Instructions for Sewing Your First Coiled Bowl

By Jackie Watkins

(as taught to her by Leanne Green)

Supplies needed

  • Clothesline (Diamond Braid Clothesline, 3/16” x 100’, cotton and polyester blend (Purchased from Wal-Mart for about $5) 
  • Washable school glue stick
  • Scissors
  • ¾ to a yard of fabric cut into ¾” strips (on the bias if using yardage) (depending on size of the bowl desired) This amount of fabric usually covers the entire package of this clothesline.
  • Aurifil or King Tut or a strong thread, one spool (will require at least three bobbins for a large  bowl)
  • Needle – 90 or 100 jeans or topstitch
  • Sewing machine that will make a zigzag stitch and penetrate the clothesline.  (Feed dogs up.)
  • Masking tape
  • Finishing embellishments as desired
  • Two thin pins
  • Stiletto

HOW TO WRAP THE CORD

  • Cut fabric strips from ¾ yard to 1 yard of fabric on the bias (if using yardage).  (It is easier to wrap the cord if the fabric is cut on the bias.  It is not necessary to do so, especially if you are using scraps, or if you are using a coordinated jelly roll.)  When using scraps, you may want to consider that the bottom of the bowl will have smaller revolutions than the sides.  Therefore, you might want to use shorter strips at the beginning so that your revolutions will have a scrappy look.
  • If you are starting out with new cord, cut off the first tip.
  • Pull out about an inch of the inside stuffing.  Cut that stuffing off and discard.  (This will help make a tighter coil when you are first starting out making your bowl.)
  • With washable school glue, glue liberally about an inch or so of the cord.
  • You can also add glue to your fabric for about an inch or two.
  • The bundle of cord should be on your right.
  • Place cord on the fabric strip so that the long fabric tail is to the top; and there is enough fabric on the left to fold over the tip of the cord; fold that short piece over the tip; the short (about an inch) bottom tail should be folded over front to back and glued to the cord; then the long tail should be wrapped around the cord from the back to flip over to the front, and maintain that motion until the whole cord is wrapped, adding fabric as explained next.
  • To add a fabric strip that is cut on the bias, place glue on the last inch of the fabric strip that is exposed (the side that is facing you.)  Place the new fabric strip on top of that one.  Continue wrapping. 
  • This is a personal preference, but it is easier to hide any fabric tails if the top of the strip that you are adding has the slanted angle going from the top to the left side.  If it is not that way when you get to that point, simply cut it that way.  On fabric that is not cut on the bias and has a straight edge, it is easier and makes a neater basket if you cut the angle described above on the fabric strip to be added.  It is not necessary to do anything to the bottom edge of either kind of fabric strip.
  • When wrapping the cord, I like to slide the glue stick along the cord, wrap until I get to the end of that, slide the glue stick along the cord again, and continue with the wrapping.  Others like to wrap some, then add a dot of glue, wrap some, add a dot of glue, repeat, repeat.  Do what works for you.  I just find it is easier to wrap and maintain control by sliding the glue stick along the cord. 
  • When making a bowl from only one fabric or a lot of scraps, it is easier to wrap all the cord in advance of sewing.  Then make your way to the sewing machine to make the bowl.  Wrapping can be done while a passenger in the car, in front of the tv, etc.
  • Once finished with wrapping fabric around the cord, rewind the line back onto the holder starting with the last wrapped cord to the first.  Be careful to wrap without twisting the cord.  It will be easier to maintain the integrity of your bowl as you sew if you avoid any twists in the wrapped cord.. 

