Look at my new bag for one of my Lenormand decks! I have to share it with you, because I am so happy with it. It’s my first lavish pouch:
Constructing it was an act of self-love: beauty’s important to me spiritually, and this bag tickles my eyes.
In addition, I wanted something that made me feel “posh,” as a mega-abundance ritual. Every time I see the bag, I feel quite the Grande Dame.
I used the process of creating the bag’s design to conjure self-love and abundance, which envelop me whenever I draw my deck from the bag.
Here’s how I made it:
I started with one of those cheap muslin bags, the sort you put bath herbs in. I replaced its drawstring with something sturdier and pretty.
Then I covered the bag with lace. If you’re like me—not a great seamstress—don’t worry, I don’t think it matters much. Anyone who’d look that closely and critically at your stitches is probably too stuck up for you to risk showing them your precious mystical possessions, anyway.
The cream lace was stained—I’m big at upcycling—so I painted it with Lumiere paint from Jacquard.
Kathleen, recognize the lavender lace? It’s that fabulous stuff you passed onto me, I’ve hungered for a way to use it til now.
The last step was bejeweling the bag. I stitched the ornamentation on. The vintage style brass findings were purchased from http://vintagejewelrysupplies.com.
As I said, this is my first lavish bag for cards. I tend to store a deck in a wooden box and/or simple bag, or just wrap a Tarot deck in an old silk cloth. I’ve found those are great containers for divination cards, over the 30 years I’ve been a professional reader. Simple is good! But I’ve made a few pouches that are “fahncy.” 🙂 I want my life to balance simplicity and extravagance. This week, I felt compelled to make something more elaborate and opulent looking than what I’ve made before, because luxury can feed the soul. Now I’m fed!
When constructing the pouch, I played around with ideas to make it even more ornate, but nothing I tried looked right. But someday…
Photos of other bags:
If this post inspires you to make your own bag, or find your own way to balance simplicity with extravagance, or use creativity as ritual, please tell me about it. Hearing about your journey is a blessing.
Click here to learn about the Faerie Ritual Set: https://www.outlawbunny.com/2014/06/11/frs
What perfect timing! I’m in the middle of creating several bags as gifts and yours are such an inspiration.
Usually I look for the one particular fabric the cards will be happiest in, with me– understanding that the same deck will feel different to someone else and therefore may need different energetic wrapping with them. But that combo of the lacy bag and your Lenormand deck just makes me salivate. Those cards obviously love that bag!
And I love your story about the bags made from your grandfather’s fabrics. My father was a silk weaver for a time, and brought the loom-ends home to his mother (who did readings with playing cards). She save the scraps (of a soft candleglow ivory color) to piece into beautiful nightgowns– so my father created the fabric, my Oma created and wore the garment (which I disassembled to re-use). The first bag I made using that fabric as lining felt like it became alive in my hands as it was completed, and the deck is unbelievably charged in it.
I had used occasional combos of 2 fabrics, but recently when the “one true right and only fabric” refused to appear, I said “duh, I’m a quilter–combine some!”, so my smaller format Voyager now lives in a pouch made from bits of 9 different fabrics and closes with a Chinese coin.
I appliqued a bit on a couple of bags, but after reading your post, I’m now more inspired to try some embroidery, or maybe even a quilted bag. Did you create your own embroidery designs?
Thanks again for the creative inspiration and reminder of ways to ritualize the process. Since I have wanted many bags to feel “fahncy”, fahncy can become either rote, or unattainable and delayed– so thanks also for the reminder of balance.
Anith, thank you for taking the time to post such a juicy response.
I feel honored that you found my bags inspiring, thank you so much!
As to your question about whether I use my own embroidery patterns: I’m almost incapable of following a pattern, so I probably did a quick sketch on the fabric, then just winged the embroidery. But I can’t be 100% sure, because I did that embroidery decades ago.
I adore your story about the silk, and how it traveled through generations. There is such magic in that, I totally believe you can feel it in the bag! By the way, my mom read playing cards, too.
I’m happy you relate to my ritual and my attempts to be balanced. That means a lot to me. Anith, It’s always great to hear from you. Love, Francesca