To continue the theme of Christmas gifts I invite you to stitch a quilted basket. Simple and rather quick to make these baskets are very versatile. They are great for storing or gifting, with endless possibilities for embellishment. This free tutorial has been exclusively designed for "A Season of Kindness" with Sip Tea and EPP on Instagram hosted by Larisa @stitchingnotes and me, @nordiccrafter.
Finished size: 6 1/2" wide at the bottom x 3" deep x 5 1/4" tall
You will need (all measurements are Width x Height):
Basket body:
(1) Exterior fabric 10 1/2" x 14 1/2"
(1) Lining fabric 10" x 14"
(1) Single sided fusible foam stabilizer 10" x 14"
(1) straight cut binding 20 3/8" x 2 1/4" (please, check step 12)
(1) 1" hexagon paper template
(1) fabric scrap large enough to cut 1" hexagon with 1/4"-3/8" SA
(2) 1 3/4" long pieces of ribbon for tags (optional)
Handle (optional):
(1) Exterior fabric 2 1/4" x 12 1/4"
(1) Lining fabric 2 1/4" x 12 1/4"
(1) Single sided fusible foam stabilizer 1 3/4" x 11 3/4"
(2) buttons
General sewing supplies, clips, pins, Perle cotton or 2 strands of embroidery floss, water erasable fabric marker.
RS - right side of fabric, WS - wrong side of fabric, SA - seam allowance
Download the handle and hexagon templates HERE.
1. Following manufacturer's instructions, fuse foam to the WS of the exterior fabric so you have 1/4" SA around the foam.
2. Mark vertical and horizontal centre lines on the RS of Exterior using water soluble marker. Mark 1" grid at 45 degrees. You can find more info on marking in this blog post.
3. Quilt the grid using regular (2.5) stitch length.
4. Once you finished quilting, decrease stitch length to 2.0 and stitch (from the foam side) at 1/8" from the foam edge on both top and bottom sides to secure stitching. Cut excess of exterior fabric at the top and bottom.
5. Thread baste (1) 1" hexagon and press it with hot iron. Remove the paper template.
6. Place the hexagon on the vertical centre line at 1 3/4" from the top and pin in place. Add small ribbon tag if desired. Applique the hexagon.
7. Using 2 strands of embroidery floss or Perle cotton add hand quilting detail around the hexagon.
8. Fold Exterior in half along the 14" sides and stitch the 7" short sides together with 1/4" SA using foam edge as a guide.
9. Box the corners. Fold your piece in a way shown on the photo below and mark a line at 1 1/2" inch from the bottom of the corner. Important: SA should face the same way on all sides and both Exterior and lining. It will help to nest the side seams. Trim SA on the corners to slightly bigger than 1/8". Turn the Exterior RS out, push the corners.
10. To make lining, fold lining piece in half along the long sides (14"), RS together. Stitch the short sides together with 1/4" SA. Box the corners the same way as in step. 9.
11. Insert lining (WS out) in the Exterior piece (RS out) (WS of both pieces are facing), align the side seams and evenly distribute the lining. Pin around the top. Baste exterior and lining together with longer stitch around the top. Trim excess of lining at the top if needed.
12. Check the length of the binding by measuring the top, add 1/2" to that measurement.
13. Iron binding in half lengthwise and stitch the short ends together with 1/4" SA.
Align the raw edges of binding and basket pin/clip. Add ribbon tag, if desired. Attach the binding with 3/8" SA.
14. Fold the binding towards the lining and clip. Turn the basket lining side out and hand stitch binging to the lining, making sure you are stitching only through the lining and top layer of the foam and your stitching is not visible from the exterior side.
15. If desired, add hand stitching detail around the top at 1/8" from the binding.
16. Handle (optional). Cut the foam piece using Handle template without SA. Fuse the foam to the WS of the linen piece following manufacturer's instructions. Place the Lining and Linen pieces RS together and pin.
17. Stitch around the handle leaving approximately 2 1/4" opening on the long side in the middle. Trim the corners. Turn the handle RS out through the opening, push the corners out with a pointy tool. Git it a good press with hot iron.
18. Top stitch around the handle, first, at 1/8" from the edge, then at 3/8" from the edge. If desired, add hand quilting detail using Perle cotton or two strands of embroidery floss.
19. Place the handle on the basket body as shown in photo below, pin in place. Mark the place for the button to attach it under the binding.
Add button, so you stitch through the basket body below the binding.
Attach the handle to the other side of the basket. Your basket is ready to be gifted!
I made 2 baskets to show you different options. I can´t choose which version I like the most.
I think the basket with handle is great as a gift basket, while the other basket is perfect for storage. But both were so much fun to make!
Please respect the time and effort Larisa and I put in the creating our projects for Sip Tea and EPP. This pattern is FOR PERSONAL USE AND GIFTS ONLY! If you make a Quilted Fabric Basket, please share it on IG under the hashtags #sipteaandepp #nordiccrafterpatterns and tag me @nordiccrafter so I can see and admire your beautiful work!
This is my last blog post for 2022.
Wishing your all a Wonderful Holiday Season and Happy Stitching! 💖
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