Improv Triangles Challah Cover

Using improvisational piecing techniques and simple chain-stitch embroidery, this modern challah cover is a creative and personal way to decorate your Shabbat table.

I'm sharing the process for making an improvisationally pieced challah cover below. If you're new to improv piecing, it means that you make creative choices as you go along, rather than precision cutting the patchwork pieces as in traditional quilting. Your finished product will be entirely your own, with a modern aesthetic. As well as piecing, the finished piece requires (beginner friendly!) embroidery and sewing. My finished challah cover is 16" x 13" / 41 x 33 cm, but you could make yours larger if you like by adding up more sections.

Choosing your materials

You'll kick off your creative process by choosing a random assortment of fabrics that work together, according to your taste. I used 10 different fabrics, but as little as five would work. You also need one larger piece of fabric for the backing, such as a fat quarter (a quarter of a yard / meter cut from half the width of the bolt). Otherwise, you just need some basic sewing tools: rotary cutter, cutting mat, and ruler; sewing machine with coordinating thread; iron and ironing board; and straight pins.

For the embroidered panel, I used DMC size 5 perle cotton, but you could also use 4-6 strands of cotton floss. You'll need a transfer pen or other means of tracing the lettering onto the panel.

Piecing the blocks

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This technique is at the heart of the project:

1. To start off a block, cut one of your scraps into a triangle. Use a ruler and rotary cutter to make the cuts, but randomly placed (don't use the ruler to measure).
2. Place another scrap along the long edge of the triangular piece and sew together using a ¼" / 6mm seam. Press the seam to one side.
3. Cut the second scrap you just attached into triangles, again without measuring.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 (using whichever edge of the piec you like), building up a rectangular block.
5. Trim any uneven edges, then square the block edges and set aside.
6. Continue making 4-6 blocks of varying sizes.

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Assembling the blocks

When you're ready to assemble the challah cover, cut one larger block of plain (unpatterned fabric) for the embroidered panel. Play around with arranging the blocks in different configurations until you find one you like. If needed, add strips to your blocks to create a large rectangle (your final challah cover will be slightly smaller than the pieced square). In the photo above, the dashed and numbered lines show the piecing order of a single block. The solid lines show the individual blocks that were arranged to make the rectangle.

The embroidered panel

After piecing together your challah cover top, transfer your preferred lettering onto the blank panel. I printed out the letters from the computer (you can use Word or a graphics program like Illustrator). Then, I traced them directly onto the fabric over a light panel with a frixion pen.

I used a double chain stitch to fill in the letter forms.

The last step, after a good pressing, is to place the challah cover top and backing right sides together. Sew, leaving an opening to turn, then top stitch very close to the edge to close the gap.

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