Chanukah Blessings

My granddaughter Eva attended a Jewish preschool in Federal Hill (Baltimore) last year. Their family is not Jewish, but it was within walking distance of their apartment and Audrey loved the emphasis on education - both religious and secular - and so Eva spent 2 years there. Yes, we're Christians, but we embrace the Jewish observances as reflected in what we call the Old Testament. Those Holy Days have meaning for us, too! (Yes, I know Chanukah is not a "holy" day, but I think you get my drift.)

Audrey asked me to make a signature quilt as a thank you. Of course - my kids always think their mom can produce almost any sort of quilt on quick notice, right?! (I've done this more times than I can believe.) First, a little diversion.

Here's one of my holiday cards that I made using a pack of window cards I bought at the Dollar Store. Yes, one dollar for a pack of 10! Maybe they were meant for Christmas, but Hanukkah happens in December, so snowflakes are normal.

Last scraps of an OLD Hanukkah fabric

Back to the quilt: What's fabulous about this is the providential fabric find I had in a Federal Hill (Baltimore) resale shop a few months before. I came upon a bundle of Chanukah fabrics from Keepsake Catalog from about 10 years ago! I was hyperventilating because there is a dearth of Chanukah fabrics in the quilting world and these were simply gorgeous. There was a yard of a border print, 1/2 yard of 2 companion prints and several fat quarters. I knew they would find a happy home someday.

Border print and companion print

Let me show you what I did with them. First, the signature block with a few fat quarter remnants:

Signature block with a few other the fat quarters

The 5"  block is made with:

• One 2-1/2" x 5-1/2" white rectangle (for the signature_
• One 2" x 5-1/2" gold/yellow rectangle
• One 2" x 5-1/2" dark blue rectangle

I ironed freezer paper to the wrong side of the white to stabilize it for the signatures. I brought several Pigma pens for the writing and some scraps for people to practice on.

I set the blocks on point, but I can't remember what size to cut those yellow, cream and blue patches.

Now the whole quilt! Don't you just love that bold and sassy border print with dreidels, menorahs, and lots of gold!

Hanukkah Quilt for preschool

I set the blocks on point to add movement. See how the blocks tilt back and forth? I didn't have enough signature blocks so I included two of the menorahs (top left and bottom, second from right).  I don't even have the final measurements for this. And, for some reason, I didn't take a picture of the finished quilt (but I'm asking my daughter to get it for me).

Thanks for stopping by today. And a very happy Hanukkah (or Chanukah) to all those who celebrate it.