SEWING THE BOWL

Setting up the machine:  

  • Begin with a new needle.  It should be sharp and sturdy.  A topstitch (90 or 100) or jeans works best.
  • Use an open-toe  foot if you have one.  This is helpful at the very first, but not totally necessary.
  • Set the machine to stop in the needle down position (to hold your place secure when you stop).
  • Set your zigzag stitch to something wide enough to hit both sides of the clothesline.  I have a Janome and have been using a stitch 4.3 or 4.4 wide and 1.3 or 1.4 length between stitches. These settings produce a very, very stiff bowl.
  • Use a strong thread such as Aurifil or King Tut.  This project takes a lot of thread, so make sure you have a new spool.  Generally, you will use at least three to four bobbins for this project.  Consider cleaning the machine at the time of changing bobbins.  This project can generate a lot of lint depending on fabric and thread choices. 

Getting Started:

  • Coil the covered clothesline tightly into a spiral at least 4 times.   
  • Insert thin pins at the 12:00 position and the 3:00 position to hold the coil in place temporarily.
  • Sew an “X” through the coil between those pins with a straight stitch to stabilize the coil.
  • You will not be able to see the pins, so be careful.  Do not allow the needle to hit the pins.  In fact, you may have to remove the pins as you sew  your “X”.

Starting to Sew:

  • Place your coil under the presser foot with the tail of the clothesline on the right side of the needle.  Note:  This step is very important.  You will not be able to sew the bowl if the clothesline is being fed from the left.  
  • Start sewing from the center with the zigzag stitch making sure that alternating stitches hit the adjacent part of the coil.  You will find that your stitches hide the straight sewn stitches, so it is not necessary to attempt to remove those straight stitches.   
  • Sew slowly at first and readjust as necessary to make sure you are hitting the adjacent coil.  This will be tedious for the first 2 rounds and becomes easier as the size of the sewn coil gets larger.  
  • After zigzag stitching the stabilized portion of the coil (first few rounds), in the needle down position, lift the presser foot and tug lightly on the clothesline to uncoil the unsewn clothesline from around the needle.  This only happens at the very center portion of the bowl.  Performing this step is a necessity and will make the rest of the sewing process much easier. 
  • Missed stitches will lead to holes in the bowl.  If you see you have missed catching both sides, fix that spot immediately.
  • Increase speed as you become comfortable sewing along the curve of the coil, maintaining control.
  • Keep sewing with the coil in the flat position for a minimum of 16 rounds.  
  • Stop, clip threads, and place a piece of masking tape marking a line from the center of the bowl pointing out to the edge.  By holding up to the light, check your project to make sure there are no holes where the stitches did not catch both sides of the cords.  If there are holes, zigzag over those places at this time.
  • Continue stitching flat until you have reached the point that the masking tape is pointing towards.  

Forming the Sides of the Bowl: (There are three hand positions you will need to use.   These three hand positions result in a bowl with sides going relatively straight up.  The shape of the nose of your sewing machine will also dictate the shape of your bowl. Enjoy the process.)  

First Position:  With your left hand, lift the coil off the sewing surface about the width of the thick part of your hand.  Using the masking tape as a guide, sew one complete revolution around the coil.  STOP here to reposition your left hand.  

Second Position:  Lift the coil at a steeper angle (around 45 degrees) from the sewing surface.   Begin sewing again for one complete revolution around the coil.  STOP here to reposition your left hand.

Third Position:  Lift the coil to a point touching the top edge of your sewing machine.  Pick a point that you can comfortably maintain because this is where you will need to hold the coil for the rest of the bowl.  

  • (NOTE:  When you have made an additional 10-14 rounds, and probably at a time you are changing your bobbin, place another piece of masking tape on the side of your bowl in alignment with the first one so that you can maintain a visual as to where you start another revolution.  This is important if you desire to use the Fourth Position explained below or when you are ready to finish your bowl.)

For a bowl with the top curving to the inside, use the fourth position.

Fourth Position:  While you are at the beginning point of another revolution, push the top of the bowl into the top of the machine for the last three or four rounds (or more).  This causes the top of the bowl to curve in.  Sew very, very slowly.  It is difficult to maintain the bowl under the pressure foot but is worth it for a different shaped bowl.

