sic needlepoint patterns, individualizes
them by reworking the designs and gives
them as gifts. Siddur covers, mezuzahs
and theme artwork are among the items
she completes for relatives, friends and
students.
"There are so many lovely and lasting
things that can be made," Mrs. Lash said.
"I also find it very relaxing to work while
I'm watching television. Needlepoint, to
me, is art."
For Lynda Koby, a retired teacher,
needlepoint is the art she uses to fill her
home. While not all of it is religious, there
is a strong presence of Judaica, which of-
ten captures the mood of holiday cele-
brations.
"My needlepoint art projects are like
my children, and I can't part with them,"
said Mrs. Koby. "When people come into
my house, they don't know where to look
first."
Dancing Chasidic rabbis, a mother and
daughter lighting the Sabbath candles, a
replica of a famous painting depicting cre-
ation and holiday symbols are among the
subjects that cover her walls.
"Needlepoint is much faster than knit-
ting, and I like using all the different fab-
rics," she said.
For Judy Marx, one needlepoint project
turned into an activity she could share
with family and friends while creating life-
long keepsakes.
She planned a chuppah with a replace-
able panel so that couples can design,
make and keep the panel that pertains.
to them.
"We did this for my daughter and son-
in-law, Jennifer and Jeffrey Hollander," said
Mrs. Marx, who worked closely with her
husband, John, and the groom's parents,
Harriett and Leo Hollander.
"The central panel had the couple's
name and wedding date, and our children
have it framed and hanging in their living
room. The stitching for that section was
different so that it would stay secure for
the ceremony and yet could be easily re-
moved.
"Since it was first used in 1991, the
chuppah has been borrowed by two oth- cialty "I wanted to do something special
er couples: Jonathan Gold and Melissa for my son, and it just snowballed," said
Marks, and Gary Hollander and Bonnie Mrs. Torgow, who learned needlepoint as
Hoffer.
a youngster in day camp.
"It has not been a female-only project,
"In the last year I've made six tefillin
and we sewed the names of the dozen bags. I've given them to my nephews and
people who worked on it into the lining." friends' sons as bar mitzvah remem-
Lois Falk needlepoints a different kind brances, and each picks out a pattern. I
of wedding keepsake — a pillow with the stitch their Hebrew names on them.
names of the couple, wedding date, Ju-
"It's a gift to use every single day and
daic emblems and a hidden box that fits know it was a gift of love made just for the
inside and holds the glass shards from the person using it."
ceremony.
Nancy Handelman considers the Judaica
she makes very sacred and will not work
on any projects during the Sabbath. A very
"I wanted to do
important task for her was a tallis bag she
made for a friend's father, a Holocaust sur-
something special
vivor who came to the United States with-
out the personal possessions he had long
for my son, and it
treasured.
"I stitched his name into the bag, and
just snowballed"
put a lot of love into the workmanship,"
-Malke Torgow
explained Mrs. Handelman, who fills her
own home with holiday-themed stitchery
like a Chanukah tablecloth.
"I consider it very personal, and I al-
For Ruthe Goldstein, needlepoint pro-
ways ask for the approval of the bride and vides one more expression of Judaica in
groom before I make one," Mrs. Falk said. her home. Pleased with her collection of
"My oldest daughter keeps hers on a plate menorahs and dreidels, she is building her
display stand in her family room.
stitchery trove with wall hangings and hol-
"I'm a lifelong handicrafter, but I'm not iday food covers.
a creative person. I can execute someone
Needlepoint also provides an expres-
else's patterns and designs."
sion of love for relatives, friends and even
Tefillin bags are Malke Torgow's spe- her synagogue on occasions of celebration.
Besides spending months making a fami-
ly chuppah with friend Judy Miller, she is
heading up the committee making new
chuppahs for Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
Susan Rott likes needlepoint Judaica be-
cause she believes it offers a continuing
way to show the beauty and ornateness
that are part of observance.
For her daughter's bat mitzvah, she is
stitching a wall piece that shows a row of
eight women holding Jewish symbols, and
she hopes her daughter puts it away for
when she sets up her own household.
"I've given away most of what I've
made," Mrs. Rott said. "I make a lot of
holiday trays, surrounding the material
withplastic that is slipped inside a lucite
frame.
"These also are one-of-a-kind gifts that
can be worked on anywhere — at the
beauty shop or in the car waiting to pick
up one of the kids."
While Trixie Freind individualizes her
Judaica needlepoint for each person who
will be receiving one of her tallis bags, wall
art or matzah covers, the former needle-
point teacher considers the gift an ex-
pression of her own personality.
"I don't think people are totally aware
of what they can do with needlepoint,"
she said. "They really can create a per-
sonalized religious work of art that in many
ways expresses themselves." ❑
Gift Tips
Needlepoint hobbyists suggest making sure the recipient would like the planned gift.
* Inqiiire about preferred colors and designs.
* Discuss plans with a needlepoint instructor.
* Personalize the present by stitching the person's name and, if appropriate, the date of the special occasion.
* Personalize further by stitching the giver's name into a seam or hidden part of the material.
* Make sure there is plenty of time to complete the project.
* Surprise someone only with carefully thought-out items.
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