From Publishers Weekly
In the popular trend of connecting spirituality and art, professional quilter and quilting instructor Silk seeks to connect her craft with the mystical Jewish tradition of Kabbalah. While a likely connection exists between creativity, mysticism, and quilting, the book is largely unsuccessful at illuminating it. Each chapter presents one of ten divine attributes posited by Kabbalah, along with a spiritual practice and instructions for a quilt, but there is too little of each of these to be helpful, and the segues between paragraphs and between sections are weak. One chapter, for instance, jumps from a detailed description of how different each of her children is, to a discussion of chesed (unconditional love), to angels, to the Buddhist practice of lovingkindness, and finally to directions for making a baby quilt. The thread-pardon the pun-that connects all of these elements is often unclear. Quilting instructions are minimal, usually two pages per quilt, and the illustrations aren't labeled, making this a book only for experienced quilters. While Silk is clearly knowledgeable about Kabbalah, spirituality, and quilting, she combines too many elements here, creating a mulligan stew that will probably not satisfy either spirituality readers or quilters.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From the Inside Flap
Take up your quilt making in a whole new state of mind.
Whether it's the practical salvaging of fabric scraps, the comfort of repeating familiar steps over and over or the opportunity for colorful artistic expression, any quilter knows the satisfaction to be found in the simple act of designing a pattern, piecing fabric and assembling a quilt. But is there a way to develop this traditional craft into a deeper, more mindful practice?
Let this imaginative book take you on a journey deeper into your quilt making and your spiritual awareness. Follow the reflections and discoveries of contemporary quilter Louise Silk as she introduces the mystical tradition of Kabbalah as a contemplative system available to all of us, no matter our religious background or past spiritual experience. Your quilt making will become a tool to help you integrate the spiritual lessons of these mystical teachings into your life. And as you work through original project ideas, you will discover the many ways that quilt making can help you express not just your creativity, but also gratitude, hospitality, friendship and joy.
