Tarot Bag Pattern
Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 31 Dec 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.
| bladeraven |
31 Dec 2004 |
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I was wondering if anyone knew where I could find a drawstring pattern to make my own Tarot Bag holder? :)
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| Majecot |
31 Dec 2004 |
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Ahh an age old question.. Basicly any bag pattern will do, I measure the deck first then construct the bag.
I found this this thread with some instruction:Making Bags
also a bag pattern from Nancys Notions
Happy sewing :D
(Luna is much quicker at the post than me...lol)
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| bladeraven |
31 Dec 2004 |
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LOL..and I was impatient..I got a sweater and cut off a half of the arm and sewed it..but havign trouble with the top part as far as closure..I didn't want to just free tie it close, but wasn't sure how to do the drawstring
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| Majecot |
31 Dec 2004 |
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You could always take a strip of bias tape or a peice of material and sew on the inside to make a casing for your drawstring.
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| Lillie |
31 Dec 2004 |
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I can sew, real good, I've made boned corsets that fit like a glove.
However, I made a bag for my crow magick cards, and it seemed to be just right, but it wasn't, it was too small, it put a bend in the whole pack!
Not bad, bust irritating. I'll have to put then unger a pile of books to get it out.
There you are, a cautionary tale! :D
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| Dark Inquisitor |
31 Dec 2004 |
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LOL..and I was impatient..I got a sweater and cut off a half of the arm and sewed it..but havign trouble with the top part as far as closure..I didn't want to just free tie it close, but wasn't sure how to do the drawstring
You get the originality award !! Let no one come between you and your quest for tarot bag . I suggest you finish the top raw edge so it doesn't fray. After that you will need 2 edges at the sides to fold back under to form the opening for the drawstring . Then fold the top edge over about 1/2" and sew it down . Insert a drawstring through a small safety pin and thread it through one opening and out the other .
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| bladeraven |
31 Dec 2004 |
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Ahhh...Actually fixing to head to the store to get some cord or something to use as the drawstring...the sweater material is too delicate to use.
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| Maggie Bell |
31 Dec 2004 |
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bladerunner, you are *too* much ... cutting the arm off your sweater?! The Award for Ultimate Originality goes to you!
Enjoying a chuckle at the end of 2004,
Maggie
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| gypsy |
01 Jan 2005 |
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well... what else are you supposed to do with old sweaters??? i applaud your environmentally-conscious and creative recycling idea!!! :D
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| bladeraven |
01 Jan 2005 |
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LOL..I was lazy..the sweater was there..it had holes..a scissor was handy..what can I say...
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| diane drizzy |
02 Jan 2005 |
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While we're on the subject,any knitting or crochet patterns for bags? :)
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| Emily |
02 Jan 2005 |
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I went looking for the perfect tarot bag for my new DruidCraft and found one (or so I thought) - bought it back, put DruidCraft in - ahhh too small or is it that the DruidCraft is too large lol .
Think I maybe following some of those links on how to make a tarot bag lol
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| laura_borealis |
02 Jan 2005 |
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This is my favorite set of instructions on making lined drawstring bags:
http://www.livejournal.com/community/craftgrrl/3786894.html
I will warn you, don't use bulky fabrics when using this pattern -- you end up with too much around the drawstring casing. I suggest trying it with cotton fabric first.
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| bladeraven |
02 Jan 2005 |
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That's a great link...need to try it...asked my mom (I'm 31) and she started laughing at me before telling me she had no idea how to crochet that..I take it that's not a good sign?? LOL
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| Emily |
02 Jan 2005 |
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I hadn't thought of crochet for bag.
Its easy once you get into it bladeraven - much easier than knitting. If you drop a stitch you just unravel until you get back, stick the hook through and carry on :)
The stitches are easier to learn too - you can make a nice pattern with just the standard crochet stitch and go onto the fancy stitches later. And it would be easy to line the inside with fabric - just catch stitch onto the wool inside the bag.
This thread has really got me thinking now. :D >>>> (Off to find my crochet hooks)
Edited to add:-
If you put 'How to crochet' into google there might be some good sites.
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| bladeraven |
02 Jan 2005 |
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Hehehehe...thanks!! I might try that...If anything...great time killer too...Lol
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| Majecot |
02 Jan 2005 |
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This is the bag that I made for Merc's Druidcraft. Because the deck was so big, it just seemed to cry for something different than a draw string, so I made it envelope style with a frog closure. I had made a drawstring bag for my own, but I like this one better so I think now that the holidays are over, I can get back to my sewing machine!
