This is not a post about how to make tallies/clunies. There
are many wonderful online tutorials (text, diagram, video) to which I will add
links as I go. In this post, I will be giving my own take/options on how to get
results easily, what should be absolutely avoided, or why a certain thing is
done in relation to particular tuts … just a few tips here & there, that
might be helpful to someone starting out – simply to show that one does not
have to follow only one style &/or follow it dogmatically.
Secondly, these are my first trials & the tallies are
not all good or identical. My main aim in learning Cluny tatting is in the potential for free
style/ freeform & 3D tatting, & of course the diverse shapes &
effects they can create, so I was not too concerned when all my classic oval
tallies did not come out identical.
There is still a Whole lot of learning, experimenting, &
practicing required !
About
Cluny
1. Cluny "Tatting" - it is not strictly tatting (this style originated in lace making & requires weaving, not knotting);
2. Cluny (in the capital) refers to the museum in Paris where it was first exhibited
3. 'cluny' is again a misnomer - the form/element that is woven is called a tally (or leaf/petal), not a
"Put simply, ‘Cluny Tatting’ is a design style which incorporates tallies, leaves or petals". Judith Connors
Why Cluny
Tallies add texture, density, interest, feature, novelty, beauty, …. They add a point of contrast between open lace (rings) & filled-in/coloured-in elements/rings . Weaving introduces an embroidered effect, too.
But they are Functional as well !
A normal tally will act like a chain or a split ring to
carry both threads from one end to the other, thus spanning a space.
A hanging cluny/tally will acts like a normal/regular ring
where the threads return to the starting point, at the base.
Thus, almost any ring or chain in a pattern can be converted into a cluny/tally !
Thus, almost any ring or chain in a pattern can be converted into a cluny/tally !
Both types of tallies have the potential for classic oval
shape, or for freeform leaf, petal, & even regular Geometric shapes !!! Think of
the Vast potential these shapes have/can have in our tatting – whether in
freestyle tatting, in 3D, in jewelry, besides the flat 2D usage in doilies,
etc.
And if a finger loom is difficult to mqke or sustain (“the death
grip”!), then there are varied kinds of looms that can be cut out/made from
materials within the home (listed at end of post). Even in a finger loom, I hope some of the tips
listed below will help ease the tension in the hand (more on how versatile a single card loom can be in next
post).
Disclaimer : I am
sharing what has/hasn’t worked for me & the lessons drawn thereof. We each
have individual styles, techniques & comfort levels, hence these are just
my own thumb rules..
Secondly, my
experience is limited to barely a month of intermittent Cluny
Thirdly, I am still
very much in need of practice. As always, please excuse the lack of precision. I am, however, displaying All my trials, including ones with glaring mistakes to showcase some progress & evolution in the learning endeavour.... if I can, You most definitely Can !!!
While Cluny Tatting had been on my to-learn list, this video recommendation suddenly ‘loomed’ up in my Inbox motivating me to try it that very instant. Tammie demonstrates Very clearly & slowly, how to make the finger loom first. I wanted to try the finger loom first in order to understand the concept. Once that was clear, it was easy to shift to artificial looms and also to experiment further.
The finger loom “worked”, but left my little pinkie all blue. So I switched the ‘loom’ to my bed , wrapping the threads around pins stuck into the mattress. Much easier, but a tad fiddly – so steadied & tensioned the loom using 2 pins for each Warp . And then, Judith Connors graciously offered to mail me her directions for making a loom out of card stock (copyright, but shared on Craftree here). Well, then I Really took off ! It is very easy to maintain an easy & comfortable grip on the tally while weaving; easier to manipulate too.
The finger loom “worked”, but left my little pinkie all blue. So I switched the ‘loom’ to my bed , wrapping the threads around pins stuck into the mattress. Much easier, but a tad fiddly – so steadied & tensioned the loom using 2 pins for each Warp . And then, Judith Connors graciously offered to mail me her directions for making a loom out of card stock (copyright, but shared on Craftree here). Well, then I Really took off ! It is very easy to maintain an easy & comfortable grip on the tally while weaving; easier to manipulate too.
