| Basket Liners |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-602 |
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Q: I ruined one of my fabric basket liners beyond repair. How do I make another? A: (DIY Crafts expert, Debbie Stapley) Making attractive and functional basket liners (figure A) is really easy. What's more, this is an ideal project for beginners to sewing.
- Once you have your basket, the first step is to make a pattern. One of the easiest things to use for making a pattern is brown butcher-paper or paper grocery-bags that have been cut and laid out flat. With grocery bags, you may need to tape pieces together to get a big enough piece.
- Place the basket in the center of the paper and trace around its bottom with a pen or pencil. This creates the pattern for the bottom of the liner.
- To create the pattern for the sides, use a tape measure or ruler and measure the total side dimension from the inside bottom around to the outside bottom (figure B). How far you want the liner to extend down the outside is a design option that's up to you. In our case, the side dimension was 9 inches.
- Using that dimension, use a straight-edge to measure out and draw straight lines out from the corners of the bottom-pattern to create the flaps. Repeat this on all four sides of the bottom-square. The measurement will remain consistent on all sides.
- Once you've finished drawing your pattern on the paper, cut it out with scissors (figure C).
- Important: There's no need to add extra width to the measurements for a seam allowance. Since the measurements have been taken on the outside of the basket -- and the liner will be on the inside -- a seam allowance is automatically built into the design pattern.
- Select two coordinating fabrics for making your liner. We chose a white and blue pattern for one, and a pale blue for the second (figure D).
- Using your paper pattern as a guide, cut out one pattern from each fabric.
- Pin the fabric pieces, right-sides-together, using straight pins.
- With the fabric pieces pinned, sew them together using a simple straight stitch, about a half inch in from the edge (figure E).
- Sew one continuous stitch all the way around -- but stop just short of the place where you began to leave a small opening.
- Sewing Tip: When you come to a corner while stitching on a sewing machine, keep the needle down -- in the fabric -- when you turn the fabric to make the corner.
- Use sewing scissors to clip small slits in each of the inside corners just outside the stitching (figure F). On the outside corners, trim off the excess material. This will help eliminate excess bulk once the liner is turned right-side out.
- Once you've made your clips, turn the liner inside out -- using the opening you left in the seam to allow you to turn the liner right-side-out (figure G).
- At this point, you can hand-sew or top-stitch the opening closed. You may want to give the whole edge a top-stitch or decorative stitch all the way around.
- Attach a ribbon -- cut to about 12 inches long -- in each of the outside corners for use as a tie-down. Anchor each ribbon at its base by sewing a button through the ribbon and fabric (figure H).
- Set the liner down into the basket (figure I) and use the ribbons to tie the corners (figure J).
RESOURCES :
Scrap Basket Crafts: Over 50 Quick and Easy Projects to Make from Fabric Scraps
Model: 0875969690
Author: Nancy Reames
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