Here is a picture of the rope I buy to do this.

Fold a strip of fabric over the end.

Wrap the strip around the rope at an angle slightly overlapping.

Fold the wrapped piece in "half". The longer the fold the longer the rug will be. If you want it round just barely fold it back. If you want a hall runner make it much longer.

Now begin stitching. Set your machine to do a running stitch. That is what my book calls it. It is the zigzag stitch that stitches across and back again.

Start at the fold end away from the loose end.

Stitch down to the end and wrap it around the end and keep going until you have it as big as you want.

You can wrap as you go or do it while you are watching TV then sit and sew a lot at once. I have a pin through every spot I switch fabric so it gets a little poky.

If you are making a rug it really helps to have a flat surface so you don't curve up.

If you want a basket once it is as big as you want turn it and go straight up the sides.

Thank you for the tutorial. On my way to get some clothesline!!

Mary, Great tutorial. I'm going to get some clothesline and try it. Thank you very much. Jan

That is too cool. Thank you SOOOOO much. I want to try one of those.

We are all going to have homemade rugs in our house now. lol

Judy In Ohio

Love your rug!! Wanna make me one???

Oh my gosh you make it look easy....Thanks so much.....on my to do list!

Thanks for the encouragement. It is easy.

How wide a siz zag? What kind of needle? Does the zig zag go right through the corg, or are you zigging to either side of the cord. What happens when the needle hits the cord, does it go right through it or break? Or is it supposed to zig zag on either side of the cord and miss the cord? Sorry, lots of questions, i have never seen this done, and wonder if you could tell more??? Thanks so much :) :) :)

I just use the default setting for the width. It is about as wide as it goes though. I do make it longer because I don't want a satin stitch. I want the foot centered so it catches half of the new cord and half of the last round.

I use my sharp needles the same as I use for quilting. The needle will go straight through everything.

Yes. The zig zag will go right through the cord. Your foot is sitting right on top of everything.

I love the questions. Keep them coming. And pictures.

Love your rug. May have to try that one someday. Heaven knows Ihave lots of scraps......

Thank you for this. It's amazing, I have loved scrap rugs since I was little and we would buy them at auctions, they are not at all "cheap" so I've never "bought one" for my home now.

How big are the scraps that you use? Just whatever size you have? Can you show us what it looks like when your changing to a new scrap? Do you just sort of roll it in?

Okay... More... How fast do they grow? My mom tried to do this once, and ended up making it as a Barbie rag rug (which was the best Barbie thing I owned!) She said it took lots of fabric but your way with the cord doesn't seem like it would use bunches... How big will one coil of rope like that make? It seems like it wouldn't be hard to add another rope to it...

Would it be okay to start one and set it aside for a time as you get more scraps, or is it better to do the rope rolling and then all the sewing?
Do you use regular fabric, or upholstery fabric? Is that regular thread? It stands out so nicely... The ones I'd seen in the past used something else.

Thanks so much for posting this I'm bookmarking it right now!

Here is a picture of my scrap basket and one of the strips.

How small really depends on my mood. Sometimes I am more patient than others.

Here is a picture of when I am adding a new strip and when I start a new length of clothesline rope. Just overlap the rope slightly. You don't want a bunch of extra bulk there.

I always have one in progress. I put a pin through at each point when I change strips. I don't leave it when I am adding a new rope because it is really fragile at that point. When I am changing fabric I just put the pin through it and leave it until I am ready to sew again.

I think it grows pretty fast. But I suppose that is relative. Probably too big for Barbie. lol

This is regular cotton fabric. It is the leftovers from straightening my edges when I strip piece.

I use regular thread. I have an embroidery machine so I end up with ends of spools that wouldn't finish another project. I'm too cheap to throw it away. I use whatever thread I have.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask more.

So the green stitching is your running stitch? Great tutorial! thank you! Your rugs are amazing!

This is absolutely amazing, thank you so very much for the additional photos! Some of those strips even look like stuff I would normally throw away as being to skinny to use in a quilt. :oops: I'm so glad to see it used for something so beautiful!

Well, Mary, I just dug all my scraps out of my garbage can!!! Thanks so much for the tutorial!!! I totally had the wrong type of clothesline in mind!!!

I'm so glad. You will have another "treasure" made from your trash.

I've started my little pile of strips I'm so excited to begin doing this, I'm sending DH out tomorrow to get the rope! I tried to recall what width you'd cut the strips too, and ended up with mostly 1"ers because that was what I remembered. I guess I didn't need it that narrow, oh well. :D

I don't really cut strips. I have enough edges and such leftover. An inch would be good though.

what diameter of clothesline do you buy? I have seen 1/4" and 3/8". Also, I am curious if you have any pictures of bowls or baskets?

darn, I was also going to ask if you use a "triple" stitch zig zag? these are so awesome, I really want to make one (or at least start another WIP!)

Okay, now I sent my dh off to Walmart to buy the clothline for this project...

He calls me from the store. "Honey, they are all out."
"What do you mean they're out?"
"I mean I'm standing here looking at a huge empty space where they are supposed to be"
"Well do they have something a little different that would work the same"
"I can see the labels one says, cotton, one says nylon"
(Me cutting him off) "The nylon one, get the nylon one!"
"I told you, they are all out."
"What do you mean they are all out? You just said Nylon"
"The tag is here but there in nothing on the shelves" (noise of banging on a empty shelving)
"I don't understand, it's rained for a month straight, who is buying all the clothesline?"
"I don't know"
"Well.... It's okay, I'm not mad... Isn't there someplace else you could get it?"
"Not up this way."

And so it goes, so I just had to tell you that a whole big bunch of people much have seen your how to, and hence the run on clothesline! :D

Great tutorial! Great idea.

I have been wanting to make a rug from scraps for a long time, but I hadn't thought of it this way! What I had in mind was one of the braided rugs that you sew together or one of the kind you sorta "crochet" together with a tool called a toothbrush needle or tool. Your idea is MUCH better! I think I have a pack of this clothesline somewhere in my house....I HOPE! I was just out today and wish I'd seen this post sooner! If I don't have clothesline, I have some up on the porch I may have to take down!!!! :shock: Well, I probably won't go take it down because I have a lot to do, but I want to start one of these soon!

Just think: REALLY small ones for coasters as Christmas gifts...and matching placemats...You could even turn it into a hat or a bag! I know you said basket! OH, I get excited way too easily! :D Thank you for sharing this cool project!!!!

I found my clothesline, and it is the rest of what I didn't use outside, so I have no label on it.

Is it the kind with the blue papery stuff inside? I think this is the right kind??????????

As long as you can sew through it.

It should be fine. I went in to try it, but I ended up working on my Halloween stash dolls. Soon! Thanks again for this wonderful tutorial!!

This look like fun!

I've started a new "scrap bin" just for the longer skinnier pieces I would normally throw away just for a rug!! Now i just have to get the clothesline stuff :wink:

I have been searching everywhere for cotton clothesline. Target, WalMart didn't have any. I found some polyester content at Lowe's. Where do you buy the cotton stuff?

Walmart but if you can sew through it that is all that matters.

I went looking for the rope as well. Can't find it where I live, and every where I went they looked at me like I had two heads when I explained what I was looking for. We don't have a Walmart, the closest one is over 3 hours away. :(

The piping in the upholstery department works too. That you buy by the yard.

Mary

THANK YOU!!!! I was going to PM you and ask how to do this. I want to make one for our kitchen since Kyia scratched the on in there now.

Thanks again. Can't wait to try it.

Kyia