Lynx
(In a world where you can be anything, be kind.)
1
Harlan and I did a personal swap, and I sent her these fabric bowls. This was my first time ever making a fabric bowl where I wrapped paracord in fabric and sewed it. Earlier this year, I twisted fabric into rope and then glued it to glass jars or onto wreaths, so this was a new experience for me. Even though the concept is easy, the process took much longer than I anticipated!
I am really pleased with how they turned out! I need to get more experienced with finishing these off when I get to the end of the rope. On my first try, the beginning rounds were a sewn mess. No worry! Nothing some wool felt won’t cover, and actually make that bottom pop, anyway! I liked that look so much that even thought the second one started much better, I still added it!
This was my second bowl. My sewing machine decided to fight with me when I was making this, so I had to switch to my older machine that I hadn’t used in several years. It didn’t have the same stitch and zigzag length I was using so I had to compensate for that. Harlan also asked if I could try to bring the last few rounds “up,” too. I feel like I was able to be successful in that while figuring out the new shorter stitch and zigzag length.
I’m glad you used black thread for the zigzags, it really adds to the look! I love the variety of colors in the bowls. I think the blue and green one is my fave.
Of all the times for the sewing machine to be difficult though! I imagine it wasn’t the easiest to run these through the machine, then for the machine to start acting up - that had to be frustrating!
Lynx
(In a world where you can be anything, be kind.)
7
I originally chose the black thread because I knew that it would be easy for me to see my stitches! Sewing through paracord was actually pretty easy, but when my machine decided to be difficult, there was no way for me to continue with that one. It’s at a quilt shop to be cleaned and repaired. It’s probably a pretty simple repair, but I am not not smart enough with my machines to do that. I can use 'em, but that’s about it.
They are beautiful. How long would you imagine it took you to create one bowl? This is something I would love to teach to our older students at the Montessori school. Not only is the skill mastery spectacular, the finished products would look so lovely in their classrooms.
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Lynx
(In a world where you can be anything, be kind.)
9
Thank you. I easily spent 9 hours on each bowl. I could do about 2 hours at siting before my hands would cramp. I imagine if I made them more often, I would have a rhythm and it would be faster, but for my first, it was kinda lengthy.
That is amazing! I imagined much much longer! Did the stopping and starting between sessions present any issues, or is that transition fairly manageable?
Lynx
(In a world where you can be anything, be kind.)
11
The transition was pretty manageable. I had to start and stop between rounds sometimes when I ran out of the pre-cut strips and had to add them, when my bobbin needed to be refilled, and on my second one when my machine decided to be a nuisance and I had to entirely switch machines. I learned to do a backstitch (when starting anew) when I first started the zigzag, when it would it zigzag to the next paracord, and then again when it went back to the first stitch then I would continue along with the regular zigzag. I think I probably did the same when I was finishing where I was going to stop too. I hope that kind of makes sense.
These bowls are even better in person!! We were so delighted when we opened up the box and able to handle them in person! One was immediately put to use and the other followed shortly!!
And when I say “we” I mean my son Jackson & his friend Mike who was a regular visitor to our home, but when Covid19 happened he stayed here. Mike picked out the one with on the left, filled it with mushrooms and placed in the refrigerator!
The one on the right is happily homing oranges!
I apologize for finding this thread so late given that I’m the happy recipient of these two wonderful bowls. They came out so well, I’m tempted to try one of these myself!
