When my daughter was preparing for her Bat Mitzvah, she was very busy preparing for the Torah reading, which took almost a year to learn. While she was proud of herself for learning to read the Torah, I felt that she needed to express her artistic and spiritual side in her Bat Mitzvah; we needed a project. After much thought, we came up with the idea to make a Bat Mitzvah quilt.

We first found a local artist who could make quilts and he was happy to work with us on this project. Here is what we did.

We went online to see different types and colors of fabric and my daughter chose her favorite patterns and sent the names and codes to the quilter.

Next, we decided how big we wanted to make the quilt and how many people we wanted to help decorate the squares. The artist then wrote us a diagram so we could see what the finished quilt would look like. We decided to make a quilt that would hang on the wall rather than cover the bed so it would last longer and not get dirty.

Then we had the artist prepare the material squares in advance. He did this in a cream colored material. We brought the squares home and invited 25 of my daughter’s best friends to come and help create the quilt. I bought fabric markers, fabric paint, and stencils that went well with the fabric colors my daughter chose. The girls needed help with the designs to draw, so I cut out pictures and decorations from magazines and from the internet that they could copy (flowers, birds, trees, hearts, etc.).

Another idea we incorporated was taking photos of my daughter and putting them on the quilt. We buy pre-treated fabric sheets (such as iron-on transfers) that are made for your printer. You can buy them at Michael’s or other major craft stores. Please read the instructions carefully to get it right the first time. We scan the photos into the computer and print them on the transfers and the quilter ironed them for us. We intersperse the photos of my daughter with the squares made by her friends. It is important to mention that not all transfers turned out as bright and clear as we wanted. I recommend buying twice the amount you need, as it may take several tries to get it right.

When we finished making all of our squares, the quilt artist took all the squares and sewed them into a quilt using the fabric my daughter had chosen. He also added some puffy hearts in the corners of the quilt, which was a great effect and created a fantastic quilt. We hung it up at the Bat Mitzvah party and all the girls got to see it and find the square they made for my daughter. Now the Bat Mitzvah quilt hangs proudly on your wall. You will treasure it for a lifetime!

In order to inject some Jewish meaning into the project, here are some ideas;

o Write the name of the girl’s parsha (portion of the Torah) in one of the squares and her name in Hebrew

o Add the date of the Bat Mitzvah

o Write the word “Bat Mitzvah” or “Mazal Tov”

o Use Jewish symbols such as Magen David, Menorah, Chai or Hamsa

o Use Jewish sayings in Hebrew or English that have meaning for your daughter

Most importantly, have fun with your daughter. Make sure your Bat Mitzvah is the most special occasion of your young life.

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