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Have you ever thought about adding embroidery to a rope bowl? It's a fun way to take a simple rope bowl and turn it into something truly special!
For this project, I used the round Autumn Harvest Pumpkins Stamp embroidery design from Embroidery Library, perfectly suited to the circular base of the bowl. I selected embroidery thread colours inspired by the beautiful Larkspur fabric collection by 3 Sisters for Moda Fabrics, which first arrived in stores in January 2016.
I've been saving my Larkspur fat-quarter bundle for a while, admiring those beautiful fabrics and waiting for the right project. Well, it was about time I stopped looking at them and started using them! The collection's colours inspired the embroidery threads for my rope bowl and the fabric I chose for a coordinating pumpkin pincushion.
To complete the fall-inspired display on my kitchen shelves, I also made a pumpkin pincushion using fabric from the Larkspur collection. I followed my original Pumpkin Pincushion with or without Deco Foil Accents tutorial on the Therm O Web blog, with one small adjustment: I printed the pattern at 125% instead of 100% to make the pumpkin a little bigger.
Let's get started!
Recommended Needle for Sewing Rope Baskets
When sewing a rope basket, you'll want a needle that's stronger and sharper than a standard size 14 universal needle. I recommend a size 16 denim needle because its strong shaft and sharp point make it a good choice for stitching through dense rope. A size 16 topstitch needle is another option to consider.
Always test your needle on a small section of rope first to make sure your sewing machine handles the thickness without issues.
Step 1: Create the Base of the Rope Bowl
Start by coiling the end of your cotton clothesline rope into a small circle, approximately 2 inches in diameter. Using a straight stitch on your sewing machine, stitch across the circle several times, rotating the coil as you go to create a star-like pattern. This will secure the centre of your bowl and provide a sturdy foundation for building the base.
Next, switch your sewing machine to a wide zigzag stitch. Continue coiling the rope and stitching across the joins, catching both sides of the rope with each stitch as you gradually enlarge the base.
Step 2: Continue Building the Base
Continue coiling the rope and stitching with a wide zigzag stitch until the base reaches your desired diameter. For my bowl, I made the base approximately 9 inches across to accommodate the 8.5-inch-wide embroidery design.
Keep your embroidery hoop size in mind when determining the diameter of your base. If you're using a smaller embroidery hoop, you can make a smaller base and choose an embroidery design that fits comfortably within it.
Step 3: Prepare the Base for Embroidery
Do not cut the rope! Keep the full length of rope attached to the base. You'll continue building the bowl after the embroidery is complete.
Hoop a piece of StitchnSew Non-Woven Tear-Away Heavy-Weight White Embroidery Stabilizer in your embroidery hoop, following your embroidery machine's instructions. Centre the coiled rope base on top of the hooped stabilizer. Since the base itself isn't hooped, you'll be using the floating technique to embroider it.
Use small pieces of iCraft Removable Pixie Tape around the edges of the rope base to temporarily secure it to the stabilizer. Make sure the tape holds the base firmly in place without interfering with the embroidery area or the needle's path.
I chose a heavy-weight stabilizer because the Autumn Harvest Pumpkins Stamp design is quite dense, with lots of stitching. A lighter stabilizer may not provide enough support and could tear under the stress of the embroidery. The heavier stabilizer helps support the stitching throughout the embroidery process.
Step 4: Remove the Stabilizer
Once the embroidery is complete, remove the hoop from your embroidery machine and carefully take the basket base out of the hoop.
Tear away as much of the stabilizer as you can, working slowly around the embroidered design. Be careful not to pull on the embroidery threads or distort the stitches as you remove the stabilizer.
Step 5: Shape and Complete the Rope Bowl
Continue stitching the rope to the outer edge of the base using the same wide zigzag stitch. As you begin building the sides, position the base at approximately a 45-degree angle to the sewing machine. This change in angle helps the rope rise upward and creates the sides of the bowl.
The amount of tension you apply to the rope will also influence the shape. Pull the rope slightly as you sew to help shape the sides. Less tension will give you straighter sides, while pulling a little more firmly will encourage the sides to angle inward. Experiment as you go to create the shape you like.
Keep the rope aligned with the previous row and make sure your zigzag stitches catch both sides of the rope. Continue sewing, adjusting the angle and tension as needed until your bowl reaches the desired height.
Finishing the Rope End
When you're happy with the height of your bowl, it's time to finish the rope end neatly. You can tuck the end underneath the final row and stitch it securely in place for a clean finish. Alternatively, you can create a decorative loop, as shown in my Treat Baskets for Gift Giving tutorial.
Choose the finish that best suits your bowl and personal style. Whichever option you use, secure the rope end carefully.
Your embroidered rope bowl is complete!
Step 6: Make the Pumpkin Pincushion
To complement the embroidered rope bowl, I made a pumpkin pincushion using fabric from the Larkspur collection. It's a fun way to bring the colours of the collection into the finished display.
I used my originalPumpkin Pincushion with or without Deco Foil Accents tutorial as my guide, with one small adjustment: I printed the pattern at 125% instead of 100% to make the pumpkin a little bigger.
Prepare the Fabric
Print the pumpkin pincushion pattern at 125%, checking the print settings to make sure it's enlarged to the correct scale.
Cut the fabric pieces according to the enlarged pattern. Cut a piece ofHeatnBond Fusible Fleece to fit the main pumpkin fabric.
Following the product instructions, fuse the fleece to the wrong side of the main pumpkin fabric before cutting out the pumpkin pieces. This gives the pincushion a little extra body.
Sew the Pumpkin and Stem
Follow the construction instructions in my original pumpkin pincushion tutorial to sew the pumpkin.
I had so much fun bringing this little fall display together! I love how the embroidered rope bowl and the coordinating pumpkin pincushion look on my kitchen shelves, especially with those beautiful Larkspur fabrics tying everything together.
I hope this project inspires you to try adding embroidery to a rope bowl of your own. It's such a fun way to turn something simple into something special!
If you enjoyed this project, I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. And don’t forget to stop by my Instagram and say HI, I would love to see what you’re creating!
by Deb Zaleski
