Atarah styles

Atarah (pl. atarot) = Neck band. Not all tallitot have an atarah, but if they do, the tallit should be worn so that the atarah is closest to the neck. The atarah can be plain, or it can have something embroidered on it - the blessing recited when putting the tallit on, a verse from the Psalms or the Prophets, and so on.

I embroider text in script letters on any color fabric, or in print letters on light-colored fabrics. I sketch the letters freehand on the fabric and then embroider over the markings in a simple overlapping stitch. I do my best, but as I am not a computer, the result is always a little uneven: each bet is a little different from another bet, the distance between the letters varies slightly, as does the vertical placement of the letters. Most of my customers find this to be the charm of hand work. If you want lettering that stands out boldly and is very precise, you will do better with someone who does machine embroidery.

Script lettering, based on the Motek font.

Print lettering, based on the Yehuda font.

I usually make my atarot with two or three colors.

Three colors.

Two colors.

 

Occasionally a customer wants an atarah with only one color, with embroidery tone on tone, or in a contrasting color.

One color, contrasting embroidery.

One color, embroidery tone on tone.

The last two lines from the HaTikvah, and a simple outline of the Jerusalem skyline.

"To be a free people in our land..."

Jerusalem skyline.

No embroidery at all.

Repeating fabrics from the stripes.

A different fabric that matches the color.