# Clothesline rope baskets



## Windmill Knitter

Late last week a blogger whom I read regularly posted photos of baskets she is making from clothesline rope. She shared a few how-to photos, said the process is easy, and added that all you need, in addition to cotton clothesline rope, is a sewing machine that can do a zig-zag stitch. I made a mad dash to our nearest hardware store, bought 50 feet of cotton clothesline,...and the rest is history. These are fast and fun to make. Pinterest has lots of them, too, offering various ideas for designs.


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## jeanne63

very nice. seems like work to fight rope and sewing machine. very nice. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## jeanne63

I just looked again and your work is exceptional, really great job. what blog????


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## MaggiMoonwytch

What a great idea. Thanks for sharing. Your baskets are fabulous.


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## Windmill Knitter

The blog is soulemama.typepad.com. No, you don't have to fight the machine and the cord.


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## sandramailing

They look really professional!


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## goldsad

These can also be made by covering the rope with fabric strips before sewing the rope together with the zigzag stitch. You can use different fabrics and make them different shapes. They come out great.


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## Nancyn

Nice work!


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## Windmill Knitter

goldsad said:


> These can also be made by covering the rope with fabric strips before sewing the rope together with the zigzag stitch. You can use different fabrics and make them different shapes. They come out great.


Yes, the fabric-covered rope baskets are beautiful. I might give that a try, too.


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## nannygoat

Your baskets are beautiful!!! I may have to give this a try.


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## tikva

What a great idea. Love your baskets


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## Katsch

Love your baskets :thumbup:


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## fibermcgivver

Great ideas for quick gifts! Nice work!


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## chrisjac

I have memories of clothes lines baskets covered in calico prints from the 70's. What's old is new again. Love it!


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## Longtimer

Windmill Knitter said:


> The blog is soulemama.typepad.com. No, you don't have to fight the machine and the cord.


Beautiful work. Thanks for sharing the link.


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## Justme

There are many ways to do this. You can also cut 1 /12 inch strips of fabric and wrap it around it. When you get to the end of a strip you use a glue stick to tack that one to the rope and then also to take the next piece of fabric and tack it and start going again. There are a few books in it. You can make so really beautiful ones depending on the fabric.


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## KJKnitCro

I love your baskets! I can see endless design possibilities here, and many uses for the finished item. I'm thinking yarn bowls and knitting bags. Thanks for the blog link!


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## crafterwantabe

Beautiful baskets....


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## CKnits

Thanks for posting. Enjoyed seeing this craft.


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## Windmill Knitter

Yarn bowls!!!! I hadn't thought of that. It would be easy to leave a hole in the side of the bowl while making it.


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## jumbleburt

KJKnitCro said:


> I love your baskets! I can see endless design possibilities here, and many uses for the finished item. I'm thinking yarn bowls and knitting bags. Thanks for the blog link!


Yarns bowls were the first things that popped into my mind as well. Great work!


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## mama879

What a great idea and just think of a hand made basket with a hand knitted/crocheted wash cloth with a nice soap and wonderful hand cream all tied with a nice ribbon. Birthday, Christmas, get well and thinking of you gifts. OHHHHH I would love one now I'm off to buy the rope to.


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## Windmill Knitter

mama879 said:


> What a great idea and just think of a hand made basket with a hand knitted/crocheted wash cloth with a nice soap and wonderful hand cream all tied with a nice ribbon. Birthday, Christmas, get well and thinking of you gifts. OHHHHH I would love one now I'm off to buy the rope to.


What wonderful suggestions! Thank you!


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## EarthNstone

Ooooo, very clever!


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## Angela c

Wow, love them :thumbup:


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## gracemd

Your baskets look wonderful. I was at the hardware store yesterday, well back I go. Thanks for posting. &#9786;&#65039;


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## Sjlegrandma

Wow, they look amazing. Your rope looks great too. The cotton rope at the $2 shops here is a grey sort of colour. Will have to try to get to a hardware shop. I guess you would use a thick machine needle too.


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## johannecw

Love your baskets!


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## sewlee

Your baskets look very professionally made.


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## jeanne63

Windmill Knitter said:


> The blog is soulemama.typepad.com. No, you don't have to fight the machine and the cord.


YOURS are much better than the blog you mentioned or the two sites she mentioned. Nice work!


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## Windbeam

Nice work! They look great and wouldn't mind having a few of them!


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## saukvillesu

goldsad said:


> These can also be made by covering the rope with fabric strips before sewing the rope together with the zigzag stitch. You can use different fabrics and make them different shapes. They come out great.


I made many of the fabric covered items in past, and did sell some at craft fairs but found out too many others were making them. But I love the bowls, plates, etc. for hostess gifts, especially when used with seasonal fabrics or team colors. They don't take long to make (even with fabric wrap) and are fun.


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## chrissih

Please be careful when purchasing your rope. Look for rope with a soft inter core. I bought some rope with a heavy duty plastic core my sewing machine didn't like it and I had an expensive repair. The clothesline at Wal Mart is perfect.


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## NellieKnitter

Wow! Very nice!


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## Dusti

Well, now how clever is this!!


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## Hazel Blumberg - McKee

Lovely!

Hazel


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## vjh1530

I have seen these many times on various sites and love them, but figured it was one of those projects that made you crazy by the time you were finished, fighting the rope on the machine. Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful baskets and letting us know it is much easier than it looks. I am excited now to try it!! Yours are lovely and I love the salt dough hearts as well!!

Thanks!!


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## roseknit

Very nice, must give them a try


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## yona

Your baskets are beautiful


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## WVMaryBeth

Really like your baskets! Great way to possibly hold my stash!!!


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## Gale from Oregon

Oh how sweet your designs are !! My SIL started these last year - she loves making them in her Ladies Craft group from their church !


