Sewing Rope Baskets - Part 3.2 of 6 - Starting an Oval Basket

Part 3.2 in a series of tutorials that teach you how to sew coiled rope baskets. This video introduces how to start an oval basket.

[@sharonjones7138]

I’ve recently started making baskets. Took a class at the Bernina store in Wilmington. Awesome craft!!! Thanks for your videos.

[@Youghjmknbczetg]

Very educative 👏👏👏am starting soon

[@moniqb7373]

My base starts to curltoo early. How can I stop that and keep it flat? Thank you for your informative videos.

[@themountainthreadcompany1704]

Great question! Sometimes the base of a project will bubble or cup up if the rope is being stretched as it is being sewn. Even if you are not actively stretching it, there may be extra tension on the rope that is causing the rope to stretch while being sewn. When the rope stretches, it causes the rope layers to shift relative to one another. Over time this makes the base cup up rather than sit flat. To address this, you can (a) relax your grip on the rope as it is being pulled into the machine; (b) keep extra rope loosely looped around your arm or in your lap, rather than pulling tight; and (c) lower the presser foot pressure on your machine (there are lots of videos about this - a quick search can help you - or consult your machine manual). Have fun with your projects!

[@viviendounaexperienciahuma522]

I want to make a rope basket but still don’t know what machine to buy.

[@themountainthreadcompany1704]

There are great home sewing machines available for all budgets! This series of videos was done with a Janome sewing machine. If you have a sewing machine dealer near to you, ask if you can test some machines to see how you like them. The machine will need to have a zigzag stitch - most will have 5.5-7.5 mm zigzag width, which is great. Wider is fine too. Good luck!