Tarot and Handicrafts

What is TAT?

Tatting is a type of shuttle work, used to make knotted lace. The lace is formed using double half-hitches, which slide along a thread to form rings and chains.

Here are links to some photos that I found with a Google search:

http://pweb.jps.net/~mcmasters1/tatting.html

http://www.kaleden.com/search/images.jsp?id=244489

http://web.triton.net/t/tenclay/tatting/cl-edge.jpg


and a description:

http://www.malcolmbluefarm.org/Farmskills/more_about_tatting.htm


Nevada

Wow

Tatting is really nice. I wish I had that talent. I suppose it's something that needs an apprenticeship!Thanks for the links Nevada

You're welcome!

I've taught a few people to tat, and yes it does require some hands-on learning.

My grandmother sat me down one day when I was fourteen and said, "You're going to learn to tat." She didn't let me get up until I'd made one good ring. I didn't want to learn (the only explanation for this is that I was fourteen and almost as hardheaded as she was), but you didn't say no to her. I was the grandchild most interested in needlework, and at that time she thought tatting was a dying art. Now I'm glad she made me learn, but tatting has caught on again so it's no longer a dying art as she feared.

Nevada

I too have done embroidery and knitting but of late, with children, work and other interest don't spend alot of time with it but I have an unfinished piece of embroidery which I designed. It is still not complete and have no idea when it will end but every so often I add a bit to it when I feel the desire to do so. The piece seems to be evolving along with myself. I don't beleive it would win any craft exibitions but is one of my most cherished pocessions.

Oh how I wish I had time for creative endeavors I haven't cross-stitched forever, and I completely forget how to crochet....haha. What a shame that I could do it when I was a kid and now I don't have a clue

Most of my decks have a self-made bag, some sewn, but most are crocheted all from the same simple pattern, the difference is in the different colour patterns suitable for the deck.

When I get a Marseilles deck someday it will get an embroidered bag
I am now knitting sweaters I started years ago and am now finishing. I found the knitting movement soothing but I lacked the energy to finish them, with correcting little errors to make it fit and have a presentable neckline or collar or whatever. It can take me a long time to finish something, but I usually do get the job done. Making tarot bags is a nice diversion: you don't have to think so much about making it fit (decks have different sizes, but not many models ) and it is not such a big project, so you can finish it more quickly.

I did a small peice of blackwork embroidery a couple of years ago and have been meaning to make it into a tarot bag. Blackwork is a "fine line" looking style that would go well visually with an engraved deck or delicate pen and ink like the Nigel Jackson. I also have several tiny hardanger pieces that might make a great bag for the Hanson-Roberts.

If you know someone with a charting program any historical tarot card could be made into a cross stitch chart (watch out doing this with cards by living artists) I once had a chart made from the Thoth Two of Cups but the person who made it hadn't quite refined it enough so it was quarter stitches galore.

--Myrrha

I wish!

I used to cross stitch years ago and I still have several projects I never completed. Wow, now I feel bad. Maybe its time to MAKE time. I really did love it, I guess life just got in the way. I need some deck bags anyway....maybe I'll dig my stuff out.

Hi all,
How cool to find a couple of other tatters here! A few years ago I thought I was the only one left on the planet and then I did a Goggle search. There are some wonderful patterns available!