For most of my practice pieces, I have used 2 different colours so that mistakes become easy to spot & work on in future practice.
Some Terms/Concepts Used In Discussion
In order to decrease confusion, I have capitalized the W in Warp while wrap remains in small font,
Loom is made with the ball/chain/SH2 thread, forming the Warp (vertical). One can call this the Loom shuttle for convenience.
Weaving is done with the core/SH1 (or auxiliary) thread,
thus forming the weft/wrap (horizontal). This can be called the Weaving shuttle
for convenience.
Finger loom – when loom is made on fingers/hand by looping the Warps around fingers.
In a 3 Warp/thread loom : inner or 1st Warp (extreme
left near index finger) , middle Warp, & outer Warp (extreme left towards
pinkie).
NOTE : Inner or
1st Warp is always the point where the tally starts & is attached to the
previous tatting/element. This always remains the same, while the 2nd & 3rd
may change if adding more Warps.
Card/Box/Artificial/Plastic loom – any artificial
loom cut out from card stock, visiting cards, plastic containers, etc. In the discussion, I have used ‘card’ loom for
convenience.
1 wrap/weave =
movement or pass from right to left & back to right (starting point) ; One can thus assume that 1 wrap = 2 passes in opposite directions.
Almost ready to post, and this table bug hit me ! This is a rough equivalence between normal tatting & Cluny tatting . See the similarities ?
Almost ready to post, and this table bug hit me ! This is a rough equivalence between normal tatting & Cluny tatting . See the similarities ?
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UPDATE : See new 2018 series starting with basics and through to 4-Coloured Cluny Tatting -pictorials and practice patterns. All listed here : https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/p/my-tut.html
12 Tips for Easier Cluny Tatting
While the numbering below reflects the steps involved it is more for convenience in listing.
1. Start Tally with A Stitch ?
Many tuts mention/show that in order to bring all the
threads together & 'lock' them in place, it is preferable to make 1 ds or 1fhs on inner (1st Warp) thread, before
the actual weaving begins. They also point out that it is quite difficult to
flip the stitch/half stitch. Well, a
reverse stitch / Unflipped stitch or half stitch works just as well.
I start with a reverse stitch on first Warp (extreme left)
of loom, Instead of a ds. Ds is difficult to make – flipping a fairly taut Warp
is not easy. RS/reverse stitch works just as well.
Confirm that the loom threads are free to move, before
proceeding to weave further.
Some start with a half stitch (flipped or unflipped) - this works too, but one has to be Real careful when closing the loom due to it's propensity for getting knotted. Best avoided.
This step is easily omitted in a card loom where one has
more control & grip over all the threads.
Also, I did not like the tiny telltale knot at the
base, as visible in the close up of the Frauberger Bookmark
tail#1 (indicated by arrows in above pic). |
| Fig 1. |
UPDATE : See also HITCH THE LOOM.
2. Anchor the Loom Shuttle
This is an idea that was buried somewhere in my subconscious
from Lilas’ diagrams ! Brilliant in
it’s simplicity & practicality ! No more blue fingers !!! … And now, while
researching some more for the post, I came across another Great tut by Jennifer Williams who has illustrated the exact technique
!
For finger looms, after the Warps are made & tensioned, wind the thread till the SH2 or loom shuttle is anchored firmly behind the fingers as seen in pic.
The same technique worked Splendidly on the card loom, with SH2 anchored behind the side slit.
 |
| Fig 2 |
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| Fig 3 |
3. Slip Off Loop
Continuing from the previous objective to ease the strain & tension on one's fingers/hand, one can Easily remove/slip off the loop held around pinkie. (Compare Fig 2 & 4)
 |
| Fig 4 |
4. Shuttle or Needle ?
I have used both to do the weaving part. I am very
comfortable with the shuttle on a card loom. To avoid the shuttle hook from
catching the Warp threads, I hold the back end of shuttle in front & weave..