I found a couple of patterns on the net for crocheted bags
Heart bag
4x4 bag
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| Emily |
02 Jan 2005 |
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Hi Majecot,
I like your bag and the material - it does fit the feel of the DruidCraft.
I wouldn't have thought of having an envelope bag instead of a drawstring one but I think that if I do sew one, it'll be an envelope bag too - Thanks for the inspiration :)
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| bladeraven |
02 Jan 2005 |
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Oh wow...I love the look of the envelope bag...is it hard to do by hand?..I like the frog closure..perfect for my OSHO Zen cards (Thank you thank you thank you Gigi for them and the Haindl cards)...
I don't have a sewing machine..so I would have to do it like that. I wanted to do an asian theme for my OZ cards and I have my Haindl cards in the black, use to be an arm sleeve, bag....I just need to put some type of closure on that one.
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| purple_scorp |
02 Jan 2005 |
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Majecot,
that little heart bag is very sweet ;)
I can knit and crotchet - crochet is much quicker than knitting. There is only really two stitches you need to know in knitting (knit and pearl) and three stitches in crotchet (chain, treble, double treble). Well, those basic stitches will be enough to get you started, anyhow.
bladeraven, how about crotcheting a cord for your jumper/arm bag? All you would need to do is get some matching wool, and a crotchet hook (the bigger the hook and size of wool, the quicker it will be to make it). Tie the wool onto the hook. Wrap the wool around the top of the hook and pull the hook through the loop that is tied around the hook. That is called a chain. Wrap the wool around the hook, then pull the hook through. Just keep repeating it until your cord is the desired length. To finish, cut your wool. Wind it around the hook, pull the hook through (and take the hook out).
If you are going to crotchet a bag, you can easily add beads into the crotchet by making a loop with the wool and pushing the loop through the bead, then, take your hook and do a chain using the loop through the bead.
bladeraven, another ATF member (rainstarhorizon) made a beautiful bag for me for my osho zen deck. I don't have a digital camera at the moment, otherwise I could post it for you to see. But, I'll describe it to you, to give you an idea.
Firstly, she made me two matching bags (different sizes). One for the cards themselves, and one to carry the card bag, and book. So the cards go inside a bag of their own, which goes inside the bigger bag. Having the two bags helps to protect the cards. I now do this with all of my decks ;). It also allows me to put other things in the bigger bag (like a crystal etc. I carry around three blank greeting cards with my deck - also a present from rainstarhorizon).
She has used two fabrics. One is a black shiny satin with an embossed black oriental pattern. The other is like a purple chintz. Both bags have black-corded drawstrings.
The smaller of the two bags has the purple fabric as the lining and upper-part of the bag. The larger of the two bags is reversed (black lining and upper-part of the bag). She has sewn a spotted feather onto the larger bag.
When I get back to work (on holidays now), I'll take a photo and post it for you.
purple_scorp
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| Jeanette |
02 Jan 2005 |
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Oh, now I want to make some tarot bags, spread cloths, etc.! But, tomorrow is Monday, and back to work.... what's a girl to do? All of these great ideas for assembly, embellishment, methods of needlework...... A friend of mine knitted a sweet little pocketbook for her daughter, and put in some stripes of eyelash yarn (black wool with hot pink eyelash) and then FELTED the wool, so it doesn't need a lining and it's all nice and shaped and SO VERY CUTE. It would make a nice little tarot tote! A fun idea to decorate your fabric before sewing is to use transfer web and bond images to the fabric (I think it's called Wonder Under, or something). So if you have fabric with a design you like, but not the whole piece, you can just use the design on a plain background, or cut out letters and spell words, whatever you like! You just iron it all together. Then you can applique around the edges with metallic thread for sparkle, and sew on beads, and glue gems on, however jazzy you like it!
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| Majecot |
03 Jan 2005 |
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Thanks guys :)
Emily I am happy to inspire you :D
bladeraven if you can hand sew the bag would be no more difficult than any other. The green that peaks out over the edge is actually a lining, and is sewn similar to the instructions provided by laura_borealis. The difference being it is folded over for the closure instead of the drawstring. And is is wider to fit the deck sideways.
