Tutorial: Fabric Basket

As a sewer, I have so many small bits and bobs scattered around my studio, with no real home. This is when I came up with the idea of making a 'basket' for them to snuggle up in. I wanted it to be stable enough to hold my threads and haberdashery, but still have that pliable fabric quality to it. This is what I came up with...

Before you start-

Fabric-for a project like this, I would say a medium weight cotton is best. Nothing too light as you don't want your basket to be too flimsy! You will need an outer fabric and a fabric for the lining. My fabric pieces measured approximately 23.5cm x 50.5cm- this makes a 14cm x 18cm x 10.5cm basket.

Embroider your design onto the outer fabric. I picked retro teapot print, medium weight cotton fabric, that was given to me for my birthday. Deciding on a haberdashery theme, I added minimal linear embroidery to the fabric, using a simple white thread to compliment the colour scheme and not compete with the print.

Now for the basket!

1. Iron interfacing on wrong sides of both of your fabric pieces

2. Fold outer fabric in half widthways, with right sides together and stitch along the short edge and one of the long edges with a 1cm seam allowance (ensuring that the embroidery on your fabric is facing upwards). Repeat with the lining.

3. Now pinch one of the bottom corners of your outer fabric, bringing the seams together, flatten fabric. Stitch across this approximately 5cm down the seam, so that you have 'sectioned off' a little triangle. Now repeat on the other corner, making sure they are even. Repeat with the lining too!

4. Turn the outer fabric the right way round and press. The base of your basket should be taking a box like shape.

5. Now take your card and cut it down to the size of the base of your basket. I recycled an old greetings card for this!

6. Fiddly bit alert! Attach the card into the bottom of your outer fabric to help keep it in shape. Do this by stitching it in with the machine-I did one straight stitch through the middle (so the stitch was only visible on the outer seam on the base).

7. Once your card is in place and your outer fabric the right side out, place it inside the lining, so that right sides are together. Ensuring the side seams are lined up, pin around the top edge, attaching both layers. Now stitch around the top with a 1cm seam allowance, leaving approximately a 7cm gap for turning.

8. Carefully turn your basket the right way round, being cautious of the card at the base and press.

9. Now stitch the 7cm gap closed with a needle and thread, using a slip stitch.

10. You're done. Fill her up!

Tip: For a sturdier basket, add card to the walls of the basket for support! Also, experiment with folding the edge over (as I have done in the photo) if you want to alter the height of your basket.

If anything is unclear or you have any questions about this, please feel free to leave a comment below!

Thanks for reading,

Stay crafty!