Tuesday 14 April 2015

Washing Line Tales Part 2

My experiments with wrapping washing-line in fabric and stitching the results into baskets have continued over the last few weeks. It's proved rather an addictive process. Or more accurately, I should say, it's proving rather an addictive process because I am still at it, in spare moments.


I've learned quite a bit since I started. In case you're interested, here are my conclusions. I hope they might be helpful to any of you wanting to give this a whirl too.

1 Cutting the strips of fabric on the bias gives a much cleaner finish. (You are so right, Nancy!) I don't mind the soft, slightly ragged edges on my first basket but the clean edges that the bias-cut strips retain after the winding and stitching process, are undoubtedly satisfying. Not so quick to rip the strips up, though - they need cutting properly, with a cutting-wheel, ruler and cutting mat. 


 2 My second basket contains three skeins of washing-line so it is really big and roomy as well as being strong. (It measures 16" / 41 cm wide at the top, 10" / 25.5 cm wide at the bottom and 7" / 17.5 cm high) Surprisingly light though. Very practical. Would make a fab laundry receptacle or ironing basket.


3 I have progressed to adding handles, which, I think, are a useful addition to my prototype. Very easy. You just stop stitching the spiral continuously, for the space of your handle, and then resume when the handle section comes to an end. The next time round, you carry on stitching onto the handle section. The results are pretty sturdy. I did some extra zig-zagging along the lower part of the handle and the upper part of the basket below the handle afterwards, just to make sure, though, as you can see, in the second and third pics below.






4 Before I tracked down washing-line of the right thickness, I'd bought some thinner, cotton rope at B&Q and so I thought I'd have a little play with that too, to make a smaller basket. The rope is only 1/8" thick and that makes the process rather more fiddly. I think, ideally, I should have cut thinner fabric strips for this diameter of rope. Half-inch-wide strips may be a bit wasteful because of the way they wrap round, over the narrower circumference and smaller surface area. If I did not have a gnat-sized mathematical brain, I suspect I would have known this ahead of empirical discovery of the same, and not cut all the strips too wide, but, tant pis, mes amies!


This smaller basket came out measuring 8" / 20 cm wide at the top, 3" / 8cm wide at the bottom and 3.5" / 9cm high. It weighs almost nothing in the hand*. Deliciously light and satisfying somehow. *2.75 oz / 80 g to be precise - I've just weighed it on my digital scales. As you do!


5 Both these versions have been made with scraps of Liberty lawn collected over the years, most of which were too small really, to do anything with, but were too nice just to throw out. Some of them are so ancient they probably qualify as "vintage". Over twenty years old anyway. The shortness of a lot of them made it tricksy to get them to stay in place before stitching, but it's been a good way of using scraps that would otherwise have languished, unused, and the thinner weight of the Liberty lawn, as opposed to normal dressmaking-weight cotton fabric, is perfect for making the stitching breeze along - no more broken needles - yay! (Although I've bought some industrial strength jeans needles for future deployment!)

I wouldn't exactly go out and buy expensive, Liberty lawn for making a basket, but any scraps you have - hoard them! This is a good way to show them off and make something useful too, I think.


6 Despite my best efforts, I cannot make the basket turn up from the base at anything more than a 45 degree angle. Slightly frustrating, as I quite fancied making a more bucket-shaped version. 

7 Where there's a will, though, there's a way. I'll post about that in part 3 of my little washing-line tales saga! 


In the meantime my big, new basket holds the yarn for my version of the Lilypond CAL. This is a gorgeous project designed by Jane Crowfoot in conjunction with Stylecraft yarns. The patterns are free and are being released in fortnightly instalments over the next four months. Have a look at Janie's post about it here and you can find the patterns here, if you're interested. The yarn used in the original design is Stylecraft Life which is an acrylic / wool mix. I am using Stylecraft Classique Cotton in my version because I had quite a few of the colours already in my stash. Deramores, the UK On-Line yarn store, are selling blanket-making packs for this project, both in Stylecraft Special DK yarn and in the Stylecraft Classique Cotton, and you can pre-order Stylecraft Life packs from Janie's website in the first link I've given above. Have a look, if you're tempted! The colours in the Classique Cotton are slightly different from those in the original design so I am playing around with a few alternative colour possibilities. It's keeping me creatively happy (when I'm not tying myself in happy washing-line knots to make baskets, that is!)


Happy Creating!

