Rope Bowls

 

This is my latest fad - rope bowls made with cotton clothes line or pulley rope, using a zig-zag stitch on the sewing machine. These are satisfying and strangely soothing to make as the coils are added and all you have to concentrate on is keeping the zig-zag stitch on the right line. 

They can be round, oval, shallow or deep. They can have handles, and the rope end can be finished off in a number of ways. 

One way to add colour is to use different coloured thread. 

Another way is to dye the rope. Here I experimented with making a dye with daffodil flowers, and dip-dying the rope. 

They are surprisingly strong and hold their shape well, and they make nice gifts with a few home made biscuits or toiletries. 

Bunnies for babies

I have been making some simple little cuddly bunnies to give as gifts for new babies. One is for my own granddaughter of course! 

The pattern, named Bunny Lovey, is available free at this blog site, provided you just use it for personal use.  You just have to sign up to the mailing list, and then you receive a link to the pattern pdf. 

I bought some soft plush fabric, and used small amounts of brightly coloured cotton from my stash for the ear linings. Only the head and tail are stuffed.