The Alternative Press

With a fervent prayer for peace, Donna Gross of Randolph fashioned a poignant peace/shalom art quilt that is showcased in a new book exploring the world of Jewish fabric crafts and the inspiration behind this imaginative work. Also featured in the book are handmade Purim puppets by Lesley Frost of Morris Township and Dancing Hamantaschen costumes by Ellen Muraskin of Morris Plains and Marcy Thailer of Denville.

 

Called "Jewish Threads: A Hands-On Guide to Stitching Spiritual Intention into Jewish Fabric Crafts" (Jewish Lights Publishing), the 288-page book presents 30 fabric craft projects, created by talented artisans from throughout the United States and Israel.

 

Compiled and written by Diana Drew with Robert Grayson, both of Randolph, "Jewish Threads" delves into the backstory of each of the pieces spotlighted in the book--how and why they were made and what sparked the idea for each one. The artisans whose work is presented in the book freely share the influences in their lives that prompted them to create the pieces contained in this treasure trove of Jewish fabric crafts.

 

World peace is very much on the mind of Randolph artist Donna Gross these days because her older son, Philip, is serving in Afghanistan. "He is a captain in the Army Green Berets and this is his second tour of duty in the Middle East," she notes. "He was in Iraq the first time for eighteen months. Not a day goes by that I do not pray for his safe return." Donna's younger son, Michael, also served in the Army Green Berets in Afghanistan, earning a bronze star for his valiant actions. He is now pursuing his education in Texas. "I am proud of both my sons for who they are and the fine young men they have grown to be," says the fabric artist. Her peace/shalom art quilt embodies her fervent hope that other mothers will not have to send their children to war.

 

In addition to her peace/shalom art quilt, Gross fashioned a beautiful apples & honey Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) challah cover for the book. The challah cover was based on a design Gross created for a one-of-a-kind quilted chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy) that was handmade by members of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), West Morris Section. Drew is co-president of NCJW, West Morris Section. The NCJW, West Morris chuppah is what inspired the authors to write "Jewish Threads" in the first place.

 

When her children were young, Lesley Frost of Morris Township created a set of five Purim hand puppets as a mitzvah project for her synagogue's Hebrew school. "My idea was to create fabric hand puppets that a mother and child could make together and then play with to reenact biblical events and stories," she notes. A native of the UK and a teacher, the fabric artist believed that children learn by doing. The puppets she designed represent each of the key players in the Purim story--Queen Esther, Mordechai, Haman, Queen Vashti, and King Ahasuerus.

 

In line with the fun-filled Purim spirit, the members of Adath Shalom synagogue in Morris Plains, who work on the Purim shpiel (Yiddish for "play") every year, came up with "Dancing Hamantaschen," or "Hamantaschenette" costumes, with an eye toward elevating the general merriment of Purim. The actual costume designers, Ellen Muraskin of Morris Plains and Marcy Thailer of Denville, wanted to give their Purim shpiels some added pizzazz, and the response from the Purim revelers--both the shpiel attendees and the players themselves--has been wildly enthusiastic.

 

Author Diana Drew spent a year and a half sifting through a myriad of projects from throughout the United States and Israel, choosing those that reflected deep-rooted connections to Jewish heritage and contemporary Jewish life. Each project had to have a compelling story behind its creation, and fit in with the overall concept of the book as both a volume of stories about artisans' spiritual intention in making these crafts and a how-to book for novices as well as more experienced needlecrafters.

 

"Jewish Threads" is designed to motivate readers to fashion some of the traditional ritual items as well as more contemporary pieces included in the book--individually or in groups--by offering easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions at the end of each of the stories about the fabric artists and their spiritual intention. Most of the projects are relatively simple, and make wonderful gifts.

 

Readers are encouraged to draw on their own life experiences to give the pieces they make a distinctly individual flair, a one-of-a-kind feel. So the book can serve as a springboard for readers' own imagination and creativity.

 

"Jewish Threads" craft projects range from wall hangings for the home to shulchan (lectern) covers for the synagogue, whimsical pieces for celebrating holidays, and meaningful craft projects to honor milestones in the Jewish life cycle, such as prayer shawls and healing and memorial quilts. Some of the crafts presented in "Jewish Threads," such as challah covers like Donna Gross's, have roots in Jewish tradition, while others, including Lesley Frost's Purim puppets and a knit seder plate for Passover, play off centuries of tradition, while incorporating a contemporary spin.

 

Among the fabric craft techniques represented in "Jewish Threads" are quilting, needlepoint, knitting, crochet, felting, embroidery, appliqué, needle felting, and counted cross-stitch.

 

Drew, an award-winning former daily newspaper reporter and a longtime book editor, points out, " 'Jewish Threads' brings together the disparate threads of my own life--Judaism and Jewish observance, sewing and knitting, writing and editing--while stitching together the inspiring stories of fabric artists from throughout the United States and Israel. Collectively, these personal stories, and the projects that spring from them, form a patchwork of modern-day Jewish life. The part openings, written by Robert Grayson, place these crafts in historical perspective, with tales from the Jewish tradition that give these fabric crafts added resonance today."