On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about coiled rope basketry with my guest Katherine Lile.
Katherine is the owner of The Mountain Thread Company in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. She began sewing at age 4, and has always loved building community around creative endeavors. Since opening her business in 2015, she’s been on a mission to inspire, equip, and cultivate a creative community that loves sewing rope!
When Katherine isn’t zigzagging coils of rope, you can find her in her garden, cooking with her kids, or enjoying family time in the mountains.
A coiled rope basket.
We begin this conversation with Katherine sharing that she grew up in North Carolina and has lived all over the world, eventually returning to her hometown in 2015 to start her company. She explained how her family has a multi-generational history of quilting, with her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all being quilters. Katherine noted that sewing has been a way for her to find community wherever she’s lived.
Katherine discussed her career journey, starting with her initial goal of becoming a teacher after studying Spanish in college. She worked as an elementary school Spanish teacher for a couple of years but realized teaching wasn’t her long-term career goal.
She started a small Etsy shop selling upcycled items and her product assortment evolved from general sewn items to specialized coiled rope baskets after learning the technique from her mother. This experience led her to focus to sourcing high-quality materials for her unique baskets.
We discuss Katherine’s process for sourcing the perfect rope for coiled rope baskets.
Katherine discussed her journey of sourcing custom rope for sewing, which is now a key component of her Mountain Thread Company. She explained how she identified the specific type of rope she wanted after experimenting with various options, including visiting multiple hardware and craft stores across a 40-mile radius.
She found a manufacturer in North Carolina willing to produce a small initial run of 10,000 feet. She detailed how her partnership with the manufacturer has grown over 10 years, from using small amounts of rope to now consuming 10,000 feet in a single day.
Katherine with her book, Zigzag Rope Sewing Projects
Wholesale has now become a valuable year-round business strategy for The Mountain Thread Company. We also discuss her decision to begin selling fabric and to write a book with Fox Chapel Publishing.
And, of course, I ask Katherine to recommend great stuff she’s loving right now. Katherine recommends:
- Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway
- springtime flowers
- starting seedlings for the garden
Keep up with The Mountain Thread Company on the website and on Instagram.