The idea came to me when I was playing around with and eye glass case project ;) I was going to use a button hole then I ran across the cute frogs in the fabric store. The material for that bag was drapery material, with the sheer lining.
I have a couple that I hand sewn beads on. Every now and again I get a little creative...lol
purple_scorp I can't wait to see the pictures of the bags that rainstarhorizon made, feathers... what a great idea!
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| Ulfdis |
03 Jan 2005 |
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I looooove crocheting Tarot bags! I just do freeform, making my starting chain wide enough the deck will fit (a little more than 1/2 the circumference of the deck), and just go back and forth until it's twice as long as the bag should be. Fold it over and single crochet down the sides to join. I usually put in a drawstring, just threaded through a row of stitches near the top, but you could make it a bit longer and leave a flap on one side and put on a cute button or bead for a closure. I don't use a fabric liner because I like to be able to see the cards inside. I'm starting to do filet crochet, and a lot of the nifty patterns would adapt really well to this use. Somewhere, I even stumbled on patterns for each of the astrological symbols. I need to practice a bit before I try them, because my tension is a bit lackluster... I don't want a pouch that would only fit an hourglass-shaped deck!
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| diane drizzy |
03 Jan 2005 |
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Many thanks guys! So many bags so little time......:)
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| Emily |
04 Jan 2005 |
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Hi Majecot,
You really did inspire me lol - Last night I sat and sewed an envelope bag for my DruidCraft out of some red, green and gold tartan material I found.
I started off on the machine but switched to blanket stitch for the outside decoration on the bag because there seems to be alot of visible stitching on the clothes of the people on the DruidCraft. The only thing I didn't have is the closure so I've still got to get one of those.
I had fun making this bag last night, I'd forgotten how relaxing hand stitching is. :)
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| Majecot |
04 Jan 2005 |
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Emily thats sounds beautiful! You can always make the frog out of cording and embroidery floss if you have some.
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| purple_scorp |
04 Jan 2005 |
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Hey all,
Rainstarhorizon's use of the feather on my bag got me thinking about other embellishments you could easily add. I had a drawer full of really nice brooches (some of them given to me by my mum) but I don't really wear them. It seemed a shame to hide them away, so I decided to pin them onto my tarot bags.
Not only does it help to identify the contents (because I have made a series of bags in purple velvet and satin that look similar) but it also helps to personalise your deck. And, you get to look at the jewellery everyday, without having to wear it. So for example:
:) on my angel oracle cards bag I've pinned an angel brooch.
:) my fortune cards bag has a book brooch (to represent the unknown - one of the cards actually has a picture of a book and for some reason I got an additional book card in this deck). This bag also has a teapot brooch which reminds me of aladdin's lamp or reading tea leaves.
:) my fairy tarot deck has a diamente lizard.
:) my fairy ring oracle deck has a fairy, whose long hair forms the shape of a ring and circles back to the head.
:) my enlightenment oracle deck has a brooch that looks like a large eye (so I like to think of this as the third eye).
:) I've pinned a mini dream-catcher onto my dream oracle deck.
BTW - The creativity of this thread is contagious. I didn't make a tarot bag but yesterday I refurbished a lamp shade. I am so pleased with it, I thought I should share the results. It is a floor lamp so the shade is quite large. It went from a boring-fringed beige shade to an opulent and luxurious pewter coloured satin material that is lavishly draped around the shade, and tied at it's waist with a burgundy netted bow. Then I sewed small burgundy rosebuds around the top of the shade and onto the bow itself. I sewed 16 pearl-beaded and silver-wired stars (Christmas decorations that I bought after Christmas on a 75% off sale) around the scalloped bottom of the shade. When I finally finished (lots of hand-sewing), I had some material, roses and stars left. My daughter said, "Mum, you could make a nice tarot bag with those". Don't know if I will though, because all of my bags are purple :).
