Tutorial - quilted basket

I am in love with quilts and little baskets. So in the last months I made a few quilted baskets !

Here it is a tutorial for you, I hope the instructions and pictures are clear and my English is not too bad !
Happy sewing !

15.5 " x 6.5" x 5" deep

Add in the basket a doll and a mini quilt and a little girl will love you !

Let's start sewing !

1. Sewing the panels for the outer basket:

From white fabric, cut 20 strips ( 1.5" x 6 " );
From colored fabric, cut 24 strips ( 2" x 6" ).

Following the next pictures:
- start sewing with colored strips and use half of strips;

- sew with 1/4 inch seam allowances !

You have to sew 2 pieces like this:

From each piece cut a rectangle 5" x 17 " (see the next pictures).



For other projects, if you want more complex designs, you can join more sets.
Arrange sets with the tips oriented in the same direction :

or in different direction.
Sew to each pieced piece:
- 1 strip 1.5" x 17";
- 1 rectangle 5.5" x 17".

Underneath each piece add batting and backing and quilt as desire.
If you want a sturdy basket, use a heavier fabric as backing or double a light-weight fabric with interfacing.

My quilting:

After you completed the quilting, square up the pieces (make sure they are the same size). These will form the outer basket.

Cut 2 pieces of lining, the same size as the 2 parts of the outer basket.

2. Sewing the outer basket

In the next steps we will work with thick fabric, so it is helpful to use a suitable needle ( I used a Jeans/Denim needle ).
Also stitch using 1/2 inch seam allowances.

Place the 2 pieces right sides together and sew 1/2 inch from the bottom edge.

After I quilted, I don’t like to press the seams so I stitched the seam allowances in place to keep the seam open.

Sew the right and left edges.


3. Boxing the corners
For each corner, align the bottom seam with the side seam:
Match a line of a ruler over the seam and draw a line 2.5" from point; pin fabric into place.

Stitch the corner following the line that you marked and trim the excess.

Repet the operation for the other corner.
You will have corners like this:

Additional stitches to form the bottom:

It looks very nice !

4. Sewing the lining

Sew the 2 pieces of lining following the same steps, but leave an opening on the bottom seam(about 6"-7").

5. The handles

Cut 2 strips 4" x 13".
Fold and iron ( with steam ) the strips in this way:

Sew the edges and make sure the handles have the same length.

Sew the handles to the outer basket:

Turn the lining wrong side out; place the outer basket inside the lining and pin around the top.

Stitch 0.75" from the edge.

Turn the lining right side out.

Topstitch around the green strip.

Sew the opening in the lining, either by hand or by machine.

Check out to see if the lining has the proper size; if it is larger than the outer basket, sew additional stitches on the bottom (like we did on the outer basket).

The quilted basket is ready to go and make happy a little girl !

• If you need help, please ask me !
  
• If you think this tutorial could be helpful to your friends, please tell them, too, or add a link on your blog !
  
• If you will make a basket like this, please let me know ! I would love to see it !
  

For Romanian quilters:

Am considerat ca pozele sunt mai graitoare decat cuvintele, de aceea nu am scris si in romaneste (in plus, e greu de urmarit un tutorial scris in 2 limbi).
Daca totusi cineva are nevoie de lamuriri, va rog intrebati-ma !