Cross Stitched Torah

Rival · Oct 23, 2019

This stitched Torah project is up for display in Canada and wow, props to those people who stitched it because I can't sew worth a fig! I think it looks pretty well done. What do you think?

"Liat Bartal is a Jewish Israeli from Givataym, near Tel Aviv. Mother Xavier is a Christian nun at Tyburn Convent in London, England. Ayse Yegul is a Muslim from Turkey now living in Toronto, Canada. These women have never met, but they have something in common: All three are participants in a creative project that has engaged more than 1,400 people of different faiths from around the world in cross-stitching the Torah."

It Takes 1,400 Strangers From Around The World To Cross-stitch A Torah

Terry Sampson · Oct 23, 2019

I don't know which impresses me more: the result or the fact that 1,400 people of different faiths from around the world would undertake the project.

dianaiad · Oct 23, 2019

Rival said:
This stitched Torah project is up for display in Canada and wow, props to those people who stitched it because I can't sew worth a fig! I think it looks pretty well done. What do you think?

"Liat Bartal is a Jewish Israeli from Givataym, near Tel Aviv. Mother Xavier is a Christian nun at Tyburn Convent in London, England. Ayse Yegul is a Muslim from Turkey now living in Toronto, Canada. These women have never met, but they have something in common: All three are participants in a creative project that has engaged more than 1,400 people of different faiths from around the world in cross-stitching the Torah."

It Takes 1,400 Strangers From Around The World To Cross-stitch A Torah

Oh, wow, I wish I'd known about, and could have participated in, this project!!

sun rise · Oct 23, 2019

That's a great story.

Nakosis · Oct 23, 2019

Rival said:
This stitched Torah project is up for display in Canada and wow, props to those people who stitched it because I can't sew worth a fig! I think it looks pretty well done. What do you think?

"Liat Bartal is a Jewish Israeli from Givataym, near Tel Aviv. Mother Xavier is a Christian nun at Tyburn Convent in London, England. Ayse Yegul is a Muslim from Turkey now living in Toronto, Canada. These women have never met, but they have something in common: All three are participants in a creative project that has engaged more than 1,400 people of different faiths from around the world in cross-stitching the Torah."

It Takes 1,400 Strangers From Around The World To Cross-stitch A Torah

A beginner's guide to cross stitch

What a waste of time, to a practical person like myself.

Guess it's a good thing that not everyone is like me. It's art, art not being very practical.
It's nice that people were able to be a part of something this large.
I doubt I'll be taking up the needle anything soon, but I will be less dismissive of cross-stitching in the future.

Jayhawker Soule · Oct 23, 2019

Nice crowns. Now if they could only go back and add the diacritics ...

beenherebeforeagain · Oct 23, 2019

Nakosis said:
Guess it's a good thing that not everyone is like me. It's art, art not being very practical.

I'm not sure what you mean by art 'not being very practical.' To the contrary, I find that art has many very practical aspects...as a focus for creativity, as a release of emotional or social pressure, as an expression of awe and wonder, as a way to communicate humor and instill laughter, to calm agitated minds, to unify communities...

sealchan · Oct 23, 2019

Rival said:
This stitched Torah project is up for display in Canada and wow, props to those people who stitched it because I can't sew worth a fig! I think it looks pretty well done. What do you think?

"Liat Bartal is a Jewish Israeli from Givataym, near Tel Aviv. Mother Xavier is a Christian nun at Tyburn Convent in London, England. Ayse Yegul is a Muslim from Turkey now living in Toronto, Canada. These women have never met, but they have something in common: All three are participants in a creative project that has engaged more than 1,400 people of different faiths from around the world in cross-stitching the Torah."

It Takes 1,400 Strangers From Around The World To Cross-stitch A Torah

I have had the desire to cross-stitch the Chi-Rho page from the Book of Kells. I split up into small sections an image of the page years ago. I completed two sections in cross-stitch:

Currently I am looking at how to best resume creating the patterns to share out so that others can actually do the work collaboratively.

