If you’re in the mood to do a bit of sewing before Easter, then you may like this Easter Basket Sewing Tutorial! The smaller size of this basket sewing pattern allows it to double as a purse for a little one on Easter morning!
My next tutorial for BERNINA’s WeAllSew.com blog is up on their website today! It’s a free sewing pattern for a fabric Easter basket.
Free Fabric Easter Basket Sewing Pattern
The baskets are about 7″ tall and 5 ½″ across on the bottom.
These baskets are not quite “mini” Easter baskets but are smaller than a normal baskets. Which I think makes them perfect if you’re traveling on Easter to visit friends or family.
They are also a good size to use as an “egg gathering” basket, so you don’t have to dump all your stuff out of the one that the Easter bunny brought you.
The baskets are lined with canvas, which makes them sturdy but not stiff. They also feature a fold-down edge so you can show off a bit more of the fabric.
Easter Basket Fabric
Speaking of fabric, the baskets in the photo are sewn from my Wonderland Two line. Many of you have emailed me asking where to buy the fabric, it is from several years ago and is not likely in stock. The best place to check for the exact fabric is Etsy.
Any 100% quilting-weight cotton fabric will work for these baskets.
I appreciate all of the interest in the fabric collection, it’s truly one of my favorites, but you should be able to easily find other bunny fabric for sale. Fabric companies always have a great selection of Easter and Spring fabrics each season!
To get the free sewing pattern for the Easter baskets:
Visit WeAllSew.com, or read the instructions below.
Instructions
Mini Fabric Easter Baskets
Equipment
- Thread
supplies
- 1 Fat Quarter Fabric for Basket Outside
- 1 Fat Quarter Fabric for Basket Lining/Bottom
- 1 Fat Quarter Fabric for Basket Bottom Outside If you desire a different fabric on the bottom of the basket than the outside of the basket.
- 1 Fat Quater Fabric for Basket Handle
- ½ Yard Canvas
- ½ Yard Shape Flex Interfacing
- ½ Yard Fusible Flex Foam Interfacing
- ½ Yard 1″ Wide Webbing note: buy cotton if you can find it, if you buy nylon webbing, make sure that you do NOT ever press it directly with your iron
Instructions
Step One: Create Pattern Pieces
- Before you begin, you need to draft some very basic pattern pieces. One pattern piece is for the basket, and the other is for the basket bottom. To draft the Basket Pattern piece, draw a rectangle that is 12″ wide by 8″ tall. On the bottom of the rectangle measure in 1″ from each corner.
- Draw a line from the upper corner of the rectangle to the 1″ mark on the bottom. Repeat for the other side. Cut the piece along these lines.
- Fold it in half and make sure the piece is perfectly symmetrical.
- You should now have a trapezoid shape that is 12″ wide on the top by 10″ wide on the bottom.
- To create the basket bottom piece cut a circle that has a 6 ½″ diameter. To do this I recommend using a compass drawing tool or finding a plate or other item that has a 6 ½″ diameter to trace.
Step 2: Cutting
- After you have created your pattern pieces you need to cut the following pieces.
- From basket pattern piece:2 pieces from Basket Outside fabric2 pieces from Basket Lining fabric2 pieces from Shape Flex Interfacing2 pieces from Canvas
- From the Circle Piece Cut:1 piece for Basket Bottom Outside1 piece for Basket Bottom Lining1 piece from Fusible Flex Foam
- From the 1″ wide webbing Cut:1 piece 16″ long
- From Basket Handle Fabric Cut:1 piece 3″ x 16″
Step 3: Construction
- Note: All seam allowances are ½″ unless otherwise specified.
- Press the Shape Flex interfacing to the wrong side of the basket outside pieces according to the directions on the package.
- Layer the two interfaced basket outside pieces together, right sides facing. Place one piece of canvas on the wrong side of each of the basket lining pieces. You will have a “sandwich” with the canvas on the outside and the basket outside pieces on the inside.
- Stitch together along the sides. Press seams open.
- Top stitch along both sides of the seam on the outside of the basket piece.
- I find it is helpful to remove the arm from my sewing machine while completing this step.
- Apply the flex foam interfacing to the wrong side of the basket bottom piece.
- Pin the basket bottom piece to the sewn basket outside piece, right sides facing. You will need a lot of pins. If for some reason your basket outside piece doesn’t fit properly, unpick the side seam and adjust it until it does fit.
- Stitch the basket bottom piece to the basket piece.
- Repeat the steps for the basket lining pieces. Note: you do not apply any interfacing or canvas to the bag lining pieces. Stitch the basket lining piece with a ⅝″ seam allowance to ensure a snug fit when you stitch it to the basket outside piece.
- With the basket lining right side out and the basket outside wrong side out, slip the basket lining piece into the basket outside piece. Pin well.
- Stitch the basket lining piece to the basket piece along the top raw edge. Leave a 4″ opening in one side of the basket so that you can turn it right side out.
- When you are stitching the pieces together, I find it helpful to remove the arm from my machine, and to place the lining fabric towards the feed dogs of my machine. This will help you reduce puckers as you sew.
- Turn the basket piece right side out and press. Turn the raw edge of the basket under and top stitch along the top edge of the basket making sure to catch the opening of the basket as you sew.
- Press well.
- Fold the basket top over 1″ to the outside of the basket and press in place.
Step 4: Handle
- Stitch your handle fabric to your 1″ wide webbing with a ¼″ seam allowance. You will be stitching the webbing to one side of the fabric on the right side of the fabric.
- Flip the fabric up and press. Turn under the raw edge of the fabric ¼″ and press.
- Bring the folded edge of the fabric even with the edge of the strap.
- Secure in place with binding clips.
- Top stitch along both sides of the strap.
- Cut the ends of the strap so that you have a clean edge and apply fray check to each raw edge. Allow the fray check to dry.
- Pin the handle to the inside of the basket so that the bottom of the strap is 1″ below the fold in the basket. The handle will be pinned over the top of the side seam of the basket.
- Stitch in place along bottom edge of the strap. Then again right below fold in the fabric. the Make sure you back stitch at the beginning and end of each seam.
- Repeat to attach the strap to the other side seam of the basket.
- To finish your basket, give it a good pressing. Use a bit of steam if you need to remove any wrinkles that developed during the construction process.
- That’s it! Clip your strings and you’re done!
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Ivory says
These baskets are adorable.