A long, thick darning needle (or tatting needle, of course)
is ideal for weaving with auxiliary thread, as in the case of a hanging cluny.
5. Weaving Order
For right-handers, weaving starts from right to left &
back to right, by going over or under the Warp threads.
Some start weaving from right to left by going over-under-over/o-u-o (& vice versa on the way back)
While others start with under-over-under/u-o-u (& vice versa on
way back).
I was a bit confused when comparing some tuts, but the reason dawned on me when Judith shared her loom instructions.
Both are correct, depending on how the shuttle
(weaving) thread is placed in comparison to the center/middle Warp.
If the weaving SH1 is
above/over the middle Warp or is in line with it, then first method is used as
it immediately ‘locks’ the weaving thread on right side. Clever Cluny, Karen Cabrera
 |
| Fig 5 |
 |
| Fig 6 |
6. Check for Slide/mobility
Just as in normal tatting, the core thread
should be able to slide freely within the ds being made on it, similarly, the
loom threads should be free to slide while the weaves are being made otherwise
closing will become impossible. Keep checking, especially as a beginner, to see
that the weaving is allowing the loom threads to slide easily. Remember, the 1st/inner
Warp will be locked in, but all other threads should be able to slide when
tugged correctly. Just a tiny tug at the centre & extreme right (outward)
loom threads will ensure that no knots have formed.
Sometimes I hold
both these together & gently pull . (see
#8 for cautionary note)
 |
| Fig 7 |
7. Tauten the Warps
A loom is simply a frame made of Warps, to do & hold the
weaving together (just like the core thread in regular tatting). These vertical loom threads should remain taut throughout the
process in order to get nicely formed tallies. In case one of the Warps
slackens a bit, pull the thread segment/loop that follows/is next to it
(towards the Loom/SH2). Any Warp thread can be carefully tensioned in this manner, even
when the weaving is in progress, because the loom frame is formed in one contiguous sequence. Notice the taut Warps in each of the images above – whether made on a finger
loom or a card loom.
8. Tension Each Pass
Weaving cluny
leaves in this manner means having to tension Each pass for a smooth margin . One cannot make
multiple passes/weaves & then pull to bring together. It will simply
resist, distort, knot over in a crumpled mess. If each pass & wrap is not tensioned, one can see a tiny bump along
the margin (see pic below).
madtatter80 shares her interesting "dropping" motion for the 2nd pass, which quickens her pace.
 |
| Fig 8 |
9. Pack Down the Weaves/wraps
For a good-looking, evenly woven tally, it is essential to pack down the
weaves as they are being made. It can be done with the help of a crochet hook,
needle, shuttle point, etc. Or one can hold the Warp threads together in a
pinch & push back the weaves (indicated in Fig.7). One thing to be careful about (I realized after some trials) is that
if one pulls the rightmost/outer Warp thread too strongly, negligently, or too often,
it can distort the curve of the tally, usually flattening the arc.
Also, notice the tiny colour blip at tip of some of the
tallies where tensioning or packing down is wanting.
 |
| Fig 9 |
Opinion varies on whether a ‘tatting’ cluny
should be packed down too tightly unlike a bobbin lace cluny . I guess ultimately it is the tatter’s
personal definition of what is 'too tight'.
10. In the Pinch Always
Keep tally within a pinch while weaving, especially on a
finger loom. (On an artificial loom, one has some leeway. In fact, I often use both hands to weave to & fro on the card loom).
This becomes Especially critical when closing the tally. If one relaxes one's pinch there is the heightened risk of getting the threads all in a knot – it
is extremely difficult to unravel the knot. I
speak from personal experience, where many a cluny
11. Weigh Down While Closing
When making tallies, many loops have to be closed in sequence, & each one has a tendency to twist . This can be very easily avoided , irrespective of the loom or tally .
