An Origami-ish Basket

View of the interior of my new basket...

Last week, I previewed today's project by running a "clip show" of past projects I've done that started with a circle. The variety represented by that list surprised me.

Generally speaking, I love sewing projects that start off simply and then get transformed in unexpected ways. Most projects that start with a circle grab my attention in that sense.

I also love origami, so to find a project that starts off with a circle and is somewhat origami-ish, well, how could I resist? (And aren't you happy that I couldn't resist, so that I could have a topic for a blog post??)

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All kidding aside, I was drawn to this project by the opportunity to do my own thing with it. (Sort of like how I made the magic box pouch my own.) So while I give full credit to Ae PooiM on YouTube for her tutorial (search for New idea!.. Make a Basket from a piece of circular cloth) from August 3, 2021, I did make several changes to her version in arriving at the basket shown here, which I think has its own charm.

Quilted and riveted...

For one thing, it's quilted. And for another, it's finished off with rivets. I also wanted it to be bigger, so I cut my fabric circles to 20" in diameter instead of the stated 45cm (which is under 18") in the video. (In fact, I will provide my adjusted measurements in old fashioned imperial for those of you still stuck in the dark ages. ಠ‿ಠ)

Only a portion of the (exterior side) circle is quilted...

While I encourage experimenting with patterns to make them your own, I will always remind that it takes planning to be able to do so successfully. After I'd watched this video a couple of times, it occurred to me that quilting just the exterior front and back would be relatively easy if I established what the divisions were for the cone shaped pockets before sewing.

As in, the area not used for the pockets would end up being the front, back and base of the basket. This part of the exterior side would then be interfaced with some fusible fleece and quilted. (Why not quilt the whole thing? Those little cone pockets would get too thick to handle.)

Don't know if you can see it clearly, but the fusible fleece in the quilted area was pieced together from large scraps left over from my Christmas table topper project. (I don't know about you, but I hate to waste interfacing!)

This was one continuous free motion squiggle...

I hadn't done any free motion quilting in quite some time — and therefore will likely never get good at it — so I gladly welcomed this opportunity to practice. I will admit, however, that I did not use my free motion quilting foot; it had seriously been a while since I used it and I didn't trust that I'd be able to do it well enough over such a large area. By using a regular presser foot, however, I wasn't able to make small movements, so my quilting is just a series of big squiggles.

But at least it was done in one continuous stretch of stitching, with only one small hiccup (which I can't even find anymore on the finished item).

First project using my new extension table!

The DIY extension table performed wonderfully in its first real use. I felt in total control of the large piece that I was quilting, able to swing it back and forth with no dragging issues at all.

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This project is actually a very "simple sew", except when you get near the end and are required to sew the inside edge of the cones to the outside edge of the basket (where the four clips are in the photo below). Just from watching the video, I knew it would be a challenge to get "in there" with my sewing machine. 

Preparing to finish off the pockets in a different way...

When I got to this point, I decided to do a combination of hand sewing and rivets to secure those pockets. (The clips holding the two pairs of cones together is where I hand sewed; the tutorial leaves them separated.)

Now, back to my promise to provide you with some imperial measurements, refer to the following diagram if you want to make my version of this project.

Adjusted measurements for larger version of this project...

I found that it was quite unnecessary to draw most of the lines that you see. All you need to make are the markings that I've indicated in red (on each half of the circle, of course); i.e., the six "X"s and the two diagonal lines joining a couple of those "X"s. Those will actually end up being sewing lines.

For quilting purposes, the area in gray below is what you need to cut for fusible fleece. Fuse it onto the exterior fabric and quilt as desired. (Note that whenever you quilt something, it will shrink a bit. To deal with this, you may need to adjust the other circle of fabric to make it match when you sew them together later.)

Template for fusible fleece...

Some kind of Vilene interfacing was used in the video for the exterior fabric. I decided to use my supply of Decor Bond for extra firmness. However, fused Decor Bond tends to wrinkle and crease when handled excessively (like when you turn something right side out), so if you choose to use it, do what I do and fuse it after turning. (I gave instructions for how to do this in my Collapsible Christmas Tree tutorial.)

Finished size is about 9" in "diameter" across the top, and about 6" tall. The base is approximately 3" x 6". For me, it's a nice size that's not too large and not too small.

Giving an idea of size...

The YouTube video provides excellent instructions for what to do, so apart from the above, I have no other advice to add about making this. It's very straight forward.

Front/back view...

Installing the rivets took a bit of pounding, as there are two quilted layers to go through, plus the pocket. All went well, however, with the largest rivets from my rivet kit being just the right size for the job.

