Trick or Treat Fabric Baskets

Download Printer Friendly Directions

 Course Instructor: Debbie Hicks

Too Cute Embroidery

Want some instant gratification? Stitch up one of our fabric baskets to delight

your little trick-or-treaters!

They’re easy and fun to make. They also make great containers to hold gifts for lots of occasions, holidays, baby showers, weddings, birthdays, and lots more.  They’re fun to stuff with gifts and to use after they’re empty.

Course Materials

        and the other for basket lining and handle pieces

-       matching thread

-       walking foot

-       size 14 or 16 needle

-       ½ yard Pellon fusible fleece interfacing or Warm & Natural cotton batting

-       ½ yard Pellon mid-weight fusible interfacing (I used  Pellon Décor Bond)

If you would like to make one long handle (like an Easter basket), you will use one 2”x16” piece of fabric and one piece of polyester boning (sold in stores usually placed with notions, velcro, etc) and one ½” to 3/4” x 16” long piece to slip inside. Boning gives shape and will make your handle piece curve up and hold its shape well.

One 18” x 16” piece of outer basket fabric

One 18” x 16” piece of basket lining fabric

Two 4”x8” inner basket pieces for basket handles  or one 2”x16” piece for single handle

One 18”x16”” piece of Pellon fusible fleece or Warm & Natural cotton batting  for outer basket

One 18” x 16” piece of Pellon Craft Fuse 808, Décor  Bond or similar mid-weight fusible interfacing for inside basket piece

Two 2”x8”: pieces of Pellon Craft Fuse  or Warm & Natural cotton batting for handles

Fuse interfacing pieces to the wrong sides of both basket pieces  and wrong sides of handle pieces….OR….if you are using Warm & Natural cotton batting you can baste the batting to the backs of your fabric pieces stitching around all four sides.  If you would like to reduce some bulk you can trim your interfacing pieces slightly smaller than your fabric pieces.

Stitching

Handles: Stitch handles together RST along both long edges 1/4" in from the edges. Turn right side out and press.  Top stitch 1/4" in from both edges. Set handles aside for now.

(Directions for a long basket style handle at the end of this tutorial)

Basket: Fold exterior and interior  basket pieces in half so that they are now 9” tall x 16” wide with right sides together. 

Stitch down both sides with 1/2” seam securing when starting and stopping stitching.

Repeat with the inside basket piece stitching both side seams just a hair over 1/2”.  Trim seam allowances.

Stand basket piece up smoothing out the bottom outer edges so that your bag edges form a nice point.  Measure 3” in from the outer point and mark. Draw a line along this edge and pin in place.  Press seam above your marked line (top area of basket) to help it lay open and flat. Stitch across your drawn line making sure to backstitch when starting and stopping.  Trim excess so you have just a ¼” seam.  Repeat for the other side. 

Repeat this for the inside basket piece. Measure in just a hair over 3” from the outer point in on this piece and finish just as you did the outer basket piece. Trim excess seam allowances on both pieces.

Assembling

Turn basket pieces right sides out and press well.  I slid the basket pieces on to the end of my ironing board and this helped in pressing. You can also insert a rolled up towel inside the pieces to make pressing easier. 

Turn basket lining piece wrong side out again  and press top edges over 1” along the top edge and press to create a clean edge.  Press on all sides and pin as necessary.  Repeat for outer basket leaving fabric right side out.

To help create a nice basket shape, crease along all four bottom edges and run your hand along crease to give the basket a more defined bottom edge. Do the same with all four corners, creasing from the bottom of the basket to the top edge to help define shape. If desired, you can add a piece of plastic needlepoint canvas, cardboard, heavy interfacing or any other stiff material into the bottom of your basket.

Place inner basket inside to outer basket piece and manipulate to press corners out so that they match. Press lining down inside and poke out corners. You want to make sure your basket pieces are both the same size here and fit nicely together or make any adjustments needed now so play with it until you're happy that they fit well together.  You can do some additional pressing too if needed to help smooth fabrics.  I decided to add ric rac to my basket so once I went around and pinned the pieces together well, I went around a second time to insert the ric rac in place tucking the raw edges down into the basket seam.

Start pinning on one side seam matching seams on both pieces and pin. Go around basket pinning the other edges of the basket matching the other side seams and smoothing out as necessary. Your larger needle and walking foot will help your machine handle the thick layers. Pin around entire top of basket.

Mark placement for handles by measuring out 2.5” from each side seam.  Tuck  raw ends of handles down into the basket pieces along markings.  We’ll stitch the handles in place while we finish the top edge of the basket.  If it’s easier, you can hold  on to your handle pieces and stop when you get to your marks and slip them down into place then and stitch.

Increase your stitch size to between 3 and 3.5 to accommodate the thickness.  Stitch around the top of the basket 1/8” from the top edge holding the fabric taut as you stitch.  Stop and adjust frequently, gently guiding and pulling slightly as needed to smooth fabrics as you stitch. When you get to the handles/side seam, you want to stitch slowly and carefully, helping turn your handwheel by hand over the thick seams here if your machine doesn’t do well with them. 

Press your basket well and admire your handiwork.  Great job!

Embellish your basket with ric rac, ribbons, bows, fabric flowers or decorative buttons to make it unique and fabulous. Riley Blake has a fabulous section of decorative accents.

To create a traditional basket handle (for Trick or Treating or Easter), instead of the handles above, cut one long piece of fabric to use for the handles – 2” x 16”.

Fold handle piece in half right sides together along long edge. Stitch along the long edge with 1/4” seam seam leaving ends open.

Turn handle right side out and press.  Slip a 16” piece of boning inside the basket handle, and if this size looks good to you, stitch the ends closed. If not, make any adjustments desired. You can stitch along the long edge again to make the fit more snug if you like. Topstitch along both long edges 1/8" in from the edge.

Slip raw ends of handle down into basket pieces along the side seams. Pin in place and hold in place carefully as you stitch over the side seams using your hand to turn handwheel if needed.   If it’s awkward to keep the handle pinned in place as you stitch around the top or your basket, you can stop when you reach the side seams, slip it inside, and continue stitching to secure it then.   

I hope you've enjoyed this project. While I create machine embroidery designs, I also enjoy quilting, sewing gifts and other crafty projects for friends and family. I'm an overall crafty chick. If it's cute & fun, I can't resist! I love making new creative friends and look forward to creating more fun projects to share with you. I would love to see photos of your finished baskets and the uses you find for them. Please drop in and visit me via my blog  or my website.  I am so in love with Riley Blake Designs' fabrics, I hope to play with lots of them!

Comments

1. lovely basket

   by fatima
   November 11th, 2012 at 6:46 p.m.

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