The unity in the country brought about by these three boys has been miraculous. As a symbol of this unity Unity Quilts Israel was born. This is their message: “Welcome to Unity Quilts! Unity Quilts was created by two friends who are passionate about quilting: Minna and Elisheva. Our goal is to create quilts for the families of Naftali, Eyal and Gil-Ad, using blocks from Jewish quilters across Israel and the world, in the spirit of achdut (unity) that their families inspired.”

This is a venture that speaks to me in a very deep way. I decided to participate and will bring my blocks to Minna later today so they can be included in the quilts for the families of these boys. May they always be remembered.

I would like to mention that this venture has made full circles around the world. I actually heard about it from a friend in Canada, who asked if I knew about the project. I checked it out only to find that it was initiated by women living in the town in which I live in Israel. That is how small the world really is!

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Decorative fiber bowls

There will be a bake sale in addition and something else they call a “White Elephant”. You know the adage, someone’s stuff is someone else’s treasure… That’s the Elephant part of the event.

I look forward to seeing you there. Come find something special for your self or the perfect gift and support exceptional, colorful, handmade art and craft at my table. Thanks!

The post Everyone come to the fair! Etz Chaim, Beit Shemesh. Thursday, 27 Feb. @ 5-9pm appeared first on CindyRQuilts.

• Eliezer Tzion – “Shoreshei Tzion” – Live, pro-biotic, organic food shoresheitzion@gmail.com www.shoresheitzion.com/
• Hagar Elbaz – Hand-made jewelry from beads and re-claimed fabric. hagaraelbaz@yahoo.com
• Saidel’s Bakery – Hand-made healthy breads. Les Saidel. shezles@saidels.com http://saidels.com
• Tammy’s Gourmet Sorbets – Fresh fruit sorbets and parve ice-cream for events & Shabbat. Menashe Esser. menashe_esser@yahoo.com
• Nachum Hirschel – Vermicomposting workshops & worms. nhirschel@gmail.com
• Yisrael Eastwood. Raycop Israel – Anti-allergen vacuum. seaneast@013net.net www.raycopisrael.co.il
• Renana Richter – Ecologically friendly products for babies, bodies and your home. renanawi@gmail.com
• Ayellet Perri – “Sakekologi” Reusable mesh bags for vegetables and fruit. ayellet.perry@gmail.com
• Tiv Ha’aretz – Israeli-grown dried fruits. Order for Tu B’shvat! Debbie Buckman: family@thebuckmans.com
• Chavivian Farm – Organically grown vegetables. Moshav Hodaya. Michal Chavivian: michalanor@walla.com

In addition to the definite value of the event, everyone had a good time. It was inspiring to take part in this important cause. Click here to see more photos of the event taken by Renee Halpert.

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As you can see from the photos some women followed photos they brought with them. Some worked from their imagination. The result was that they enjoyed, relaxed and had a very nice time.

Eileen sent out a mail at the end… “A great big thank you to Cindy Richard for teaching a wonderful class on needle felting. The women’s evening last night was fun filled and relaxing. Cindy taught us the craft of needle felting which was enjoyed by all the attendees. At the end of the evening we each took home our own beautifully handcrafted picture. Thank you to Cindy and all the women that attended!”

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Flashmob Beit Shemesh (Photographed by Yissachar Ruas)

Official Bet Shemesh Women Flashmob

Just to fill you in, lately there has been a lot of negative news coming out of Beit Shemesh. An extreme faction of religious orthodox men in the city have been demonstratively belligerent to the modern orthodox community. The flashmob was an expression of women in our city. It was meant to show the world there is more to Beit Shemesh than has been in the news lately.

Thanks to Miri Shalem and Brenda Ganot for your hard work to make this happen.
Enjoy!

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On Dec 7th there was a fashion show held as a fundraiser for a local children’s services organization in our area of the world. Fashions of all sorts and colors were shown and modeled by volunteers who banded together to help raise money for this group, which assists kids with learning disabilities. So many people have used these services; so many kids have benefited from them. Even my kids went there.
I had a table at the event filled with all my new work — lots of bags and belts and scarves. Danielle, my daughter, came to help me out. Here are some photos… Thanks Danielle!

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Mercaz Rakefet is running an incredibly fun fundraising event for women. Rakefet provides developmental therapies for children in Bet Shemesh.

Ladies, come on out and show your support for all the designers! I will have a table and my accessories, such as quilted bags and silk scarves, will be modeled on the runway!!

7 December 2011 at Kibbutz Zora

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The art portion of the event was followed by a lively concert nearby. The HaElla Artists are a cooperative that run events such as this one several times a year. They also host visitors in their homes at open house weekends before Sukkot and Pesach.

Here are some photos from the evening taken by Vered Terry https://picasaweb.google.com/veredterry/6?authkey=Gv1sRgCInXyqTxx-C8rwE.

For more information about HaElla events and viewing this exhibit, contact Barak Katz, Administrator of HaElla Artists: barak_katz18@walla.com

The post “Couples Theme” Art Exhibit at HaElla Gallery, Moshav Givat Yishayahu appeared first on CindyRQuilts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDLyhEmwsFw&feature=youtu.be

Enjoy!

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I must admit I was quite nervous before everyone showed up. The table was set for 16; samples of my work were strewn across the table and the refreshments were set out. I thought I would practice my pitch, but I couldn’t sit still long enough to look at it again. It was all prepared on color coded index cards. Well, color speaks to me and I use it to convey my message in my work, so there was no surprise there. I kept remembering additional things that needed to be set and then all of a sudden everyone arrived.

We started the morning with a short breathing / relaxation exercise led by one of our members. By the time she had led us through the exercise, I could breath and I could think. (Thanks Rachel!)

So, now I was up. I looked at the group and I looked at my cards and I began to speak. All of a sudden I was in “class” mode. This wasn’t really so different than teaching a class about something I love to do. I introduced myself and explained the techniques of quilting, talking about the three parts that make up a quilt: top, batting and back. I used my work on the walls and on the table to explain my message. I base my art on beautiful scenes I photograph around Israel. I showed the group some of the photos and the resulting quilts. They were really impressed.

I talked about my background. I started quilting 16 years ago as a hobby. After leaving hi-tech 1-1/2 years ago I decided to follow my passion and make quilting a career.
I showed my first quilt that took 10 years to complete. I quilted it by hand. That was the first and last quilt that I will do by hand…
I am a member of the Israel Quilter’s Association and I currently have a quilt exhibited in Israel for the month of May, which is a really important accomplishment for me.

I have added a line of useful art to what I create. I explained that simple bags and head scarves appeal to people who want something pretty and are not able to purchase expensive art at this time.

I have also begun to build Etsy shops for other local artists. Since my background is a mixture of art and hi-tech skills, I hope to be able to help other artists become more successful online.

I expressed my dream to become a recognized, successful quilt artist. Maybe one day I can employ people to sew for CindyRQuilts and they too will earn a living working with beautiful fabrics on creative designs. One should always have dreams…

After I closed there was a discussion around the table and everyone expressed her impressions and suggestions. This was an invaluable part of the process. I learned a lot and understood that overall everyone really liked my work. It was a huge boost! This was affirmation from a group who can also be critical if indicated. I thank you, one and all!

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