Fabric Art Clothesline Coaster & Trivet Tutorial
Turn a bit of clothesline and a mini fabric art panel into a handy coaster or trivet!
By using the same type of clothesline that is popular for bowl & basket making, it offers an ideal base for warm drinks and containers:
With a pretty top side thanks to some lovely fabric:
These little round fabric panels are perfectly sized for any mug or small bowl:
Materials:
- Skein of cotton clothesline
- heavy duty/denim 16/100 sewing needle
- 50wt thread
- HeatnBond (strong paper backed fusible) & iron
- small clips or hinged clothespins
Just like when making rope bowls, coil one end of clothesline in a spiral like a snail's shell, until it's about an inch in diameter and baste across with a very wide zig-zag stitch (setting length to about 2.5) in a "+" shape to hold in place. Begin sewing at the center with the same zig-zag stitch, work around the spiral coil, catching the "zig" in one rope, while catching the "zag" in the rope next to it. Continue working around and around until the diameter is 5 inches across:
Set the clothesline base aside and grab the HeatnBond & a 5 inch Circle Fabric Art Panel. Trace the fabric circle onto the paper side of the HeatnBond and cut out.
With fusible side facing the wrong side of the fabric, follow the fusing directions of the HeatnBond with an iron. When cool, peel paper away from back of fabric:
Align the circle panel on top of the clothesline spiral so the loose end is at the top right as shown:
Fuse panel to clothesline spiral:
Topstitch just inside raw edge of circle:
Carefully wind the loose clothesline along the edge of the panel, directly over the topstitching so this row is directly above the previous row of rope and clip all the way around, overlapping slightly at the top.
Topstitch all the way around at the center of the clothesline, stopping just to the right of the top center (as if between the numbers 12 and 1 on a clock).
Measure out 5 inches of loose clothesline and cut:
Coil the loose end inward, just as was done at the start and stitch together in the same way.
Leave as is, or embellish with a button or charm. Enjoy for yourself or give as a unique gift!