Last Christmas I was asked if I would like to make a chuppa for the wedding of my nephew to his Jewish Rabbi bride. Being Christian I had no idea what a chuppa was let alone know where to start. Some research was obviously needed so onto the internet for some ideas.
The bride wanted a religious theme and chose the seven fruits (or species) of Israel which are wheat, barley, olives, dates, pomegranates, figs,and grapes
The picture taken on the floor shows six of the theme blocks. The thistle and the maple leaves are the symbols of the couple’s homelands and the central block has script in Hebrew and English. The larger text translates to “I am my beloveds’ and my beloved is mine”. Their names and wedding date is in both Hebrew and English.
Most of the work is applique with a mix of hand and machine stitching. Some of the fabrics were painted using silk paints and transfer dyes were also used.
Some digital prints were put on fabric using pre-treated cotton and as the chosen text for the wheat collaged block included honey, I appliqued honey bees onto hearts for the fun and romantic element after snipping a hole in one of the side panels. The honey bees were made by a friend on her embroidery machine.
The side panels were machine quilted using a trellis design and Victorian style lace was used to complement the pieces.
The main quilt was quilted by a colleague on her long arm quilting machine. I made sleeves for the frame legs and covered “the feet” to match. These were further adorned by flowers and vine leaves.
Sometimes I cannot believe I did it!
