Simple to Sew: Fabric Basket

Wow! Spring sure arrived quickly. We are still in the middle of fake Spring here- cold for a few days, then delightfully warm for a few days, and so forth. Do you do any Spring cleaning? Organizing your whole house and then you need places for all the random little things? With things starting to open back up, are you having visions of people coming over? I bet you're thinking about all the backyard parties as well. Or not. Either way, everyone could use some easy storage ideas for their home. 

Fabric baskets or bins are the perfect small storage remedy. Keep some hand sanitizer inside a cute basket for your visitors. Make one and fill it with snacks for a new neighbor. Use them in the craft room filled with thread spools or fabric scraps. Or, make some fun decor fabric baskets for your kitchen and keep fruit inside.

I'm starting a sewing project category called Simple to Sew. I want to give you more simple sewing projects and lessons. These fabric baskets are the first sewing project of many more to come. Next up, zippers!

Now that mask making has slowed, it's time to get some "fun-sewing" in. Not that masks weren't fun but, they were draining. Pick out some fun fabrics that match your personal style or a new style you secretly love. These simple to sew, fabric baskets are 100% customizable. Soon, every room will have a fabric bin. Once you make one, you'll want to make more. I promise! 

Let's get started.

​Supply List:

• Sewing Machine
• 1/4 yard (minimum) fabric for outer
• 1/4 yard fabric for lining
• Fusible or sew-in fleece interfacing
• Iron and ironing board
• Matching or contrasting thread
• Pins or clips
• Scissors
  
• All your other sewing notions you love

If you're looking for budget-friendly sewing options, read this post. It's long and has tons of information. If you're brand spankin' new to sewing, start there. It's a great in depth post even if you're a seasoned sewer. 

I chose quilting cottons for this fabric basket.

So many fabric choices to choose from.

 
​Fabric Choices:

You want a medium to heavy weight fabric to make fabric bins with. The fabrics listed below are great options but, experiment with what you have on hand too. Make these entirely your own. One fabric I don't recommend is stretch knit. 

• Canvas 
• Denim
• Quilting cotton
• Home decor fabric
• Upholstery fabric
• Linen
• Oilcloth and vinyl (I don't use interfacing for this fabric)

Choose a contrasting lining fabric for extra style.

​
​Sew a Fabric Basket:

1. Prewash and iron your fabric. *If you are using oilcloth or vinyl, skip this step.
2. Cut 2 rectangles of your outer and 2 of the lining fabrics. Each should measure 10" wide by 8" tall. Of course, you can change up this measurement. Make them longer or shorter, taller or wider. This just gives you a starting point.
3. Interfacings: Cut your interfacing and add to your fabric following the package instructions.

• This is where you can experiment. Use lightweight, heavyweight, or fleece interfacing. 
• When I make a smaller basket with denim or canvas, I tend to not add interfacing. 
• When sewing with quilting cotton, I use fleece or a medium-weight fusible. Find what works best for you.
• Foam interfacing is really nice to use. It costs more but, creates such a nice finish and look.

Trace your bin measurements onto your fabric.

The lining should be the same size as the outer fabric.

Cut out your rectangle shaped fabric pieces.

Cut out a 2" square on both bottom corners. These are going to give you basket the boxy 3D shape.

     4.  Cut squares into your fabric pieces. For the measurement above (10"x8") you'll measure a 2" square. Using a quilting ruler makes this part               easy. If you don't have one, just mark 2" from the bottom and sides. *I like to place all 4 layers together to cut the corners. When I go to pin               the sides and bottoms, I match the corners up. This ensures even corners.

If your basket is smaller, make a 1.5" square. If it's larger, mark a 2.5" or 3", and so forth.

I'm sure there's a science to it but, I don't really do math. LOL
​How am I a sewer, you ask? I don't know. ; -)

I cut squares into both layers at the same time. It seems to keep them more even later when I sew them together.

Use a quilting ruler to make sure they're exact.

Both layers should look like this.

Interfacing Hack: Piecing it Together

Add interfacing to the outer fabric. 

Here's a quick tip on interfacing if you don't have a big enough solid piece.
​
If you're short on interfacing, piece it together like a puzzle. I do this more often than I'd like to admit for my projects. So, shhh, don't tell anyone. You can't tell from the correct side. Thinner pieces should overlap slightly while thicker interfacings should butt up next to each other. 

Using a solid piece of fleece interfacing is nice but, not always feasible.

Place the interfacing pieces together like a puzzle, starting with the largest piece first. Cut smaller pieces to size and place them as close as you can to form a "solid" piece.

