This is not new. I've made bowls, baskets and bags using rope in the past, but around 2018 I started having difficulty finding good rope. I ordered several different brands and tried buying from my local Ace Hardware and Walmart, but everything I could find was too "floppy" so I quit.
Well, rope bowl sewing is making a comeback and there are now lots of great rope options on the market again.
The above bowl was made using 100 ft of cotton rope. Then I found a company that makes kits!
Each one of these kits comes with enough rope to make the project, a 90/14 denim needle for your machine and instructions to make the project.
Then I ordered several books on the subject to check them out. The only one I ordered for my shop and will recommend is this one:
This book has lots of great projects and great information about sewing with rope. It goes into detail about the different kinds of rope. Not all rope is created equal and not all rope is appropriate for these types of projects! Best to understand the various types and get the right thing for what you want to do rather than just ordering and being disappointed.
I've also ordered some colored rope and more kits, but those items aren't here yet. Hopefully by the end of this week they will be here.
If there is no place to buy stuff for rope sewing in your area, I've got all the stuff you'll need in my shop (in store and online). Click the following link to go to the Rope Sewing section of my website: Rope Projects from Alamosa Quilt Company
The book shown above is listed there for purchase as well as most of the kits from the photos above. If anything is sold out, just check back. I've already reordered several of the kits. When the colored rope and other kits arrive they will also be listed on my website on the same page.
