THE POSSIBILITIES OF A CLOTHES-LINE
YOU can form it into graceful patterns of curves and coils, loops and
rings; you can weave it basket-fashion or net it together with brass
curtain-rings, and you can fray it out into soft, pretty tassels. You
can make it into a decorative wood-basket, a grille for an open doorway,
fringe for curtains and portières, or decoration for the top of a wooden
chest. One use will suggest another and you will probably find some way
of adapting the rope that has never yet been thought of.
Hemp rope and cotton, large rope and small, down to the ordinary heavy
twine, all lend themselves to this work.
It requires a rather heavy clothes-line, one considerably lighter,
called by some rope-cord, and a piece of strong twine for the
Wood-Basket
shown in the illustration.
Make the bottom of a board two feet long and sixteen inches wide, and on
each end of the board nail securely one-half of a barrel-hoop (Fig. 78).
From an old broom-stick cut four rounds one inch thick for the feet
(Fig. 79), and fasten one round to each corner underneath the board with
strong screws or wire nails (Fig. 78, Z Z). This is all the wood you
will need for the basket, the rest is to be made entirely of rope.
[Illustration: The wood-basket.]
[Illustration: Fig. 78--On each end nail one-half of a barrel-hoop.]
[Illustration: Fig. 79--For the feet.]
Take your small rope and nail one end of it to the edge of the bottom,
close to one end of one of the barrel-hoops (Fig. 80), then wrap the
hoop with the rope, one row close to another until it is completely
covered. Cut off the rope when it reaches the end of the hoop and nail
it down as you did the first end of the rope in beginning. Fasten a
piece of the heavy rope entirely around the edge of the board, nailing
it at intervals along each side, but leaving loose that at the end edges
until later. Make the
End Pieces
of the basket by looping and twisting the heavy rope into the pattern
shown in Fig. 81, forming as many loops as are required to reach across
the end of the bottom. Wrap and tie one row of the loops to the rope on
the end edge of the board and the side loops to the hoops, using the
twine for this purpose.
[Illustration: Fig. 80.--Nail one end of the small rope to the edge of
the bottom.]
Eight inches from the end of the bottom, underneath but near the side
edge, nail one end of your heavy rope; bring it up slantingly and wrap
and tie it to the hoop just above and touching the top edge of the
loops, stretch the rope tightly across the hoop and tie at the other
side, then carry the end down and fasten underneath the bottom eight
inches from the end of the board (see illustration). Wrap and tie the
top loops of the end piece to the top rope as shown in illustration.
Finish the other end of the basket in the same manner, not forgetting to
nail in place the rope left loose at the end edges. Give the completed
wood-basket several coats of dark varnish. The varnish not only produces
a nice finish, smoothing down both wood and rope, but also stiffens and
helps to hold the rope in place.
[Illustration: Fig. 81.--Make the end pieces like this.]
A Rope Netting
at once simple and effective is made like Fig. 82.
This netting may be made of heavy rope for a grille in an open doorway,
or of lighter rope for fringe. In either case the method is the same.
[Illustration: Fig. 82.--A Rope netting.]
In a board, at regular distances apart, along a straight line, drive a
row of wire nails. It depends upon the size of the rope how far apart
the nails should be placed. For a heavy rope there must be at least four
inches between, and this distance should lessen as the rope decreases in
size.
Cut your rope into pieces four feet in length if it is heavy, not so
long if it is light rope. Loop one piece of rope over each nail and let
it hang down evenly, then bring the first and fourth strands together
and slip on them a small brass curtain or embroidery ring (Letter A,
Fig. 83). Push the ring up to within four inches of the line of nails if
the nails are four inches apart. If the distance between the nails is
three inches the ring must be three inches below the line. Catch the
ring to each strand of rope with needle and thread to hold it in place.
Bring the third and sixth strands together and slip on a ring (Letter B,
Fig. 83). Then the fifth and seventh, and so across the board.
[Illustration: Fig. 83.--Slip on a small brass curtain ring.]
Begin the next row by slipping a ring on the first and second strands,
placing it the same distance below the first row of rings that the first
row of rings is below the line of nails (Letter C, Fig. 83). Bring the
third and fourth strands together with a ring, the fifth and sixth,
continuing the original pairing of the strands until the row is
complete. The third row of rings brings together again the second and
fourth strands, the third and sixth, as in the first row, and the fourth
row of rings goes back to pairing the first and second, third and fourth
strands.
The Tassels
Below the last row of rings wrap and tie the strands together, then
untwist the ends of the rope up to where it is tied and fray it out
until it becomes fluffy. Make the head of the tassel by wrapping closely
with twine a short distance below the ring, or you may slip on several
of the brass rings as a finish.
The board on which you make your netting need not be any longer than is
convenient to handle, for when one part of the netting is finished it
can be taken off the nails and new strands added to carry on the work.
Fig. 84 is an ornamental design suitable for decorating a wooden chest
or, if sewed on cloth, for a hanging. By studying the design you can
easily reproduce it without the aid of description or other diagram.
[Illustration: Fig. 84.--Ornamental design.]