Use a press-cloth to quickly glue the small pieces to the fabric. Then flip over to press again. This keeps the tiny pieces from falling off when you turn over the main fabric.

Press again with your iron from the fabric right side up.

​After your fabric pieces are cut, interfaced, and corners cut out, you're ready to sew! 

Can't see the different between the solid interfaced piece and the puzzle pieced one.

Time to Sew

1. Place the two lining pieces RST and pin/clip together.
2. Place the two outer pieces RST and pin/clip together. 
3. Use a 1/4" seam allowance, and sew each side and bottom together, backstitching at the beginning and end. 

Place the lining and outer pieces RST. Sew down the sides and the bottom.

Pinch the lining corner together.

Match seams up.

Pin together, then sew.

     4.  Now, sandwich the corners together to form the boxy bottom. Pinch them in the opposite direction so, the seams you just sewed are on top  of each other. Pin together. It should lie flat if your cutting was exactly a square. Match up the side seams up because you will see them.
     5.  Sew across the small corner area with a 1/2" seam allowance. Backstitch at the beginning and end. Trim your seam allowances.

Do the same thing with the outer fabrics.

Pinch the outer corner together.

Sew together just like the lining was sewn.

Sew the outer corners.

Press the side seams from the right side of the bin. This seals the seams and gives it a nice finish.

    6.  Turn the lining right side out. Place the lining piece inside the outer piece. The right sides should be touching each other. Pin together at the    side seams first, then continue to pin around the whole top of the bin. Leave a 4" gap for turning out. You can do this at the back or along a side seam area. 

This part confuses sewers sometimes. Just be sure to match the right sides together.

Pin at side seams first.

Pin all the way around the top. Mark a 4 inch gap for turning out.

Use 2 hands to rotate the storage bin while sewing. You may have to stop every few stitches to reposition it.

    7.  Using a 1/2" seam allowance, sew around the whole top making sure to catch both layers. Backstitch at the beginning and end of the opening. 
      8.  Turn the fabric basket out. Reach inside and gently pull out the lining through the gap you left open. Then, reach inside and grab the outer fabric and pull it out, gently. This is little more difficult because of the thicker interfacing. Just be patient and keep pulling it out through the opening.
  

Reach inside and gently pull out the lining.

Grab your chopstick to poke out the corners, carefully.

Poke out the corners using a chopstick or blunt end of a pencil. I love using my chopstick for poking out corners. My dad brought it back for me, from China, when he visited 20 years ago. It's a near and dear to me, sewing notion. :-)

After pulling out the lining and outer pieces, its time to push the lining back in to form the bin.

Push the lining down into the fabric basket.

Press, then add pins where the opening is.

Topstitch around the top. Add a second row of stitching for added style and stability if you'd like.

Check your seams. Make sure everything is neat and tidy. No interfacing is sticking out or fabric that wasn't sewn in, accidentally. No puckers either. If anything is happening that you don't love, grab that seam ripper. 


    9.  Push your lining back down into the basket. Press the top edge with your iron to flatten out the seam bulk.
   10.  Last step! Pin the opening closed, and topstitch around the whole top. You can even do a second row of stitching using the edge of your pressure foot as a guide.

That's it. You're done! Go fill it up with whatever fun things you have that need a home.

It looks like a lot of steps but, it's not. Once you make a simple fabric basket, you'll want to make more. They're great for storing all the little things and big things. Just follow the interfacing guide up above and experiment with different fabrics and sizes. You can add handles or loops for hanging too. Make an extra-long loop on a bin to use for a trash bin inside your car. There are endless possibilities for these little baskets of fun. 

Share in the comment section what you plan to use them for. 

Thanks for hanging out and stay tuned for more Simple to Sew sewing projects. Zippers are up next!


Annette


Need something a little more time-consuming so sew? Check out this post on the Charms Pattern Rita Blouse. 

During all the Spring cleaning chaos, have you cleaned your sewing machine lately? Here's a quick 5 minute cleaning tutorial. 


Use #simpletosew on Instagram so we can all see each other's creations. 

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More Fabric Basket Options

Play with sizing. Make them tall. Make them short. If you're unsure if the sizing will work for your needs, use scrap paper to staple the pieces together. These are meant to be customized for your own use. Have fun with them!

Fold the top over for a fun contrast look.

Add a strip of webbing or make a strap to hang them.

Add a handle on each side for larger sized baskets. Carry them from room to room.

Make them taller to fit large items.