Tea Towel Baskets

Tea Towel Baskets

Make a bread basket from a striped tea towel and changeable ribbon that can be untied to store flat. A double layer of quilt batt gives the design body and makes it easy to launder. Line with a coordinating tea towel to wrap rolls. Use stripe quilting to give a matching bowl a coiled look without all the stitching.

Finished sizes (approx.): 2" x 6" x 11" Basket   4 1/2" tall Bowl

You will need:

BASKET

• 18" x 26" tea towel

• 18" x 26" quilt batt

• Two yds. coordinating 5/8" blue grosgrain ribbon

• Three small heart buttons

• Floss: 1 1/2 yds. each pink, teal

BOWL

• 18" by 26" Tea towel

• 18" by 26" Quilt batt

• 2" scraps of pink & green wool felt

• 5" x 6" polka dot fabric

• Five small heart buttons

• 1 1/2 yd. teal floss

• 1/3 yd. 1/4" elastic

FOR BOTH

• Disappearing marker or pencil

• Embroidery needle

• Iron & board

• Sewing machine

• Matching thread

Ruler, scissors

Basket

• If not using a tea towel for this project, choose a heavier weight cotton that will wash well. Use a quilt batt that will also launder well.

• This basket could also be made in several sizes to stack inside each other and also would be a decorative basket in the kitchen for napkins or tools. Decrease side measurements by 1/2" for smaller baskets.

STEP 1: Preparation. Press tea towel in half with right sides together. Fold quilt batt in half and pin to one side of tea towel.

STEP 2: Sew. Sew 1/2" seam around all four sides, leaving an opening of 3 1/2" on one short side. Trim seams and corners. Trim quilt batt away from seams. Turn right side out and press. Sew opening shut. Use ruler to measure in 2 1/2" on all four sides to create bottom rectangle of basket. Use pencil or marker to mark lines. Topstitch along these lines. Press.

STEP 3: Finish. Sew three heart buttons to center of long side of basket. Cut ribbon into four 18" pieces. Fold corners and tie ribbon into bow around each one.

Bowl

• To give it shape, choose a towel with fairly narrow (1" wide used for project) stripes for this bowl. Pieced fabrics could also be used especially if you have a large fabric stash.

• To make as a gift basket, use a co-coordinating towel to match the recipient's kitchen decor, as this will make a great kitchen accessory after it is empty.

STEP 1: Preparation. Press tea towel in half with wrong sides together. Fold quilt batt in half and sandwich in between layers.

STEP 2: Sew “stripes.” Pin and begin stitching along stripes from folded side in. This first sewn line will form casing of basket. Continue sewing stripes. At top sew along finished edge of towel. Press under 1" along both short ends and topstitch, leaving opening for casing. Insert elastic and pull tight. Sew ends of elastic and tuck into casing. Shape into bowl by pushing bottom up in center along a sewn stripe line.

STEP 3: Embellish. Fold polka dot fabric in half lengthwise with right sides together. Sew around all four sides leaving small opening for turning. Clip corners. Turn and press. Cut a green heart and a smaller pink heart from felt. Layer hearts in center of polka dot rectangle and blanket stitch in place. Sew heart button to center of felt pink heart. Center and pin polka dot fabric piece to front of basket. Sew in place with a heart button in each corner.

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