Fabric Applique Easter Basket

Use colorful spring fabrics to create soft Easter baskets this season. You can add details such as piping or ruffles and add an Easter egg applique and monogram to the front.

Materials:

• 3/4 yard of two fabrics, one for the outer basket, one for the liner. (This will actually be enough fabric for two baskets, but you need the length.)
• 25" of contrasting piping or ruffled fabric
• scissors
• seam ripper
• sewing machine
• iron

Applique (optional):

• heat n bond lite
• scraps of black, white and other colored fabrics.

Instructions:

All seams will be sewn at 1/4".
Let's begin. Print your templates (pdf). Cut out your pattern pieces.

You should have, one bottom piece of each fabric, one 8" by 19.5" piece of each fabric, and a 3" by 17" piece of fabric for the handle.

Let's start sewing. First, sew together your basket side pieces. With right sides together, sew the liner sides together on the 8" long side. Repeat for the outer basket side. This will create two tubes of fabric.

If you are using piping, a straight basting stitch is just fine.

Make sure the seam of the side piece is centered on one of the long portions of the bottom. This will be the back of your basket.

Both the lining and the outer should be sewed to their respective bottom pieces. Now, you'll want to topstitch the outer basket bottom to give the bottom some more strength.

Now, set each basket piece aside for a moment, and prepare your handle.

Open up the handle fabric piece.

The handle is complete. Grab the outer basket piece. Fold the outer basket so that the oval bottom is straight.

The basting stitch should be at less than 1/4" so it doesn't show in the final product.

Be sure to mark a 3" opening for turning your basket right side out.

Be sure to fold in the opening (about 1/4") so that the sides match all the way around.

Fabric basket with ruffled edge.

Fabric basket with piping.

You can stop here, if you wish, or proceed with the applique.

You'll need 4 pieces. An egg shape on white, two stripes, and your monogram.

I found that one layer of white wasn't quite as opaque as I'd like. So, I cut one egg, adhere it to more white fabric. Then, I cut out my final egg shape.

Place your egg where you would like it. I put them off center a little like this.

Trim all your threads, and you're done!