Hmm, today I'm thinking of making an austrian blind for my bathroom. Tarot bags will have to wait.
purple_scorp
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| bladeraven |
04 Jan 2005 |
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LOL...OH MY! Just the burst of ideas that came out...Still no closer on my bag or bags...My mom crochet but started laughing when I showed her the bag patterns (I'm 31....sad I know..lol)
However...this is pushing me to see if maybe wiht my next paycheck..I might go look at buying a sewing machine....yeah..I can hear my mom really laughing now...lol
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| Emily |
06 Jan 2005 |
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I searched high and low today in the two sewing shops (haberdashers) that sold frogs ( thanks Majecot - I didn't even know what they were called) and found a set eventually but they are still not what I want - I wanted gold or red so because I've been carrying my cards out with me I ended up wrapping a gold gauze ribbon that is trimmed with gold edges around the bag and it works :) I like the look of the envelope bag so am also making a very small one for my mini Universal tarot. :)
I think this thread is contagious too purple_scorp.
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| bladeraven |
06 Jan 2005 |
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where can I find a pattern for the envelope??
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| Majecot |
06 Jan 2005 |
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p_s you are sooo right, totally contagious!! What a great idea... I have tons of old jewlery that belonged to my mother and Aunts that I would never wear, but would also never get rid of either.
I haven't made any bags lately either because I seem to have a never ending, ever growing list of other sewing/crochet/knit projects for other people that have been consuming my time.
luna those are great sites, at my local fabric store they actually only had two different frogs. I was limited on my choices ;) This is awesome. I love having a choice of venders when it comes to my supplies :D
bladeraven you are never too old to learn, you tell your mom I said so ;)
Acutally I did not have a pattern for the bag I just measured the deck for the material and started sewing...LOL, I make most things that way.
If you want to learn to crochet.. they are some great teaching sites, Crochet Guild of America is a good place to start.
(everyone should have a sewing machine :D)
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| Emily |
07 Jan 2005 |
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I didn't have a pattern either I just looked at Majecot's and tried to copy it. :)
The first one I made didn't turn out quite big enough to take the DruidCraft so I told my hubby and son that this was the prototype bag :D
Edited to add:-
Sitting here trying to figure out the easiest way of trying to explain, with no pictures, how I made my bag - and someone has took my tape measure!
I'll be back.........
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| Majecot |
08 Jan 2005 |
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While I was sleeping I was thinking about how to exlain how I made this bag so it would make sense to all you seamstress out there :)
So this is it...How I did it anyway...
Cut material to fit deck (sidways instead of long ways), with enough to fold over in half, (not quite equal, maybe 1/2 inch from the bottom) cut a peice of lining the same size.
with right sides facing, sew ends of lining and fabric together. First one and then the other. You should have one long circle of fabric.
Then match the top seams together and pin them. This is the top of your bag. sew your side seams together.
Now you have one long tube with no openings. All of your raw edges with be on the wrong side of the bag so you cannot see them when you turn it.
To turn the bag you will have to open up a seam about 1 inch. pull the fabric through the hole gently.
Take a seam ripper and poke out the corners. Once you have your bag turned, lightly press it. Hand stitch with an invisible seam the opening. Now tuck the lining back inside the bag.
I pulled up about a quarter of an inch of lining to peek out over the top. You can top-stitch it if you like, so it stays secure.
Fold the top of the bag over and place the closure where you want it and pin ( do this with the two frog peices together) hand sew it on. and Viola! You have an envelope bag :D
I hope it makes sense for you (it makes perfect sense to me...lol)
Sorry guys no diagram... but I would be happy to help anyone who asks.
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| Emily |
09 Jan 2005 |
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I made my bag very similar to Majecot but I wanted blanket stitch to show on the outside edges.
The fabric is a tartan and I used two pieces, 12 1/2 inches X 8 1/2 inches to fit the DruidCraft snugly. I sewed these two pieces together, with the right sides together, on the two long sides and one short side. You have a bag that you turn inside out, this brings the raw edges inside. I folded in the raw edges and blanket stitched the final opening closed making sure the blanket stitches showed on the outside edge of the bag.
So now you have a rectangular piece of fabric, take your deck and place it on the fabric, bring the bottom piece of fabric up until you form the bag part. Stitch up the sides using blanket stitch, again making sure the stitches show on the front side of the bag. You have now formed the envelope bag. :) Fold over the top flap and secure (I'm still using the ribbon and not the frogs I searched high and low for).
This was the first time I've made this kind of bag and I am pleased with it but this was my second attempt, the first I made too small and if I make another I'll probably leave out the blanket stitching and try Majecot's method instead.
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The Tarot Bag Pattern thread was originally posted on 31 Dec 2004 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.
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