Since clothesline has gotten expensive, I have started searching for cheap rope to use in fabric baskets. I make bunches of them for gifts and for benefits.

I have found a cheap poly rope that works very well for this purpose. Ace Hardware has it for $1 to $2 for a 72ft roll. It is typically in a bin in the middle of the main aisle, with extra in the rope dept.

My local Ace sold out, so I had to find another Ace hardware, but they had it. Yeah!!! So I bought the 15 rolls that they had.

So, if you need cheap rope for baskets, find yourself an Ace hardware store.

Thank you. I know exactly where one is! :)

I have seen these talked about before but never heard any of the specifics . wanna share some with us? I would like to see them done and know how hard they are and how to do them.

There is a tute on here already. A member named Eddie did the tute. "Search" at the top of the page for fabric bowl.

There is a tute on here already. A member named Eddie did the tute. "Search" at the top of the page for fabric bowl.

Here is the link: http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-38922-1.htm

I love to make these as well! If you do a 4-6" coil only, they also make great mug rugs! Good to know about the poly, I thought cotton was the only way to go! Thanks for the info!

Doesn't the poly dull the needle? Or make it much harder to sew because the needle would scoot the poly over, rather than sew through it? Am I being a cotton snob?

You snob :) Hey I was too, until I tried this and found it worked just fine. Some poly rope can be really hard and that would probably cause a problem. But the stuff they have at Ace is actually real flexible and almost soft. Reminds me of thin tissue paper type material twisted into strands and then twisted with other strands to make this rope. Very sturdy and strong, but not tough and hard.

I have not had any problems sewing it with a standard needle, and I have been using the same needle for months and many, many baskets. I don't seem to have any dulling issues either.