As each Warp loop is removed from finger/card to start closing, place a steel crochet hook (or any slim but slightly weighty object) into the loop that is being closed . Do this as soon as you remove that loop from the loom. If one starts closing before weighing it down, chances are twisting will start & it becomes more difficult to get it all straight especially if one’s fingers are encased in the finger loom.
The steel hook provides enough weight/pressure to the closing loop to keep it from twisting & knotting itself. At the last moment, slip the ‘hook off’ & give the final tug to close the loop snugly.
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| Fig 10 |
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| Fig 11 |
Please note the pics are taken After a lot of closing has been accomplished, although the hook had been in position throughout the pulling/closing process.
12. Hiding Tail Ends
It is possible to hide thread/tail ends within a tally, but
requires some dexterity. Place the tail parallel to the middle Warp & weave
as normal. After a few weaves over the tail, tension the
tail & continue the rest of the tally . When it is complete & closed,
snip off the extra tail end. Since the weaves are packed down, the tail will
remain secure within. (image below).
Or one can leave enough length in the tail end to sew it
through the back of a tally. However, this, again, is not easy if the weaves
are densely packed down.
In the next post(s) I will cover some of the many shapes that are
possible, as well as include stepwise instructions on how to make hanging clunies and 4 & 5 veined tallies on a card loom.
UPDATE : All my Cluny Tatting Tutorials, including COLOURED CLUNY TATTING, are listed here : https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/p/my-tut.html
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A lot of the above ‘tweaks’ I figured as I went,
enjoying the mental challenge. However, later research threw up excellent
resources, tutorials & videos that have covered many of the above points. Here is my current list that covers the topics discussed above. I will add more to the list in later posts, & in Resources Page
Tutorials for beginners
For starters, these are an Excellent & vital first step!
- Clever Cluny (Beginning Tatting Video Series) After watching the 1st half of this video, I will Never forget how to make a loom - on fingers or otherwise ! I was able to continue with my tally after watching just this half ! The 2nd half deals with a cardboard loom cutout.
- Frivolité à la navette : le point d'esprit (
- text is in French but very clear self-explanatory video demo. Another good finger loom tatting resource for beginners.
- Jennifer Williams’ Cluny Tatting Technique diagrammed with instructions . Another Excellent resource to print & refer for beginners. I only came across it a couple of days back.
- Lilas Lace diagrams - superb self-explanatory diagrams .
More Cluny
- Mark Myers (tatman) How to tat a cluny leaf
- Steph Peters’ Cluny Leaves in Tatting - diagrammatic instructions ; & stepwise pictorial
- madtatter80’s Tatting Cluny Lace... the center SH2 thread is shifted to extreme right, & SH1 is 'dropped' on return for easy & quick tensioning.
- Mimi Dillman’s Cluny Tatting Page with with a list of resources & her pictorial instructions.
- kcabrera74 : Lesson 30 – Cluny
- Linda S Davis' Shuttle Tatted Cluny video
- Threads in Craftree ‘What is Cluny Tatting’ (Judith Connors) & Tips on Shaping Cluny Leaves (Patty Dowden)
Various Types of Looms & tuts
- Clever
- Star Plastic Canvas Loom
- Plastic Bottle Loom
- Judith Connors Cluny Tatting Loom (diagram & instructions)- The measurements of the card loom may be enlarged or reduced, even to using an old credit/loyalty card, for easy portability (I will talk more about how her loom helped me in making 4 & 5 warp & Hanging tallies too !):
- Cluny Box Loom Shuttle tatting tut (Beginning Tatting Video Series)
- Various Cluny Tatting Looms
- Georgia Seitz' compilation of many resources
- Wally Sosa's Pictorial Steps 1-4 and Steps 5-8
