion bobbin embroidery and quilting. Portable ark to honor the cantor. The Hebrew verse says, “Sing a new song to G-d.” 2017 Temple Emanuel, Kensington, Maryland
Bet Aviv Memorial Mezuzah
Hand-dyed and commercial cotton and silk fabrics; cotton, metallic, and rayon threads; found wood; free-motion bobbin embroidery and quilting; hand beading. 2009 Collection of Bet Aviv Synagogue in Columbia, Maryland. Commissioned to honor the memory of a temple member. The beads used were from her collection.
The Women Danced
Wallhanging to recognize the adult b’not mitzvah class, Chochma Nashim, Wise Women. The design for Miriam is inspired by a Tree of Life greeting card, made by Hallmark©. The squares around the border contain the names, birthdates, and Hebrew names of the women in the class, including me! Hand-dyed, batik, metallic and commercial cotton fabrics; cotton, metallic, nylon and rayon threads; cotton batting and backing; glass beads; machine piecing and free-motion quilting.
“My God, My God, I pray that these things never end: The sand and the sea, the rush of the waters, the crash of the heavens, the prayer of the heart.” Traditional Israeli song attributed to Hannah Senesh. Hand-dyed and commercial cotton fabrics; cotton, metallic, rayon, and nylon threads; cotton batting and backing; fusible appliqué, free-motion bobbin embroidery and quilting. 2004 Collection of Temple Emanuel.
The Journey Quilt
Wallhanging to commemorate the synagogue renovation. Hand-dyed, batik, and commercial cotton and polyester fabrics; cotton threads; cotton batting and backing; fabric markers; machine piecing and free-motion quilting. The Star of David design comes from a back issue of Quilter’s Newsletter. 91” x 75” 2002 Collection of Temple Emanuel.
Tallitot A tallit is a fringed garment worn as a prayer shawl for religious observances.
Pomegranate Tallit, Kippah and Bag
The motif for this tallit is based on the Rosh Hashanah prayer, “May it be Your will, O G-d, that our good deeds will increase like the seeds of the pomegranate.” Hand-dyed and commercial silk fabrics, Chinese silk brocade; hand-dyed cotton, metallic, rayon and nylon threads; machine appliqué, free-motion bobbin embroidery. 2004 AWARD: Fiber Art Study Group Award at Creative Crafts Council 25th Bienniel Show, 2005.
Geometric Tallit, Kippah, and Bag
“May my mind be clear, my spirit open, as I envelop myself in prayer.” Blessing by Marcia Falk. Hand-dyed and commercial silk fabrics; hand-dyed cotton and rayon threads; machine appliqué, free-motion bobbin embroidery.
My Tallit and Bag
She finds linen and flax and puts her hands to them with a will. Proverbs 31:13
Hand-dyed and commercial silk and cotton batik fabrics; hand-dyed silk and cotton threads; polyester batting; appliqué, free-motion bobbin embroidery and quilting.
Shirley Waxman, artist and mentor extraordinaire, introduced me to the joy of tallit making. This tallit, I made for myself, and wore for the first time when I became an adult bat mitzvah in 2004. The Hebrew names of my four children are embroidered on the four corners, and I thought the biblical quotation on the atarah, or collar, was especially appropriate for me. The knots, or tzitzit, of a tallit are tied in a special sequence to represent the 613 commandments, or mitvot, that a Jew must try to keep. The bag is embroidered with the letters of my Hebrew names, Judith and SharonJudith for Jew and Sharon for my mother, and the plains of the Midwest, where I grew up.
Rabbi Stone’s Tallit
The shawl used to create this tallit was purchased from an artisan who donates her proceeds to help women. I added the embroidered atarah and the tzitzit. Hand-dyed silk perle, thai silk fabric. Free-motion bobbin embroidery.
Teal and Brown Tallit, Bag, and Kippah
“May my mind be clear, my spirit open, as I envelop myself in prayer.” Blessing by Marcia Falk. Hand-dyed and commercial silk fabrics; hand-dyed cotton and rayon threads; machine appliqué, free-motion bobbin embroidery.
