Making fabric baskets

Being in lockdown has been an interesting experience. In some ways a chance to recalibrate and reorganise. I have spent the last few weeks reorganising my sewing space and really looking at what I have been collecting over quite a long period of time. Of course I am a fabric hoarder - but it’s no good stashing fabric if you cannot see it and don’t always remember what is there. I decided I needed a better way of sorting my fabrics and protecting them too. Making storage baskets is a great idea….a great way to use your stash and really not at all complicated.

These little baskets are great for storing fabric in keep them nice and clean from dust. The pattern is from Dana Willard at Madeeveryday.com and is called the Hold it all bin. The pattern comes in different sizes so you can make lots of them to suit your needs. There is a link at the bottom of the post for more info. It was easy to download and work with and her video is comprehensive. The only change I made was to add my faux leather tabs on with shiny gold rivets, rather than fixing them in the side seams. Honestly I had these whipped up in a snip and I think they are super smart.

This second basket is rather more time consuming but oh how I love it…..and it tells a story.

My little sheep is having a busy day in the Yorkshire hills and it makes me smile whichever side I am looking at. Here’s how to make it:

Decide on the size you want and cut out a base and four sides in both the outer and lining fabric. It really doesn’t matter too much what the proportions are as long as they suit your purpose. For the outer box I used Essex linen and a light weight iron on interfacing on all the pieces and turned over the top edge of the side pieces a quarter of an inch and top stitched neatly. I did exactly the same for the lining pieces using a home dec weight gingham. Layer both bases with some wadding and calico or scrap fabric and machine quilt. Appliqué all four sides with your design I used felt because it doesn’t fray and just perle cotton thread and some teeny tiny buttons to tell my story of a day in the life of my Yorkshire sheep in his Wellington Boots, off to town for some adventure. I used a small zig zag stitch around the edge of the side pieces to stop the linen fraying.

Stitch the sides up together to form a box and add some strong cardboard pieces to strengthen the sides and base. You could even put a piece of hardboard in the bottom for added stability if you wanted. Then fit your lining box into the outer box and use wonder clips to hold it all in place.

Hand stitch with a whip stitch all the way around the box with a strong thread to hold it all in place.

Hand stitch with a whip stitch all the way around the box with a strong thread to hold it all in place and hey…you have a great book box or magazine box or fabric box or whatever kind of box you want. It’s great fun to make boxes like this, especially if they tell a story. I have one all about Sweden too….with pompoms on.

Customising your box makes it personal and colourful and totally unique. Making fabric baskets is a great way to use up scraps, tidy your house and they would make the perfect gift.

I’m working on a new Literary Thread and some dressmaking, so I’ll be back soon. Meanwhile, you can find more information on the Hold it all bin here

Toodle…ooo Ruby x