Since last fall, Linda has been sewing beautiful rope rugs with fabric colors and patterns lovingly selected to fit with each recipient’s preferences and decor. For each rug, over 800 linear inches of 2-1/2″ wide batting and fabric are folded over and sewn into a rope form. The long rope is then zig zg stitched together in either a circular or an oval pattern to form the rug.
A great example of Dream :: Design :: Do, Linda brought me a dimensioned sketch of a “helper” she thought of for her sewing room. The “helper” would first help with rolling up the long strip of fabric. Then both the fabric roll and the batting roll would be mounted on the “helper” and keep them from getting twisted and tangled as they were unspooled and sewn into the rope form.
And that’s how this fun and useful Rope Rug Fabric Unspooler came into being!
DREAM :: Linda’s idea sketch with needed dimensions
DESIGN :: 3D design rendered in SketchUp
DO :: Fabrication started with 3/4 birch plywood from the scrap pile
Plywood base assembled
Spool blanks cut from 12/4 cherry
Turning spools bewteen centers in the lathe
This was the first project my new Nova Comet II midi lathe was used for
Spools sized for a light friction fit with cardboard cores
Boring 1/2 inch center hole with spool mounted in four jaw check
Stationary drill bit mounted in Jacobs chuck mounted in tailstock
Testing upper spool with wooden dowel axle
Final axle / winding handle from 1/2 hex bolt
Spools mounted on bolts spun freely
First test of unspooler located under sewing table
Linda nearing the end of the rope forming step
The colors were lovingly selected to compliment a very handsome kitty cat
The unspooler can be a distance away from the sewing machine
DREAM :: DESIGN :: DO – Done!
Here are a few of the rope rugs Linda has completed
