Passover's Coming: 25 Ideas for Matzoh Fabric

Eerily realistic matzoh fabric is what brought me into making quilted Judaica some 20 years ago. I was already Jewish, and I was a new quilter, but when I first saw matzoh fabric, I was inspired! So lifelike! So irresistible! So fun!

In those days, Marcus Brothers made the fabric. Unfortunately, they discontinued it, but Lauree Feigenbaum of 1-800-dreidel.com picked up the slack. She offers light and heavyweight versions here. Fay Nicoll of Sunshine Sewing in Florida also sells trompe l'oeil matzoh fabric.

It's never too early to start sewing for Passover (which starts on April 22 this year). Here are just a few of the things I've made from matzoh fabric over many years. I hope they will help you brainstorm ways to spice up your seder!

1. First, of course, simple matzoh covers galore. 

Just surround the matzoh with a Judaic print and hand-quilt the matzoh in rows to create a bumpy texture. 

2. Passover themed postcards: 

Ten plagues

Seder plate components

I blogged these and more in 2014, here.  My patterns page includes FREE downloadable labels in Hebrew and English for plagues and seder plate components. Basic "How to Make a Fiber Arts Postcard" (for Passover or Easter or beyond) directions are here. 

3. Buttony cover : 

Closeup: 

It's machine-quilted with variegated thread: 

4. The traditional 'flying geese' design meshes beautifully with the Exodus story. I paper pieced the triangles:

Closer :

5. Next, a historically challenged Exodus-themed matzoh cover, with King Tut in the upper left and George Washington on the lower right....

...And rubber stamped feet leading from one to the other....

6. A broken dishes/broken matzoh theme dish. (Loops in the corner shape it into a dish.)

7. Heavily quilted matzoh star: 

8. Giant hardboiled eggs and tiny wine glasses, yum: 

9. A matzoh brick road snail's trail pillow: (The 'A-MAZE-ing Selvages & Jeans Pillow pattern on my patterns page works for this, or use any snail's trail pattern.)

10. Another "journey"-themed matzoh cover, with pyramids on top, famous Washington DC buildings on bottom, for a friend who lives in DC:

11. Spilled wine and plagues-themed matzoh cover: 

Detail: 

12. Moony matzoh cover: 

13. Experimental pouch...

It's an envelope with removeable pins. The pins can be taken off and worn.

14. Bags to hide the afikomen. This first one has a tulle bottom with sequins trapped between two layers. 

15. A simple envelope: 

16. Earrings:

Another earring:

17. Amulet necklace:

18. Brooch:

19. A playable tambourine (Plastic canvas inside holds it stiff): 

20. A teeny tote bag: 

21. A kippah (pattern is in my book.) 

22. Over the December 2015 winter holidays, I was invited to a party with relatives, including four different households, so I whipped up four ultra-fast, fun matzoh covers. Here's #1: 

The back has a Shabbat theme, so it's reversible...

23. This one uses a cute novelty Passover fabric, also avialable from 1800 Dreidel. 

24. A simple cover with stylish borders: 

25. During the height of Harry Potter madness, a golden matzohball snitch

It hangs in our kitchen! It's made from two baby kippah patterns from my book, with a  gold lamé insert.

What have you made or would you like to make from matzoh fabric?