This project is inspirational. Thanks for posting this.

Nakosis · Oct 23, 2019

beenherebeforeagain said:
I'm not sure what you mean by art 'not being very practical.' To the contrary, I find that art has many very practical aspects...as a focus for creativity, as a release of emotional or social pressure, as an expression of awe and wonder, as a way to communicate humor and instill laughter, to calm agitated minds, to unify communities...

Sure to manipulate other people, guess I don't do it that much. I'm more of a "Go on about your business, don't mind me" type of guy.

dianaiad · Oct 23, 2019

sealchan said:
I have had the desire to cross-stitch the Chi-Rho page from the Book of Kells. I split up into small sections an image of the page years ago. I completed two sections in cross-stitch:

View attachment 33763

Currently I am looking at how to best resume creating the patterns to share out so that others can actually do the work collaboratively.

This project is inspirational. Thanks for posting this.

That's quite an ambitious project. As in...whew....

Keep me in mind if you actually get to the 'sending out patterns' stage.

beenherebeforeagain · Oct 23, 2019

Nakosis said:
Sure to manipulate other people, guess I don't do it that much. I'm more of a "Go on about your business, don't mind me" type of guy.

I'm sorry you have such a limited understanding of art and artists. Please have a good life; personally, I can't comprehend a life without art, and with such a negative view of one of the quintessentially and joyfully human individual and social activities.

Do your really not see any value--do you not like--any art at all? any music? any sculpture? any writing, whether fact, fiction or poetry? any photography? any movies? Is it all simple manipulation to you?

I'm sorry, but I find this--if you truly do not see any value in any art at all--to be almost incomprehensible...

dianaiad · Oct 23, 2019

Nakosis said:
Sure to manipulate other people, guess I don't do it that much. I'm more of a "Go on about your business, don't mind me" type of guy.

"Art" is the expression of one's personal sense of what is beautiful....even when it's ugly.

We learn more about what other people think and believe from the art they leave than from about anything else. At least, that's what I think.

Your mileage may vary, of course.

Nakosis · Oct 23, 2019

dianaiad said:
"Art" is the expression of one's personal sense of what is beautiful....even when it's ugly.

We learn more about what other people think and believe from the art they leave than from about anything else. At least, that's what I think.

Your mileage may vary, of course.

I'll keep my art to myself, thanks.
The less folks know about me the better.

Kind of an interesting point you are making but usually I've no idea who a particular artist is. Like I really don't know who these 1400 people are. When I see a painting, I never look for an artist's signature.

I've always been pretty philistinian when it comes to art.

Nakosis · Oct 23, 2019

beenherebeforeagain said:
I'm sorry you have such a limited understanding of art and artists. Please have a good life; personally, I can't comprehend a life without art, and with such a negative view of one of the quintessentially and joyfully human individual and social activities.

Do your really not see any value--do you not like--any art at all? any music? any sculpture? any writing, whether fact, fiction or poetry? any photography? any movies? Is it all simple manipulation to you?

I'm sorry, but I find this--if you truly do not see any value in any art at all--to be almost incomprehensible...

I've tried. Art is very one dimensional for me. I'll see a painting, I'll like it or not. Doesn't much go beyond that. It's not that I don't like it. I only see it for what it is. Not so much the feelings or effort put into it. Not saying I'm proud of it, it's just the way I find myself to be.

I like nature, art seems a bit artificial to me. I'd rather be at a scenic view than looking at a painting of one.

beenherebeforeagain · Oct 23, 2019

Nakosis said:
I've tried. Art is very one dimensional for me. I'll see a painting, I'll like it or not. Doesn't much go beyond that. It's not that I don't like it. I only see it for what it is. Not so much the feelings or effort put into it. Not saying I'm proud of it, it's just the way I find myself to be.

I like nature, art seems a bit artificial to me. I'd rather be at a scenic view than looking at a painting of one.

