Making Tarot Bags

All Is One said:

I work with whole deer and elk hides that I buy from a man in Canada who does all the work himself. I always try to use the bullet holes prominently in the front flap of the bag as a way to represent the fact that the soul of a living creature is still a part of the hide, and that the death of that creature was important.

The hides usually have two to four bullet holes, and on the neck and shoulders of the larger elk hides are the scars from the horns of the other elk they have fought in their lifetime.

People tend to see the bullet holes and the old scars as blemishes and discard those. I try to feature those markings to honor them. The bullet holes are representative of our own mortality.

I don't think I could kill an animal, so I'm aware of the hypocrisy in my working with these hides. I have spent a lot of time on that issue.

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I feel the same way. I purposely choose areas that are scarred from cat claw marks and other scars and the ragged edges of the hides on a lot of my work. I don't use the holes from stretching the hides, necessarily, as they're not really aesthetic, but I don't waste even the smallest little scrap of buckskin. It all gets used, whether for the work itself or cutting thongs or making doll and baby moccasins, and even tiny pieces can always be used for something.

You didn't kill these animals. Even if you weren't buying from the person you buy from, that wouldn't stop him from killing the deer and elk. You're putting their hides to a good and honorable use. That's commendable. I'm glad to see someone else is doing similar work to what I do.

As far as seeing the bullet holes the way you do, I can't say I want to honor that someone killed this animal. This is where the spirit left it. I haven't ever been a hunter or liked to see animals killed, even when at one time, it was all we had to eat. The bullet holes cause me pain so I don't like looking at them or featuring them in my work. I do, but I don't enjoy that part.

It makes me feel good to know that someone else has to consider these issues from an artistic, moral, and ethical standpoint as I do. Sometimes it feels like I'm all alone out here. Thanks, Grizzabella! I'd love to see your work sometime.

I have friends who are vegan, so I have had to defend my use of the hides before.

I know. I felt kind of guilty offering my work here, too.

I've got some examples posted in another thread in Chat. There's one I started with a few pictures called "It feels good to be crafting again" and then one posted in "what are you creating now?" I keep losing my photos in computer crash problems, so I'll see if I can find the threads and post the links for you in a PM.

I think it's an awesome idea (the leather showing the bullet holes, etc.), because it's what is.

Maybe part of the problem with people nowadays is that we get our meat wrapped in plastic and pay other people to wash up our dead for us and lay them out. Then we watch fake death on teevee. A lot. It's got to have some kind of effect.

Has there ever been a study, I wonder?

Everyone's ideas of using leather, suede and even fur are incredible. I think its pretty great that we all have such imaginations to use and recycle materials.

I have one nice dress, which is now too small, so that, along with some gold satin curtains will be the next for tarot bag making.

I love the idea of getting clothes at the Goodwill/ thrift shops and use that as well.. I love shopping thrift stores and am sure I can find something that can be recycled into something I can use.

THanks for all your ideas!!

(gosh, i want to retire and sew for a long time! )

Jester bag

I love the idea of the jester bag discussed on the first page of this thread, but it looks like the website is having problems with pictures. I can read about the process, but I can't see the results or pattern! Does anyone know of another source for that info, or have pics of their own?

nanab said:

Since I started making my tarot bags I found getting fabric dinner napkins work well. You can get 3 bags from one napkin.

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What about using plastic bags?!

I know it sounds weird but I just found this video which explains how to fuse plastic bags together (using an iron and paper) to make a fabric like material that can be used for all sorts of sewing projects.

I think that this material would be great for making large bags to hold Tarot supplies like books and notebooks.

http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/fusing-plastic-bags-with-the-etsy-labs-1098/

oooooh, what a cool idea. Now I know what to do with the plastic bags from the grocery when I forget to tell them paper

Huh. That's interesting. You've gotten my creative juices flowing - you could press things between the layers; flowers, beads, feathers, anything, really. But I wonder how the end result would hold up with time & use. Bet it really stinks though, while you're heating that plastic up.

You bet it's going to smell up the place. I was thinking of doing it on a nice day out on the carport. Just take the ironing board and iron outside and do all the bags at once. If I end up with an extra supply on hand for later use, all the better!