Commissioned Tallitot
The creation of a tallit, or prayer shawl, for a particular person is a collaborative effort between the artist and the person for whom it is made. Adults who use the tallit to enhance their religious observance, and bar and bat mitzvah students who are preparing to read from the torah for the first time, all enjoy the process of creating a personal and unique tallit. This process includes collaborating on the selection of colors and fabrics, choosing meaningful wording for the atarah, or collar, helping to design a pattern or motif for the stripes, and learning to tie one’s own tzitzit, or fringes, in the traditional sequence of knots. These are samples of some of the commissioned tallitot I have made. Please contact me to discuss creating your own tallit.
Mizrach A mizrach is an ornamental hanging on the eastern wall of a house or synagogue, indicating the direction of Jerusalem toward which Jews face when in prayer.
Convergence Mizrach
Batik, imported Indonesian hand-blocked and commercial cotton fabrics; hand-dyed cotton threads; machine piecing and free-motion bobbin embroidery and quilting. The design for these quilts comes from Ricky Tims’ book, Convergence Quilts.
Mezuzot This Hebrew word means “doorpost,” and tradition dictates that a mezuzah is affixed to the doorpost at the entrance to a Jewish home, as well as the entrance to each of the interior rooms. It contains a small parchment on which are written biblical passages.
Pomegranate Mezuzah
Silk and cotton fabrics, silk and cotton threads, fibers, Swarovski crystals, and glass beads, glass tube, and parchment scroll. Machine pieced and embroidered; hand embellished. Exhibited at Creative Crafts Council 25th Bienniel Show, 2005.
Leaf Mezuzah
Machine quilted, hand pieced and embellished of silk and cotton fabrics, silk and cotton threads, silk cocoons, fibers, peridot, Swarovski crystals, and glass beads, glass tube, and parchment scroll. Exhibited at Creative Crafts Council 25th Bienniel Show, 2005.
Leaf Mezuzah
Silk and cotton fabrics, wood hanger, glass tube to hold the scroll.
Lechem Covers Lechem is the Hebrew word for bread. Challah, the braided loaves eaten on Shabbat, and matzah, the unleavened bread shared on Passover, get their own special covers. A separate bag holds the afikoman, the matzah piece that is hidden for the children to find, which is then eaten at the end of the Passover seder.
Matzah Cover & Afikoman Bag
Batik and commercial cotton fabrics; cotton, rayon and metallic threads; cotton batting and backing; machine piecing and free-motion bobbin embroidery and quilting.
Matzah and Afikoman Bag
Batik and commercial cottons; cotton and metallic threads. Machine piecing and free-motion bobbin embroidery and quilting.
Matzah Cover
Batik and commercial cotton fabrics; cotton, rayon and metallic threads; cotton batting and backing; machine piecing and free-motion bobbin embroidery and quilting.
Challah Cover
Batik and commercial cotton fabrics; cotton, rayon and metallic threads; cotton batting and backing; machine piecing and free-motion bobbin embroidery and quilting.
Challah Cover
Batik and commercial cotton fabrics; cotton, rayon and metallic threads; cotton batting and backing; machine piecing and free-motion bobbin embroidery and quilting.
Matzo Ball Soup
Hand-dyed, over-dyed and painted; computer printed; and commercial cotton fabrics; cotton and nylon monofilament threads; jade and glass beads. Machine pieced, free-motion embroidered, appliquéd, and quilted; hand appliquéd and beaded. 2004. AWARD: Nimble Fingers Quilt Guild Food and Fiber Challenge. Private Collection.
Return to Zion
Hand-dyed, batik, and commercial cotton and silk fabrics; cotton, rayon and nylon threads; silk ribbon; glass, metal and stone beads. Machine pieced, free-motion embroidered, appliquéd, and quilted; hand embellished and beaded. 19″ x 41″ 2004. AWARDS: G Street Fabrics 2004 Quilt Challenge. Selected to tour with the Quilts, Inc. exhibit, “Tactile Architecture,” 2006 Private Collection.
Hold Fast
“It is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it.” Hand-dyed and commercial cotton and silk fabrics; cotton, rayon, and metallic threads; cotton batting. Machine piecing and appliqué; hand-guided free-motion machine quilting. Private Collection.
Karen Fricke Quilts 