Newest obsession

I was reading SouleMama's blog late last week and was intrigued by the baskets she's been making from clothesline.

She claimed the process is simple, and she said it requires only some clothesline rope and a sewing machine.

I knew then and there that baskets made of clothesline rope were in my immediate future.

A quick trip to our local hardware store resulted in one 50-foot length of new clothesline rope, the 100% cotton variety.

I re-read SouleMama's instructions, and I browsed "clothesline rope baskets" on Pinterest.

Then I was ready to go.

But first, a little tribute: My Sears Kenmore sewing machine is nothing if not a workhorse. Ken gave it to me for Christmas in 1973, and I've called on it to sew a multitude of things ever since. It has never let me down, not once.

The sewing machine weighs a ton, or so it seems when I try to lift or move it for some reason, but therein lies one of the reasons for its reliability. I bought a second sewing machine a few years ago, another Sears brand, but it is lightweight, made mostly of plastic, and, as the salesman so honestly told me, isn't half the machine of my 42-year old Kenmore.

Back to basket-making....

The first basket, which now houses my streptocarpus plant, came out well. It really was easy to make, just as SouleMama had promised.

I had enough clothesline leftover after that first basket to make another. The second one I first dabbed with a bit of acrylic paint, and let that dry, before beginning the sewing.

It's the one in the front, on the right, in this photo.

It was time to make a second trip to the hardware store.

This time I bought two more 50-foot lengths of cotton clothesline.

The long-handled basket came next. That one I made yesterday. This afternoon I made the one in the center, with the button trim on the top edge.

I'm thinking these baskets, the ones I don't claim for myself, will make nice gifts. Filled with bath products or cooking spices, or what-have-you, they'll become birthday and Christmas gifts.

It takes about 30-45 minutes to sew one basket. After it's finished I inspect it to make sure the rows of rope are firmly held together. If I find a weak spot, I use a needle and thread to make a discreet repair. I also add embellishments of one kind or another. I'm still discovering what I like for embellishments as well as what I like for handles.

SouleMama is right: clothesline rope baskets are addictive.