New book about Jewish fabric crafts highlights local artisans

A new book exploring the world of Jewish fabric crafts features the talents of several Twin Cities area artisans.

Two Torah mantles created by Judy Snitzer of St. Louis Park, together with a crew of volunteers; a tallit and tallit bag, handmade by Susan Rappaport of Deephaven; and a wimpel, cross-stitched by Vicki Pieser of New Ulm, are all showcased in "Jewish Threads: A Hands-On Guide to Stitching Spiritual Intention into Jewish Fabric Crafts."

The 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, "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 share the influences in their lives that prompted them to create the pieces contained in this treasure trove of Jewish fabric crafts.

"Jewish Threads" craft projects range from wall hangings for the home to shulchan (lectern) covers and Judy Snitzer's Torah mantles for the synagogue, whimsical pieces for celebrating holidays (a ChanuCats quilt for Chanukah and Dancing Hamantaschen costumes for Purim, for example), and craft projects to honor milestones in the Jewish life cycle, such as Susan Rappaport's tallit, Vicki Pieser's wimpel and healing and memorial quilts.

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