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Author: Joanne Seiff

A Community Tallit Weaving Tradition in Winnipeg

A Community Tallit Weaving Tradition in Winnipeg

Posted by | Jul 28, 2021 | ,

[For all readers] When writer Joanne Seiff was a child preparing for her bat mitzvah, the Jewish rite of passage, she learned how to weave so she could make her own tallit—the traditional Jewish prayer shawl. Two decades later she moved to Winnipeg and was delighted to see many handwoven tallitot worn by congregants at synagogue services. She learned about a program that’s been ongoing since the 1980s, through which members of Manitoba Weavers and Fiber Artists teach members of the local Jewish community how to weave tallitot. Read more about this amazing local program, and about what’s involved in weaving a tallit.

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Why I Value Making Clothes for Kids

Why I Value Making Clothes for Kids

Posted by | Jun 30, 2021 |

[Open Access] “People ask me why I ‘waste’ my time knitting sweaters for my twins, since children grow so fast, or how I could bear to part with anything I’d knitted, or see it felted at recess in the schoolyard. While those felted mitts were a hard lesson (for me and the kid!), I make clothes so they can be worn and loved, not saved as heirlooms.” Enjoy Joanne Seiff’s essay on why she makes, and passes on, clothes for kids.

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Two Unique Canadian Shops Where Reuse Is an Everyday Value

Two Unique Canadian Shops Where Reuse Is an Everyday Value

Posted by | Apr 21, 2021 | ,

[Open Access] If you’re trying to craft sustainably, there are so many factors to consider, it can become overwhelming. Joanne Seiff highlights two Canadian organizations that sell fabric, yarn or other materials that had already been purchased, used in one way or another, and then discarded. Creative reuse centres provide another way for us to craft sustainability as eco-friendly makers.

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