Wednesday 1 September 2021

Coiled Fabric Pots

I spent a lot of time in my shop during the restrictions. After each shopping appointment I had to clean and tidy things away ready for the following appointment... To be honest, it was a bit of a chore, but it was the only way to keep my business open.
There wasn't really enough time in between customers to sew whilst I waited, so I started to wrap another coil rope. Each package contains 30 metres so it kept me occupied.
At the Sunday Funday Sewday last week I started to sew the covered coil and I continued working on it last week until it was a glorious bowl. 

I took this photo and posted it on social media, as you do these days.
Well, lots of folk have commented and messaged me with questions, so I thought I would try to help.

I wrap my pot cording with strips of fabric. Most of which are just the trimmings from levelling up larger pieces ready to cut more precise strips. Or the crusts trimmed off after quilting my sandwiches.
The strips work better if they are under 1" wide and over half inch wide and they don't need to be level.
I put a dab of water soluble glue on the end of each strip to hold it to the next strip. Be careful your glue isn't the kind that dries hard!
I do take my time to get a good tight wrap. This extra care makes the pot or bowl really sturdy.
The following pictures were taken when I stitched my first coiled pot, made in 2009.

Then you make your base coil, it's a bit tricky as you also want this to be quite tight as it will form the bottom of your bowl. 
I use a 90 Jeans needle or a 90 Top Stitch needle.
Any foot that will accommodate a Zig-Zag stitch. 
You can use a beautiful thread, in the top picture I used 30 weight variegated, until it ran out! Then I just continued using up bits of bobbins and last threads on spools.
Remember that the thread in your bobbin will be on the outside of your pot!

First you need to stitch a star going straight across the spiral to hold it together, like dividing a cake/pizza. I divide into 4 then 8 slices... I think you can just about see that.
Then
Set your machine to do a close and wide stitch.  These days I use 5 width and 1.2 length but you can see in this rather old picture that I didn't used to do such neat stitching. Do what works for you.

Then you continue Zig-Zagging... sew slow and steady making sure your zig-zag hits the coil as well as your fabric.
You can make flat things, they are very useful too.

Once your base is a size you like, you just slip your fingers under the edge of the coiled bottom. Obviously I mean under the left side edge!! not the needle action side, ha ha ha
This starts the bowl tilting, ever so clever!!

 After 4 hours. No need to sew fast, this is therapeutic FUN!!

I didn't have a plan with this first one, I just wanted to see whether I could do it. 
30 metres of pot cording makes a fabulous fabric bucket/pot.


This is a link to a useful video.

I hope this helps you make Coiled Fabric pots, bowls or buckets. Let me know if you have a question, I can only try to help.
I made this one too....
Egg Shaped base with handles.

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