Easter Basket

Things you will need:

3/4 yard 45 or 54 inch wide cotton or cotton/polyester light weight fabric;

thread;

polyester fiberfill.

ribbon and 4 buttons

Tools and equipment:

Scissors; yardstick; pins; needle; thread; sewing maching.

Directions:1. Cut two 4-1/2 X 28 inch fabric pieces for basket sides, one 8 X 54 inch piece for ruffle; two 8 inch diameter circles for bottom of basket, and one 3-1/2 X 16 inch piece for handle.

2. Fold ruffle in half lengthwise, right sides together and stitch both short ends with 1/2 inch seams. Turn ruffle piece right sides out and gather ruffle to 27 inches.




3.Pin ruffle to right side of one basket side piece, leaving 1/2 inch of basket side piece for seam allowances at either end. Pin second basket side piece right side down over ruffle and stitch sandwiched sides and ruffle along raw edge.




4. Lay sides open flat, fold short ends right sides together, and stitch with 1/2 inch seam, making sure ruffle is pinned out of the way and leaving 2 inch opening for stuffing.




5. Turn one side inside the other to form basket. Pin basket bottoms (with their wrong sides together/facing each other) inside bottom of basket and sew with 1/4 inch seam.*Note: If you wish to eliminate raw edges from inside bottom of basket, convert this seam to a French seam. Trim seam allowance close to stitching. Turn basket inside out and seam again, covering raw edges with second seam.




6. Turn basket again. Stuff basket sides; then whip stitch shut.




7. To make handle: Fold handle piece lengthwise, right side in. Sew one end and side.Turn inside out and stuff. Sew opening shut. Attach handle to basket with wipe stitch ( I sewed buttons to hold handle on>> 1 inside and 1 out side. )




8.Hand stitch edges of ruffle together. **added option: Tie on satin ribbon bows to area where handles attach to basket. Buttons to hold handle on.**I also took a paper plate and cut it a little smaller then the circle pattern for the material and put in the bottom of the basket.

This is the ruffle folded in half after the ends have been sewn and the material turned to the right side. See pic 2

This is the ruffle gathered down to 27 inches. See pic 3

This is the ruffle being "sandwiched" in between the two basket sides. Make sure ruffle is about a 1/2 inch shorter then the basket side piece, this is so it doesn't get caught later when you sew up the side seam of the basket sides. Pin to hold all three together. Sew all 3 layers together. See pic 5

Sewing the "sandwich" together. ( 1 basket side on the bottom, ruffle in the middle, 2nd basket side on top>>remember to face the basket sides with right sides facing each other.) See pic 6

This is the "sandwich" opened up after it has been sewn. (Step 4. Lay sides open flat) See pic 7

Fold "sandwich" in half right sides together, so that short ends meet. Stitch with 1/2 seam making sure ruffle is pinned out of the way...**REMEMBER to leave a 2 inch opening for stuffing. See pic 8

Sewing up the short ends...REMEMBER to leave an opening for stuffing. See pic 9

Step 5
Turn one side inside the other to form basket. (the only thing you are do here is turning so the ruffle is hanging down and the 2 basket sides are together with wrong sides facing each other.***If you look close at this picture you will see what I mean when I say the ruffle is hanging down...and the 2 basket sides are together with wrong sides facing each other. This is the step just before sewing in the bottom circle. See pic 10

Sewing the 2 bottom circles to the basket sides, as in step 5.Pin basket bottoms/circles (with their wrong sides together) inside bottom of basket and sew with 1/4 inch seam. See pic 11
This is what it looks like when the bottom circles have been sewn in. This is the inside of the basket...push in....to form basket.





Step 6
Now you will need to stuff the basket through the unsewn area that you left in the seam earlier. Hand stitch closed. See pic 12

Step 7
Sew the handle and stuff. I attached the handle using buttons...one on the inside, one on the outside under the ruffle.

Step 8
Hand stitch the edges of ruffle together.

The End :)
Diane

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