Okay. I don't get it, but I accept your explanation. Keep on truckin', man!

sealchan · Oct 24, 2019

dianaiad said:
That's quite an ambitious project. As in...whew....

Keep me in mind if you actually get to the 'sending out patterns' stage.

I was motivated enough to complete a series of easier patterns to get some practice in. I created the patterns using a computer program which allows you to overlay a grid onto an image.

Now the easy way would be to just let the cross stitch program convert the graphics file into a pattern of colored squares. Then all I would have to do is stitch it. But I didn't want to do that. Instead I wanted to "refurbish" the damaged art and retrace each line. Some sections are so damaged that i got to fill in creatively.

To really do justice to this art i want to rediscover the way in which every shape flows into the other. I used back stitch to help retrace those lines. That way one can get the full impact of discovering the fluid interconnectedness of form that is this work of art.

I figure I'm just about nerdy enough to do it. If I can only create the full design.

Oh and I should add...the stitches themselves are like a whole other layer of knotwork... seems a fitting way to try and reproduce this.

dianaiad · Oct 24, 2019

Nakosis said:
I've tried. Art is very one dimensional for me. I'll see a painting, I'll like it or not. Doesn't much go beyond that. It's not that I don't like it. I only see it for what it is. Not so much the feelings or effort put into it. Not saying I'm proud of it, it's just the way I find myself to be.

I like nature, art seems a bit artificial to me. I'd rather be at a scenic view than looking at a painting of one.

ah.

Well, I'm with you....I too would rather 'be there,' but being there and seeing a painting of 'there' are two entirely different experiences.

Every time I go see my daughters in Utah, I take an hour and drive through Kolob Canyon.

The hiking trails through Kolob Canyon are said to be unbelievably fantastic...I can't take any of them. the half hour drive up and back, however, is beautiful enough for me right now. I love going there

However, when someone paints what they see, you get to see the place twice. Once through your eyes, and once again through the eyes of the artist.

It's not an 'either/or' thing, as in 'go there OR see the painting."

They are two very different experiences.

dianaiad · Oct 24, 2019

sealchan said:
I was motivated enough to complete a series of easier patterns to get some practice in. I created the patterns using a computer program which allows you to overlay a grid onto an image.

Now the easy way would be to just let the cross stitch program convert the graphics file into a pattern of colored squares. Then all I would have to do is stitch it. But I didn't want to do that. Instead I wanted to "refurbish" the damaged art and retrace each line. Some sections are so damaged that i got to fill in creatively.

To really do justice to this art i want to rediscover the way in which every shape flows into the other. I used back stitch to help retrace those lines. That way one can get the full impact of discovering the fluid interconnectedness of form that is this work of art.

I figure I'm just about nerdy enough to do it. If I can only create the full design.

Oh and I should add...the stitches themselves are like a whole other layer of knotwork... seems a fitting way to try and reproduce this.

There are programs on the market that allow you to actually make cross stitch patterns from scanned images. I have one...drives me nuts. It does the basics, and then I have to 'fill in' all the back stitch, french knots and other specialty stitches, as well as repair anything that requires adjusting.

It's a really expensive program though...and the cross stitch 'module' is an add on. I use it to digitize machine embroidery NOT cross stitch. Still, if that cross stitch program is that picky and inclusive, one dedicated to nothing but cross stitch would soothe the nerdy mind. Hmnnn. I think I'll go looking.

edited...

went looking. found more than one. talk to me in 'private' and I'll give you the list...and the one I think is the best for your amazing project.

Cross Stitched Torah

Rival

se Dex me saut.

Terry Sampson

Well-Known Member

dianaiad

Well-Known Member

sun rise

The world is on fire

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --

beenherebeforeagain

Rogue Animist

sealchan

Well-Known Member

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist

dianaiad

Well-Known Member

beenherebeforeagain

Rogue Animist

dianaiad

Well-Known Member

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist

beenherebeforeagain

Rogue Animist

sealchan

Well-Known Member

dianaiad

Well-Known Member

dianaiad

Well-Known Member