Fabric Basket Tutorial: Make Storage Baskets Quickly
This basket features the following Michael Miller fabrics:
CX-3716 Brite Kitty Capers for the body
CX-3717 Kitty Crowd for the lining, and
CX-3755 Lime Huevos for the cuff.
You will also need quilted cotton which will be used for interfacing (available in any fabric store).
1) Gather Materials
For this project you will need:
3 circles that are 11” in diameter (one from the outer fabric, one from the lining and one from the quilted interfacing). Pattern HERE.
3 strips 7”h x 36”w for the sides of the basket (one from the outer fabric, one from the lining and one from the quilted interfacing)
1 strip 4.5”h x 36”w for the cuff
2 pieces of 1” wide cotton twill tape, 9” each for the handles
2) Create the Outer Basket
Join the outer basket pieces to the quilted interfacing pieces by sewing around the edges
using a ¼” seam allowance and long stitches. Do this for the circle piece and the side piece.
With right sides facing, pin the side piece to the bottom piece. If using patterned fabric, make sure the fabric is oriented the right direction.
There will be excess fabric on the side piece. Use a straight edge and rotary cutter to trim off
the extra fabric.
Ideally, I would have provided precise dimensions, but this custom fitting is necessary, since some shifting typically occurs when basting fabric to thick interfacing.
Pin the fabric in place, shorten the stitch length on your machine, and then sew the side piece closed as pictured using a ½” seam allowance.
Sew around the perimeter of the basket using a ½” seam allowance. Finger press the seam to one side and stitch across the bottom seam to seal it.
Turn the basket right side out. It should be able to stand up on its own.
3) Create the Lining:
The lining of the basket is made in the same way as the outside, except that it does not use any interfacing. Also, because it is not as bulky, the seam may be ironed open (instead of being pressed to the side, as above).
Place the lining inside the basket, lining up the seams.
4) Attach the Handles:
Pin the handles in place as pictured. Fold the basket in half as necessary to ensure that the handles are directly across from each other.
Handles are spaced 2” apart from one inner edge to the other.
Machine baste the handles in place and remove pins.
5) Create the Cuff:
Fold the cuff piece in half lengthwise and iron. Measure around the perimeter of the basket
and add ½” for the seam allowance. Trim the cuff to size.
Unfold the fabric and with right sides facing, sew both ends of the cuff together (using a ¼” seam allowance) to create a circle. Iron the seams open.
Iron the cuff piece in half lengthwise again.
Pin the cuff to the inside of the basket as shown. Raw edges should be facing up. When pinning, make sure that all layers are even with each other around the top.
Sew all the way around the perimeter of the basket using a 1/2” seam allowance.
At this point, you may wish to serge around the perimeter. Otherwise, use pinking shears to trim raw edges. The raw edges will be hidden when you flip the cuff down.
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