I can’t believe it has been an entire year since I last
blogged! I guess I have been keeping myself busier than I thought! I took a technical and marcom writing course - I finished my internship and am doing technical writing part-time, doing some graphics and websites, as well as knitting shawls and other gift items.
I
am teaching embroidery again at the Mercaz Klita (Absorption
Center) for the 2012 Ethiopian Bat Mitzvah Project. I have 17 girls and their
mothers (only a few of the mothers already knew how – one mother learned from
me last year with her older daughter). This project was for the mother’s to
help their daughters. Basically the mothers and daughters learned
together.  |
| mothers and daughters working side by side |
Most
of these immigrants have been in Israel for a year or less. I have a wonderful assistant; she is a mother
of 5 children and works for the Mercaz Klita, who has been my translator.  |
| a beautiful embroidered pomegranate |
The
first learning design I gave them was a pomegranate. A circular
shape is an easy shape to begin with. They also did flowers and candles in
candle holders.
 |
| daughter helping her mother |
Some
of the girls and women picked it up rather quickly. Some pull the threads too tightly
pulling the material so it no longer lays flat.
That is the hardest thing to teach them – pulling the thread enough that
it’s not too loose, but not too much so the material forms a curve in the
middle. This year, the girls are helping their mothers finish up their
final project.
 |
| wine bottle covers before finishing |
This
year the girls are making a Shabbat Shalom wine
bottle cover that will tie around the bottle. The girls will be able to use this every
Shabbat with their families. The women
are making challah covers
(a special cloth placed over the special Shabbat breads until after the
blessing of the wine is recited) that will be given as presents to their twin
family from England. Each family is matched up with a British family who also
has a son or daughter who will be Bar or Bat Mitzvah
this summer. All the children will have their Bar and Bat Mitzvah together in
Jerusalem.
I
will fix anything that might come undone in time (because of cutting the thread
to close that it will eventually come out of their stitches). I will then iron
their projects and then finish the edges of the girls’ projects and put a lace
tie on them.
The
women’s challah covers will also be ironed and then I will sew lace around them
with a backing and ironed again. This will make nice finished challah covers.
