Padded Basket 

SUPPLIES:
           1/2 bushel basket
           1 1/2 yards print fabric
           1 1/2 yards solid or contrast or coordinated print
           fabric for bias strip to cover top edge of basket
           tacky glue or hot glue
           T-pins or clothespins for use with tacky glue
           1 - 14" circle of heavy cardboard or lightweight wood
           1 - 10" circle of heavy cardboard
           batting for both sides of 14" circle
           batting for one side of 10" circle
           batting for quilted inside circle of bottom
           batting for covering rim of basket
           4 yards of 1/4" elastic
           1 package of round cord elastic or heavy cotton string
           knob with screw for lid handle

CUTTING PATERN located at the bottom of this page.

LID: Cut 14" circle and 10" circle from heavy cardboard or lightweight wood. Make a small hole in the center of each circle to allow for the knob to be inserted later.

10" CIRCLE: If you wish to have a quilt block as a design on the lid, make a 9" block of your favorite design, add enough background fabric to make a 1" border plus about 2" to be gathered underneath OR if you do not want to use a quilt design, do the following: Mark and cut a 12" or 13" circle of fabric. Cut a 12" circle of batting and lay it over the cardboard circle. Sew elastic cord or heavy cotton gathering string around the lid fabric 3/8" from the edge. It can be done by sewing a zig-zag stitch over the cord or string. Center the fabric circle over the cardboard circle with the batting sandwiched in between. Draw up the gathering cord and tie in a knot. Cut off the excess cord.

14" LID: Mark the center of the 14" circle and make a small hole for the knob screw to go through later. Glue the batting circles to each side of the board. Cut fabric into a 19" circle. Zig-zag stitch over the cord about 1/4 " from the edge on the right side of the fabric. Place the fabric circle over the board circle, lining it up evenly, then draw up the cord. Spread the gathers out evenly around the lid. The bottom of the lid will be flat and smooth ant the top of the lid will be gathered.

Make a small cut or hole in the centers of fabric on both 14" and 10" circles. Place the 10" lid over the 14" lid, insert the know screw and screw on the knob. The know will hold the parts together firmly.

TOP EDGE OF BASKET:

Glue a strip of batting on the top edge only. This is to soften the roughness of this edge. Measure the distance from the outside bottom of the wooden band to the inside bottom of the wooden band. Add an extra 1" to this measurement and cut a bias strip using the total band measurement as the width and long enough to go around the basket plus a few extra inches for the length of the strip. Place glue on the inside edge of the basket, just below the band, and glue the bias strip down with 1/2" of fabric below the band. When this is dry, gently fold over the rest of the bias strip over to the outside of the basket and glue the other edge below the band and press the fabric into the glue. If using hot glue, do it a few inches at a time until you have worked your way around the basket. Fold under the raw edge of the bias strip to make a neat final seam.

OUTSIDE OF BASKET:

Cut 2 15" x 45" pieces of fabric. Sew the short edges together to form a tube or circle. Fold under one long edge 2 1/2" and stitch at the bottom edge. Stitch again 1/2" from the first stitching to form a casing. Make another 1/2 inch casing at the other edge of the tube. Run 1/4" elastic through both casings. Draw up the top elastic a little smaller than the outside measurement of the basket. Tie off and cut off the excess elastic. Adjust gathers evenly. Place a bead of glue just under the top wood band and secure the casing area over the glue. If using tacky glue, either clothespin or T-pin the fabric in place until dry. If using hot glue, glue a small area down and hold until cool and then glue the next small area, repeating the process until the fabric is secured to the rim. When the top edge is secured, draw up the elastic in the bottom edge tightly, adjust the gathers, knot the elastic and cut off the excess.

INSIDE OF BASKET:

Cut 2 13"x45" pieces of fabric. Sew the short ends together to form a tube or circle. Sew a 1/2" casing at the top edge and run elastic through it. Repeat for the bottom edge of the piece. Draw up the top edge to fit the inside of the basket, just below the top band. Glue it into place. When the glue is fixed, draw up the bottom elastic and tie off, cutting off the excess cord or elastic.

INSIDE REMOVABLE BOTTOM:

Cut 2 circles of fabric and one circle of batting approximately 11 1/2" in diameter. Place the circles right sides facing each other over the batting. Sew 1/4" seam around the outside edge, leaving a 2" opening for turning inside out. Before turning, slip the seam at 1" intervals around the piece. Turn inside out and whip-stitch the opening closed. Topstitch 1/2 inch or so from the outside edge. To machine quilt the piece, sew straight lines across the piece, dividing it into eighths, like wedges of a pie.

VARIATIONS: Lace may be added to the outside of the basket by sewing a flat lace to the edge to be ruffled before running elastic through the casing. Lace or a ruffle may be added to the top of the basket by inserting it under the 10" circle so that the raw or gathered edge is hidden under the 10" circle. It can be glue or stitched down.
 

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