I have to warn you. Once you start making rope bowls/baskets/cache pots you will have a hard time stopping. They whip up so quick and much like pottery, no piece is exactly the same. The more you make, the better you will get at controlling what you end up with. If you are using a regular sewing machine (not industrial) you will want to use a width of 1/8-1/4" approx. of cotton or nylon cord (used here), jute or even braided fabric. The possibilities are pretty much endless. You will need 50' of a wider cord to make a small pot, or 100' for a larger diameter pot. Choose a thread of the same (or contrasting!) material and colour. I used green and black on this one so you could see both.
Start by rolling up a little snail shell of your cord, keeping the working end on the right hand side. Go back and forth a few times in an x shape with your zig zag over your little snail, making sure to hit every seam. Finish with your needle in the center of the cord on the outer edge of the snail. Direct the seam of the cord to the center of your presser foot and ensure the needle is catching both ropes. Continue around and around adding rope to your spiral. Make sure the rope is unfurled and there is no tension, it goes pretty fast. Hence, the addiction!
At this point you can decide the size of your base. The curvature of the base is determined by the angle you raise up the spiral. You can raise it up slowly for more of a bowl like base, or in this case I brought it up to about 50* for a straighter sided pot. Continue sewing around checking you're hitting both ropes. If you skip some stitches you can just stitch back and pick it up, or sometimes I just get it on the next go round. I kind of like the way it looks when the stitches aren't perfect or even.
You will have to fold your pot sideways at some point if you want very straight sides.
Once you get to the end of your pot you can cut the rope and then go back and forth on the end until all the rope end is secured. This plastic rope really frays so I hit it like crazy.
Et voila. You can use your creation for so many things. Baby toys! Cotton balls! Sewing things!
Or of course just find the perfect little plant that needs a cozy new home.
Happy sewing!
