Crafting in the new year...

The early days of 2011 have been busy ones for me. My niece celebrated her bat mitzvah a few days ago. This is an important rite of passage for Jewish girls turning 12. She is considered responsible for the decisions she makes and for the way she lives her life. It is similar to Confirmation in the Christian church. Our family is pretty interesting in terms of our spiritual beliefs, but we all work together, and support one another no matter how we worship.
One common thread (pardon the pun) is that I will make something to commemorate the events in our lives. So, first up, is a wall hanging for my niece. It features the word Shalom -- or peace -- in a tapestry panel. It is surrounded by star fabrics and sparkly blues. It is embellished with star buttons and hot fix crystals. I collected the materials for this wall hanging over a couple of years, including at least one trip to the Toronto Sewing and Needlework Festival, where I found the tapestry panel. They were carefully stored away until it was time to put it all together.
I also wanted to make her some special jewelery. Every young lady needs pearls, so I did a freshwater pearl necklace featuring rose blush crystals. The silver pendant and the ear rings are aurora borealis crystals.
And, every party includes loot bags. My niece's guests each took home a sleepover bag that included a night mask (from Sew Pretty Homestyle). I made 38 masks from various prints, and using Steam-A-Seam, I embellished each of them with a pink gingham daisy. In the centre of each daisy, I used a hot fix crystal to add a little bling.