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## sage river

so cleaver


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## randiejg

There were a couple of books out a few years back by Barbara Warholic on this technique, but those were made by wrapping the clothesline with cloth before stitching. One was titled, Sewing Pottery by Machine. 

The unwrapped clothesline vessels are beautiful, as well.


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## Miss Shari

Gonna try this! Thanks for the pictures! Your baskets are beautiful!


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## Nownow

Cute.


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## lifeline

Windmill Knitter said:


> The blog is soulemama.typepad.com. No, you don't have to fight the machine and the cord.


Your baskets are gorgeous.

I feel like I want to have a go.....I'm inspired! I've looked at the video on the link you provided, but cannot work out if I would need to use a special foot and/or needle in my machine.


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## alwaysforyou

Your baskets are wonderful....very professional looking, well made and clever!!! Bravo to you  Lynn


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## krestiekrew

Can you post a link to her page with the bowls, I don't have enough data to search thru a blog, thanks.


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## Needlesgalore

Really nice baskets.


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## Joan L

Wow! Yours are SOOOO much nicer than the ones I make. Yours look so professional.... and mine look so amateurish. You must be so talented to do such a fantastic job.


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## Gundi2

very nice.


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## PatofWi

WOW WOW WOW


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## Windmill Knitter

lifeline said:


> Your baskets are gorgeous.
> 
> I feel like I want to have a go.....I'm inspired! I've looked at the video on the link you provided, but cannot work out if I would need to use a special foot and/or needle in my machine.


I don't use a special needle in my machine, but I do use the zig zag foot and stitch.


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## Cardelo

Awesome!!! LOVE your baskets.


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## JillF

I love the simple look of them when they are done, and that you can dress them up a little if you want. Very nice.


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## marciechow

:thumbup: :thumbup: 
would love a couple of these clothesline rope baskets.
they are very well made, and would make wonderful gifts
I may just have to try one myself.


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## hannabavaria

Windmill Knitter said:


> Late last week a blogger whom I read regularly posted photos of baskets she is making from clothesline rope. She shared a few how-to photos, said the process is easy, and added that all you need, in addition to cotton clothesline rope, is a sewing machine that can do a zig-zag stitch. I made a mad dash to our nearest hardware store, bought 50 feet of cotton clothesline,...and the rest is history. These are fast and fun to make. Pinterest has lots of them, too, offering various ideas for designs.


Thanks for sharing, Windmill Knitter--Love it, incl. salt dough :thumbup: will have to try that!


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## tat'sgran

Again, a nice idea for the preteen craft club.. xo ws


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## heatherb

These are lovely x just something else I now have to try - need more hours in a day xx


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## Neeterbug

Great idea


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## Nanner1950

Thank you for sharing your beautiful work. So simple so lovely. I love them and your work is professional.


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## Yaya1939

Clever and beautiful!


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## Grammy Toni

Good grief! I just noticed that the one you show with the heart hanging on it is just like 2 I bought at Michael's - thank goodness on sale! Only difference is mine are green. I use them for knitting projects and they look pretty!


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## Judyh

Does any one know why you have to use 100% cotton clothes line?


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## Tigerfrilly

Fabulous idea


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## Tove

These are beautiful. Something I'd love to give a try. 
So, you say that all you do is zig zag the rows spiral rows together?
How do you keep the shape so uniform? Any tricks to share?

In advance, thanks


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## glnwhi

very pretty


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## Revan

Love your rope baskets!


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## Ima Knitwit

Wouldn't they make lovely knitting bowls?


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## vjh1530

krestiekrew said:


> Can you post a link to her page with the bowls, I don't have enough data to search thru a blog, thanks.


Here is a link to a downloadable pdf file that might work better for you. This shows the fabric wrapped style, but you can just ignore the fabric parts. This way you can print and read without using your data minutes every time you want to look at it.

Her blog is lovely, but pretty big if you have limited data available.

http://www.nanettesays.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/fabric_bowl_tutorial.pdf

Here's a great tutorial without the fabric. Lots of great photos!
http://www.amisimms.net/botu.html


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## Tove

vjh1530 said:


> Here is a link to a downloadable pdf file that might work better for you. This shows the fabric wrapped style, but you can just ignore the fabric parts. This way you can print and read without using your data minutes every time you want to look at it.
> 
> Her blog is lovely, but pretty big if you have limited data available.
> 
> http://www.nanettesays.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/fabric_bowl_tutorial.pdf
> 
> Thanks for the info, these tutorials are very visual and looks good. I'm going to try this....wish me luck
> 
> Here's a great tutorial without the fabric. Lots of great photos!
> http://www.amisimms.net/botu.html


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## Sjlegrandma

Windmill Knitter said:


> The blog is soulemama.typepad.com. No, you don't have to fight the machine and the cord.


Thank you so much windmill knitter for posting your rope bags. These are my first effort. I had a problem with the upper machine thread breaking a lot but that could be a tension problem. The other thing I couldn't seem to do was to get the sides of the bowl to come up from the base straight. They flare out and I can't see how to stop that. Any suggestions. Thanks again Christine.


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## KateWood

These are on my bucket list...


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## betty boivin

Beautiful! What size needle do you use?


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## Sjlegrandma

betty boivin said:


> Beautiful! What size needle do you use?


If its any help I used a size 90 needle.


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## Mirror

Experienced work .


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## Debbie J

I have been wanting to make one (or more) of these. I can think of all kinds of uses for these bowls.


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## Sjlegrandma

Debbie J said:


> I have been wanting to make one (or more) of these. I can think of all kinds of uses for these bowls.


You really need to give it a go. These are soooo easy to make and quick too. Get onto the utube tutorial and have a look. I just love making them as they come out so well. Be sure to use the cotton rope though. Cheers, Christine


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