Fabric Basket Tutorial

Hi there! I'm Trina from Will Cook for Shoes and this is my first blog post for Fort Worth Fabric Studio. And I'm so excited to be here sharing this project for a fun fabric organizer basket with you!

The finished size is, 6 1/5" wide by 8" high by 10" long. (inches). 

"Everything in its place and a place for everything!"

I can't remember who told me this but this is my organizing mantra.

I think that's why I love these fabric baskets so much. They are a fairly quick project, and you can customize and make as many as you need to organize pretty much anything!

Folklore - Camelot Cottons

I love this line of fabrics from the Folklore line by Heather Rosa for Camelot Cottons. It's good to choose some fun prints for this project that contrast so you can play around with exterior and interior fabrics.

To make one basket, you will need:

• Exterior fabric, 2 pieces - 12 x 16 inches each
• Exterior quilting batting, 2 pieces - 12 x 16 inches each
• Interior fabric, 2 pieces - 12 x 16 inches each
• Interior medium weight fusible interfacing, 2 pieces - 12 x 16 inches each
• 2 pieces coordinating fabric,  4 x 8 inches each (for handles)
• 2 pieces medium weight fusible interfacing, 4 x 8 inches each  (for handles)

To make the handles, secure interfacing to the wrong side of each 4 x 8 piece of fabric. Fold each piece in half, wrong sides together, so they are 2 x 8 inches. Press.

Open up and fold edge of each long side a 1/4 inch and press.

Fold back so this piece is once again 2 x 8 inches and finish by sewing down each long side, stitching 1/4 inch in from each side.

Repeat with the second piece. These will form the handles of your basket.

Next fuse the interior interfacing to the wrong side of the interior fabric. And lightly press the quilting batting to the wrong side of the exterior fabric.

If you wish to do any quilting to the exterior of your basket, now's the time to do it. I recommend at least doing a little bit of quilting - straight lines is a fun project. The quilting will give a little extra structure (and detail) to your finished basket.

I find it's helpful to attach your handles at this point. Position the ends equally apart from the centre of the top of the exterior fabric. Stitch to secure using a scant 1/4 inch seam. Do this for each of the exterior pieces.

Now it's time to assemble the basket. Place exterior pieces and interior pieces each right sides together. Stitch around three sides (sides and bottom) on each section using a 1/2 inch seam.

To make the flat bottom of the basket which allows it to stand on its own, mark 3 1/2 inches in from the side and bottom of both the exterior and interior pieces on both sides.

Open up the bottom corners so that the seams match and the lines on the front and the back line up. If you are unsure if the lines you drew on the front and back are lining up, use a straight pin and stick through the fabric on the line to make sure it comes out on the other side on the line. Once these are lined up, pin in place and sew straight down the line. Trim 1/4 inch from the new corner.

Do this for both the exterior and interior corners.

Now we need to match up our exterior and interior pieces! (Meaning: we are almost done!)

Turn in exterior piece right side out. Place the interior piece into the exterior piece so you are matching up the fabric right sides together. Pin together making sure to line up your side seams.

Sew around the top using a 1/2 inch seam, leaving a large three to four inch section open. 

Turn right side out. If your interfacing is stiff, it may take a little cajoling to get your pieces to turn out but take your time and just slowly work the fabric through the section you left open.

If needed, press the top edges so they meet evenly. Pin closed the section you left open. Top stitch all the way around the top using a scant 1/4 inch seam to finish off the basket and close the section you left open.

I love these baskets so much! They are super roomy and so cute! You can get really creative and do all kinds of different fabric arrangements on the exterior to customize, just make sure the finished exterior panel is 12 x 16. On the two colour version, I used a 6 1/2 x 16 darker piece and a 6 1/2 x 16 lighter piece. Once they were sewn together on the long side using a 1/2 inch seam, my finished piece was 12 x 16.

These baskets are so practical for organizing so many things. These two baskets are headed to my crafting room, but I'm already planning baskets to organize the remote controls in the living room, and a basket for the dogs' leashes at the front entrance. What will you organize with your fabric baskets?