Basket Variations

 Here are the pictures of other baskets that I promised.  If you are reading my blog for the first time, go back to the 2 previous postings for instructions on how to make this type of basket.

These two baskets are basically the same, one is 6 inches in diameter and the larger is 9 1/2 inches.  I made the larger one because the first one was almost impossible to flip.  I used transition coils for all of the snow and then one row of coiling in a blue before I started the patchwork part.  You can't tell from the photo, but I used silver metallic thread all across the sky.

 This is another basket with an applique inside.  It's 9 inches in diameter and 3 1/2 inches high.

This is a trivet and coaster set.

Another trivet, about 10 inches in diameter.

And finally, this is the largest basket I've made so far.  The base is 12" by 8" and its 7 1/2 inches tall.  It had to be done in two segments.  That is, I coiled about 4 inches up the side then added patches to that.  Then I continued the coils all the way to 7 1/2 inches before finishing the patches.

Fish Bread Basket

Finished size, 7” by 14” by 2.5”

Materials Required:     One hank (100 feet) of clothesline

                                    Various scraps of blue cotton cloth

                                    ¼ yard of dark blue fabric for coils

                                    Several small pieces of various orange fabrics for fish appliqué

                                    6” by 12” piece of Wonder Under® or other fusible web

                                    Thread

Making an oval base.  Start with a length of clothesline and fold it over, as shown below.  The length of this first piece will be the basis for the size of the finished basket.  For a 7” by 14” base, for example, start with a seven inch piece.  With all of the oval baskets that I have made, it seems to work out that the length of center piece of cord ends up being the width of the finished base.  It does not have to be so, you could keep sewing and make the base larger, but for me these proportions seemed correct. Keep the free clothesline in front and to the right side.

Be sure to wind your clothesline into a ball before continuing.  Tie it with a length of scrap fabric and you can let it out as you need it.  You'll have to move the ball in and out of the machine throat often, so this will prevent tangles.

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Continue coiling and sewing until the base is the desired size.  Keep the clothesline attached and wound in the ball and tied.       

  

 Step 2.  Change the thread at this point to something that coordinates with the fabric.  Add a piece of fabric to the center of the inside bottom of the basket.  In the bread basket example, it will be covered by the fish appliqué, so it can be quite large.  In other examples, the size will vary.  In some of the baskets, I started out with a quilt block left over from other projects.  This piece should not extend over the edge, but if it does, treat it as the fabric pieces in the next step.  Stitch this down at the edges, using the zigzag stitch, or other decorative stitch.  Don’t worry if the fabric puckers a little, you’ll have many puckers and pleats as you sew, but all the stitching flattens them out. 

Step 3.  Now turn your base over.  Sew patches of fabric around the edges, letting them extend over the edge.  Be sure to keep these patches loose and on top; don’t let them get caught and sewn to the other side.  They should extend over the edge at least one inch or more.

End one piece of fabric at the point that the loose clothesline is attached to the base and add another just under this point.

When the entire clothesline base is covered, turn over and fold the patches from the other side down and stitch.  There will be some pleats in this layer.  Once the edge is completely covered (add fabric pieces as necessary), began to add patches in the center, stitching as you go. You'll just need to cover any area that will not be covered by the applique.   Start at the outside edge and continue stitching in a spiral pattern, using a zigzag or decorative stitch, until the entire piece is covered with fabric and there are no loose edges.  This uses quite a bit of thread, but makes a very sturdy base for your basket. 

                                                                                                                       

Tips:  Be sure that the uncovered clothesline (in the ball) does not get caught under the base.  If it does, you’ll know it.  Just remove from the machine and pick out any stitches.   While sewing in a circular pattern, keep moving the ball in or out of the throat of the machine as you turn the base.  I find that moving in a counterclockwise direction is easier.  I’m right handed, so it may be that clockwise might be better for left-handed people.  The direction really doesn’t matter, as long as it is consistent.

Clip any loose threads immediately.  They easily get caught and are harder to remove once they have been stitched over. 

If the machine seems to be struggling, change to a larger size needle, or put in a new needle.  Also, check and make sure that there is not a big build up of lint under your bobbin case.  Let the machine do the work; don’t try to force the clothesline through. 

Be sure that the presser foot is in the down position.  Because the clothesline is so thick, it may feel like it is lowered and it isn’t.

If you find you don’t like a piece of fabric you’ve used, just cover it up with another piece and keep sewing.

Vary the size of the patches.  Using all of one size is monotonous.

Once the base is covered, its time to add the applique.  Use any image you wish, I did a fish and used strips sewn at an angle (as shown below) to make it more interesting.  I'm not giving you a pattern for this, so use your own imagination.  Use Wonder Under or some other fusible to adhere it to the basket base.