Ending:

  • You have choices of how to finish your bowl.  This is where your creative artistry takes over. 
  • For a “no frills” look, determine from your masking tape where a new revolution will begin.  About 4 inches before that stop sewing.  Measure four inches of your cord and then cut it there.  Pull out about an inch of the inside stuffing from the cord.  Cut that stuffing off.  Rewrap the cord, using glue stick liberally, and make sure that the end is well hidden.  Hold the cord in place to the rim of the bowl.  Use pins to hold it in place.  Zigzag stitch these last four inches to the bowl, decreasing the zigzag width if you wish as you get to the end. 
  • Or, you can end your bowl by using your own creativity.   It is totally your choice.  Pinterest is full of ideas (and so are you!)

Tips:

  • Position your chair and sew directly in front of the needle.  (Not to the side)
  • Make sure the stitches catch both the left and right sides of the clothesline to avoid holes.
  • If you miss a couple of stitches in a row, such that a hole is visible, go back and sew over the area of missed stitches.  It is easier to do this on the bottom before forming the sides. 
  • Keep the clothesline feeding loosely. The machine should do all the work of pulling the clothesline along.  You should not have to pull it or force it into place. 
  • If the clothesline gets in a bind while you are sewing, stop immediately and make sure that it can feed through unobstructed.  When the clothesline gets in a bind you can break a needle, and it will cause the bowl to be misshaped.  
  • You will need to stop sewing periodically and untwist the clothesline.  This is normal and the reason for sewing in the needle down position.
  • If you need to stop, it is best to make an entire revolution (using the masking tape as a guide) before stopping.  This is because the position of your left hand needs to be consistent all the way around.  
  • Relax your shoulders and keep sewing around and around.  
  • Use a quilting glove on your left hand for control, if desired.
  • When adding beading to the top of your bowl, place the beads on a beading wire.  Measure the circumference of the bowl and add an inch or two for the length of the wire.  This is because beads will take up some slack in the wire causing you to need a little more wire than just the initial measurement of the circumference.  Place beads on the wire to get the spacing correct.  Tie off with loops, discarding the extra wire.  Hand sew the wire to the basket, not the beads.  Flat beads work better than barrel-type beads, but if wire shows, simply add spacer beads.  I usually don’t cut off the wire to size until getting to the end of sewing the beads to the bowl.
  • When unwrapping the cord, avoid pulling it off to the side.  Instead, remove the cord by flipping the holder over and over again.  This avoids twisting.  Do this both while you are wrapping the cord with fabric, as well as when you are using the cord while sewing your bowl.
  • Just so you know, the design of your sewing machine will play into the design of your bowl.

Resources I have come across: 

Quiltmaker, November/December 2018, pages 17-20.  Contains instructions for a trivet and mug rug (or ornament). 

Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting, March/April 2007, pages 80-82.  Contains instructions for coiled fabric bowls.

YouTube videos:   Some are by Mr. Domestic, Crafty Patti, and so many more.  (I will comment that I like Leanne’s method of wrapping the cord more than any other beginning method I have come across.)

Facebook groups:  Rope Bowl Addiction, Fabric Wrapped Rope Crafts, and probably many more.

Books:  It’s a Wrap by Susan Breier.  It’s a Wrap II by Susan Breier.  Sewing Pottery by Machine by Barbara Warholic.  Make It Easy by Pam Fischer Hughes

Comments

Once you have mastered the basic bowl, what’s next?  Try making wine caddies, doll beds, artistic endings, weaving fabric between the rows, square bowls, trivets, coasters, wall hangings, crosses, snowmen, cat beds, different sizes, adding fabric on the bottoms, purses, beach bags, different shapes, and more.

Rope suppliers:

Wal-Mart.  Rope.com.  Mountain Thread Company.  Dollar stores.  Hardware stores.

Warnings

This can be addictive.

Do not microwave projects that are not made totally of cotton. 

Thanks to Leanne Green for the original class, instructions and inspiration.