E x


24 comments:

  1. Your baskets are so beautiful - I think you may have a mini business venture here! x

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    1. Thank you - you're very kind but I'm not sure they're professional enough to sell! E x

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  2. Wow! I'll try too to do a basket like yours!
    Isabella

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    1. Grazie, Isabella! Do have a go - they're great fun! E x

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  3. Dear Mrs T
    Those baskets would really make any job a joy with their cheerful and beautiful colours. As you say, they are also a very good way to use up hoarded material scraps. Beautiful and useful - Mr Morris would approve!
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    1. Mr Morris is so right! It's a good principle to follow although I fear sometimes I fall down on one side or the other! E x

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  4. I really like how your basket turned out x

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    1. Thank you! It's nice when things turn out more or less how they're meant to! E x

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  5. Beautiful!!!! I was thinking great yarn basket, so it shows that great minds think alike!! xx

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    1. Thank you Amy! They do make great yarn baskets partly because of the way they splay out which makes it easy to see all the colours properly - useful for projects where one needs to choose different combinations all the time. E x

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  6. C'est vraiment superbe !!!!! Bon courage pour la couverture .... J'ai hâte de voir ! Bonne journée, Amicalement ...

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    1. Merci, Géraldine! La couverture va être un petit voyage d'exploration! J'espère qu'elle va rappeler les peintures de Monet des nymphéas à Giverny un tout petit peu. On peut songer, en tout cas! Bonne journée à toi! E x

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  7. Really enjoy seeing the baskets, they are lovely and useful looking as well, I may have to break down and go shopping for washing line!!

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    1. Thank you Kathy! I really like them too - may have to make a really big one for my ironing mountain now! E x

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  8. These are gorgeous! Especially with the Liberty fabrics, they are just the right thing aren't they? I quite fancy a go at one actually. Unless you fancy selling one? ;)

    S x

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    1. Thank you Sandra! Do have a go yourself - you'll come up with something really beautiful, I know. As I say in my reply to VeggieMummy above, I am not sure they're really professional enough to sell! I might make a couple to give away. I'll have to check what's left of my Liberty scraps first though! E x

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  9. Another triumphant success from the hands of Mrs. T - I do admire your diligence and skill. I've looked longingly at these baskets for a while but they look so tricky and I could see myself breaking my sewing machine with them. Is there a useful tutorial somewhere that takes you through the process or did you write one yourself? They look beautiful. All the best, Judy.

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    1. Thank you Judy! Do have a go yourself - like you I felt slightly anxious beforehand about whether the machine would cope but apart from the batch of broken needles on the first basket I made, I've found the stitching to be fairly trouble-free. If you look at my first post there are some links in there to some sites I found useful and Nancy of Nancy's Arts and Crafts had a go and did a post here http://nancymccarroll.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/fabric-bowls-and-laundry-line.html
      with some more links to check out too. Hope that helps! E x

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  10. The basket with handles is fabulous. I'm not sure if my sewing will be strong enough to stop the handles pulling away so may have to try a little modification. Any hints?
    Do you cut on the bias by sewing a tube or do you cut each one on the flat?

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    1. Thank you Anne! To answer your q, I suppose it depends a bit what you are intending to put in the basket. I am not sure if my stitching would be up to using it as a log basket for example! Though having said that, a washing-line kindling basket might have considerable possibilities! But for containing less densely heavy items, I think you'll find the stitching is OK. I did go over the section where the handles join again and I did use a slightly narrower zig-zag on the handles themselves after I'd finished construction to make sure everything was firmly held together. If you're concerned about strength, I think I might use a polyester sewing thread too as that tends to be a bit stronger than pure cotton. I have a mixture of types of thread and just used whatever colour seemed right - mostly pure cotton, I have to say. We'll have to see if repair-work becomes necessary down the line! It might well. I cut my bias strips on the flat. I know you can do the tube thing but I haven't mastered the geometry of that quite and think I might get in a pickle! Also actually you don't want the strips too long or they become tedious to wind - you have to keep detangling land unravelling and it gets frustrating but may be I am just impatient! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with, if you decide to give it a go. E x

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  11. Beautiful basket!! I must admit it was your yarn that caught my eye. Hope you enjoy your lily pond project!

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  12. Your baskets are amazing!!!! I just love them, wow you did a terrific job. They are so bright and colorful. Enjoy.
    Meredith

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  13. More gorgeous baskets! Yea! The small images on your Liberty prints are noteworthy because one can actually see the designs. A great use of that, or those, fabrics. Your handles are ingenious. I never picked up that idea in my prior readings, so you must have designed that detail. Kudos all around on your new bowls.

    Now perhaps I just need to make a few more?

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  14. That is absolutely stunning! I've always wanted to have a go at wrapping fabric round string etc to make baskets and rugs but never actually got round to trying. You've inspired me!

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Thank you so much for taking the time to visit me at Mrs TT's and comment. I love to read what you write.