5.  Iron the appliqué onto the center of the bottom of the basket base.  Be sure to iron it on the inside, not the outside of the base.  The extra clothesline cord should be on the right side of the base when the loose end is extended toward you.

6.  Stitch the fish appliqué using a straight stitch and going over the outline several times. 

7.  Make the transition coils.  Cut the ¼ yard of fabric into 1” strips using a rotary cutter. (This can also be done with scissors; they don’t have to be a perfect 1”)

Begin by securing one end of a strip right next to the beginning of the clothesline, then wrapping and sewing with a zigzag stitch.   As you sew, begin to tip the bottom up at an angle, so that the bottom touches the left side of the sewing machine.  This will cause the sides to rise.  Make 3 or 4 rounds of coils with the strips and then continue to coil with just the clothesline until the sides reach 2.5 inches in height from the base.  

8.  Cut the cord and even the end of the clothesline by sewing over it a few times and trimming.

9.  Stitching on the inside of the basket, add patches to cover the clothesline, leaving some to overhang the edges, just as was done on the base.

10.  Now its time to “flip” the basket. Because it is easier to sew on the inside of the basket, turn it inside-out.  This is not difficult to do with a basket this size.  The outside is now on the inside.  Add more patches, covering all the edges.

11.  When all surfaces are covered, flip the basket back to the original position and it is finished!

Here is variation on the technique, using a round base and no appliques.  Its 3.5 inches high and 8 inches across.

  

 I'll take some pictures of some of the others I've made over the weekend and publish them on Monday or Tuesday.  Hope you have a great weekend, let me know if you make one of these.

  

Over the next few days I'm going to share instructions for making the basket shown plus a lot more using my technique.  This is an article that I wrote last year and sent off to several magazines.   Since I had no interest from the major publishers, I decided to publish it myself in my blog.

Depending on your point of view, baskets were the first craft.  Potters claim ceramics came first, but that makes no sense to me.  Obviously our hunter/gatherer forefathers and foremothers needed something immediately to carry home the nuts and berries.  They didn’t have time to wait for the clay to dry and then throw the pots in a fire, so they picked up a couple of big leaves, twisted them together, and viola! A basket.

Baskets became important parts of all traditions throughout history.  They were used as trade objects, gifts, ceremonial items, and for just plain practical storage vessels.

When the first book on fabric bowls came out, I sold the book in my quilt shop, and made many samples.  Then a few years later another book, this one on coiled fabric and clothesline baskets was published. Again, I stocked it in the store, sold many copies and made several samples.  I was hooked for a while on churning out these coiled, fabric covered clothesline baskets.  In both of these techniques, something was missing for me.  The coiled baskets eventually bored me and the fabric bowls didn’t have enough “body” or weight to make them feel right.

I stumbled upon the technique shown in this article while I was making a few baskets to hopefully sell at some local craft shows along with my quilts.  I rejected a number of the baskets that I made because they were too complex, too time consuming, or I just didn’t enjoy making them. 

Please use this article as a starting point for your own ideas and explorations.  If you make enough, you’ll find your own voice through colors, designs, and images.  I believe that the satisfaction that we get from making a basket is part of our DNA.  It takes us back to a time when we made things out of necessity, but also allows us to express ourselves in our own art form.

Materials   All of the materials discussed in the section are readily available in craft, fabric and/ or discount stores.

Clothesline

There are several types of clothesline available, but the one I use the most is cotton reinforced with polypropylene that is sold in 100 foot hanks.  It is 3/16 inch or No. 6.  Due to the popularity of fabric coiled baskets, this is often available at fabric stores or quilt shops.   There are also some brands on the market that have a synthetic core with a cotton cover.  This is generally not suitable for making baskets.  The synthetic core leaves a residue on the sewing machine needle.   3/16 inch cotton cord that is sold by the yard in stores that sell upholstery supplies can also be used,  but this may cost a bit more.  I’ve tried using larger cord, but it is more difficult.  No. 6 is the ideal size.

Many stores also sell nylon cord for clotheslines and this works well in some projects, such as table runners or placemats.  It doesn’t have as much body as the cotton cord, but it washes well and dries more quickly.  More yardage of this cord is required because it compresses as it is sewn. 

The price range is usually between $4.00 and $6.00 and you can make one large or two small baskets from one hank.

Fabric

Most of the fabrics I use are 100% cotton.  Many are batiks, which I prefer, because of the high thread count and the reversibility.  The thread count keeps the fabric from raveling too much and the dying technique used in batiks makes them look the same on both sides, so there is no worry about twisting a fabric to the wrong side.  Fabrics should be pre-washed, especially for table runners or bread baskets that may need to be washed after they are used for awhile.

