WELCOME! BRUCHIM HABAIM! ברוכים הבאים

My name is Yael and I am pleased to meet you!

This blog is about art and craft and about sewing. I will tell a little bit about myself and about my family. I will mention my wonderful friends. I shall introduce our beloved four legged companions. And I would like to talk about nature. And about sun and rain and flowers and trees, and the sea and the desert - about the beauty, the history, the ancient places and the views of the Land of Israel, and about it's people.

Growing up in Germany, I was never very good in school when it came to crocheting potholders and knitting socks. That was sheer horror for me! I also do not remember myself as a child drawing or creating things because creativity was never encouraged by my parents, teachers or the culture in general. But I always loved beautiful things and was drawn to nature, especially to trees and meadows and wild flowers. I always tried to make my and my sister's room pretty by putting flowers on the table or draping a scarf over the lamp. What I mean to say is I probably had an eye for beauty from a young age and always appreciated and loved it.

I have a very early memory of a visit to an aunt during which she sent me into her beautiful garden and gave me some tiny vessels and vases made from unglazed clay to play with. It was such a lovely moment…I can still feel the flowers over my head and still imagine myself playing in the sunshine among the flowers and weeds with those lovely things. That day, I was completely happy!

It wasn't until I got married (very young) and had children that I started creating things. I sewed clothes for them, crocheted ponchos and scarves, knitted sweaters and so on.

That was also the time I made my first patchwork throw - it was a present for my sister. One side had green and blue patches, the other side had patches in red shades. To my great sorrow, my sister has already passed away, but this throw lives on in one of her daughters’ homes. It is about forty years old by now. It was not quilted because at that time I had no idea about quilting and patchwork. Then one day I found a Burda magazine which had patchwork wall hangings in it, with explanations as to how to do it. From that time on I was hooked!

I got divorced and not long after that married again and moved with my husband to Israel, where I have been living now for almost 30 years. This is my true home and homeland. In 1989 my husband was assigned to work in the United States, so we lived for four years in California and one year in Texas. Of course, once there I indulged in everything related to patchwork and quilting! It was a great time and I learned a lot. I did not take many workshops, but there was this abundance of books coming out. Patchwork and quilting was just newly being considered as an art form and everything was very exciting! All those quilt fabric stores! All those quilt exhibitions! The lovely American Quilters Museum in San Jose! Returning to Israel I found that a Quilters and Patchwork Association had just been established and this art and craft form gained momentum here too. It was terrific!

After making a lot of wall hangings and bed quilts, I eventually settled down to making mostly bags which I sold in two galleries in Israel. Recently I create beautiful, decorative and useful things with a strong focus on good workmanship. My creations are usually very colorful and I like to add beads, tassels, ribbons, buttons and lace as well wherever the piece seems to communicate the need.

What I love most is just designing something new—throwing all my fabrics on the table, getting more and more excited, making a BIG mess in my work room, cutting and trying to figure out how it would look best, having another and another idea and sewing the first item of a new line. Only after all that do I get organized, clean up, put everything back in its place and start working a little less like a mad hatter. I love this!

What advice would I give to artists and crafters? I’d say DO WHAT YOU LOVE…and do it as well and as perfectly as you can.