The baskets and table runners can be washed if necessary.  I actually ran a basket through the gentle cycle on my washing machine and allowed it to air dry.  It survived just fine, although I don’t recommend this method.  If you do need to wash any of these projects, soak them briefly in a sink with lukewarm water, rinse, and roll in a towel to remove excess moisture.  Let it dry in an area with some air movement (like a porch) until dry.  This takes about 24 hours.

Organizing Fabric

There are several ways to sort fabric.  Sorting by color is probably the best way to organize for these projects.  I keep small plastic containers, like small clothesbaskets, in my studio to hold my smaller pieces of fabric.  At a glance, I can see what I have in each color range.   Most of my larger pieces of fabric (1+ yards) I keep in larger, covered plastic containers, also arranged by color. 

Unless I can’t live without it, I don’t buy fat quarters.  I would rather have a quarter yard of fabric so that I can cut long strips of fabric.  Generally I buy at least a yard of fabric at a time to be sure of having enough fabric when I need it.

I keep any scrap of fabric that is larger than 2” by 2” or any long strip, no matter what the width.  They go into one of the smaller baskets.  A couple of times a year I go through all of my containers.  This allows me to remember what I have and often it will be inspiration for a new project.

Thread

Any medium weight cotton or cotton/poly blend thread will do.  Since the thread doesn’t show once the base is covered with patchwork, this presents an opportunity to get rid of some to the odd spools that end up in our sewing rooms and empty some of those half-filled bobbins. 

Variegated threads look very good for top stitching.

Sewing machines and needles

Just about any sewing machine that can do a zigzag stitch works.  It may seem that it would be difficult to sew through the clothesline, but its not.  The needle size should be at least a 90, nothing smaller, and the ideal needle is a size 100 universal. Change the needle often, they tend to dull easily.

                                                                                                           

Be sure to clean your machine regularly while making baskets.  There does seem to be a lot of lint generated.  Also, I oil my machine after each basket, but check with the owner’s manual for guidelines.

I use a good, basic machine that I reserve just for basket making.  I would avoid making many of these on a computerized machine that also has an embroidery function.

Notions

Clothespins are very helpful for holding things in place while working, so get a package of the spring-type when buying clothesline.  The other necessities are an iron, cutting board and rotary cutter, 2 pairs of scissors (one for fabric and one for clothesline), a tape measure, and other general sewing notions.  I keep an inexpensive pair of scissors just for cutting clothesline.

A couple of the appliqués use a paper backed bonding agent like Wonder Under®.

I’ve also used fabric inks and markers in some of the baskets.  Any brand will do as long as they are permanent. 

Check back tomorrow and I'll begin the instructions for making the basket shown above.

Neat Trick for Half-square Triangles

I saw this on Pinterest a few weeks ago.  There was enough information in the picture to show me how its done.  But when I clicked on the link, it took me to an ad for diet pills!!!  I guess whoever was selling the pills knew that a lot of us quilters are a bit overweight.

Anyway, I decided maybe I was the only quilter in the world who didn't know this trick, so I took it to my next ASG meeting and guess what?  No one there had ever seen it before and also thought that it was a neat way to make half-squares.

First you sew 2 squares together (right sides together) using 1/4 inch seam.  Then you cut them apart on the diagonal as shown above.

When you fold them out, you have 4 half-square triangle blocks.

The block shown is 5 inches to start.  It makes four three inch blocks.  I also tried it with 4 inch squares and that makes 2 3/8th inch blocks.  I guess if you need a specific size, you could experiment to find the right starting size.  I haven't been able to come up with a formula for the math yet, but I haven't thought about it too hard.
Hope that you find this useful.

Crazy about Ikat

I've had this thing about ikat fabrics for a long time.  Back in undergraduate and graduate school, I liked the look so much that I learned to weave the ikat patterns.  True ikat is achieved by wrapping the warp threads of a weaving and then dying the warp before putting it on the loom.  Most of the fabrics that we see today in home dec and clothing are not true ikat, but printed imitations of the designs.

http://pinterest.com/kittyanne/ikat/

If you follow the link above, it will take you to my pinterest board on ikat.  I've been saving the images for some time.  

Currently I've gotten a little crazy about the new ikat prints I've seen.  I recently ordered a new chair for my living room in an ikat print and just finished making another ikat print into sofa pillows.  

But to show that I really do know how to do the real thing, here is me circa 1986 in a coat that I made (along with 5 others) for my M.F.A. exhibition at the Lowe Art Museum in Miami.  I took the coat apart a few months ago intending to make something out of the sleeves, which are ikat that I dyed and wove.   The picture of me is my page in the exhibition catalog.  All but one of the coats in my show had ikat sleeves with a painted (with dye) and quilted body.  I still have all but one, which I sold.

Will I ever weave ikat again?  I doubt it.  I sold my loom a few years ago to focus on quilting and have no intention of buying another one.  So I'll just be content with my new decorator prints secure in the knowledge that I could have woven the fabric myself.