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The fabrics used here are two selections from a purchase made five years ago from old Craftsy. They are part of a collection designed in 2013 by Ann Kelle called Remix Metallic for Robert Kaufman. My decision to go with a 20" circle meant that I couldn't use a fat quarter; these are some of my (relatively rare supply of) complete yardage fabrics.

Side view...

I've had these fabrics for so long that it's definitely time to use them up. Seeing the finished basket, however, if I had it to do over, I would probably choose a different fabric for the lining. The navy chevron doesn't provide enough contrast.

 

Base is rectangular...

That said, I really like the gold toned accent on these; definitely adds a touch of elegance. 

Oh, and for what purpose do you think I'm using this origami-ish basket? Might you recall me stating that hubby started an indoor garden this winter? (For which I got him a book this past Christmas.) Well, when I'm called upon to lend a hand with said garden, I take this with me.

It's my gardening bag!

It fits right inside the top of this sturdy paper bag. The bag itself carries discards and trimmings back home to our organic waste bin. The fabric basket on top is for any actual harvests. In the above photo, there are a couple of stalks of rapini (one of which flowered way too quickly) and some carrots. I've used the little cone pockets to carry sprigs of basil, green onions and arugula.

It wasn't my intention to make the basket for this purpose, but it's always nice to find a purpose for whatever I make!

'Til next...

Quasi-Tutorial: Any Size Square Storage "Box"

My new scraps container...

Over the past year, I've come to realize that my chosen container for storing fabric scraps is no longer meeting my needs.

Despite scrunching everything down, it's overflowing. Several months ago, I saw one of Don Kim's (YouTube) videos for making a simple box — there are at least two — and knew that it was going to be the basis of my solution.

If you want to join me in today's simple project, I recommend using reclaimed material. I've typically avoided making "big things" like this because of the fabric requirements. However, if sacrificing an old bed sheet or some other item of used clothing, it becomes less of an issue.

In my case, the duvet cover set that I've previously used for one of my first purse designs, my ironing mat and my sewing machine cover is still able to yield material for me to complete more than one of these, so yay for recycling!

I used ribbon to bind the top raw edge, but straight cut binding out of the same fabric will also work.

The type (and amount) of interfacing chosen will affect how well the box is able to stand up upon completion. I used only fusible fleece and the result is somewhat floppy, particularly because of the large size. A combination of Decor Bond and fusible fleece would definitely provide more body; adding interfacing to the lining would also improve stiffness. Keep in mind also that if your intention is to have this box filled, that alone will add structure.

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Don Kim's versions of this project result in a 24cm square box, which is just under 9.5". I wanted my box to be closer to 12" so I used metric measurements for the first time — primarily because I had to adjust his original dimensions and didn't want to add another level of complexity to the process — and decided on a 30cm box.

Then I came up with this graphic to help you "design" your own size box, regardless of what scale you use.

This math should be simple to understand...

What follows here is a tutorial where you can make a box whatever size you want. Or make several in different sizes and have them be stackable.

To show you how the formula works, I wanted 30cm — which is pretty darn close to 12" — as my desired size. So my value for A was 15cm (or 6"); i.e., desired size divided by two. Value for B was 30cm x 2 = 60cm, plus 1cm seam allowance x 2 = 62cm total. (Or, in Imperial, it would be 12" x 2 = 24", plus 1/2" seam allowance x 2 = 25" total.)

Value for C was simply 30cm + seam allowance of 1cm = 31cm total. (Or, in Imperial, 12" + seam allowance of 1/2" = 12.5" total.) Value for D was 30cm plus seam allowance of 1cm x 2 = 32cm total. (Imperial would be 12" plus seam allowance of 1/2" x 2 = 13" total.)

Four pieces of fabric, two backed by fusible fleece or your choice of interfacing...

Using your measurements, cut four pieces of fabric (two for the exterior and two for the lining), along with however many pieces of interfacing you want. Again, I only interfaced two (would have been the exterior) pieces of fabric with fusible fleece, but you can interface them all for a stiffer structure.

Create seams along the three short edges...

The sewing part is extremely simple. Stack each pair of pieces right sides together and sew along the three short sides (the two Cs and the D from my original diagram above). Press open the seams if you can.

Box the exposed sides and sew two more seams...

Box the bottom seams by bringing together the raw edges of the cut out corners, i.e., matching one end of the D seam with one of the C seams and the other end of the D seam with the other C seam.

 

Do the same with the interfaced pieces...

What you want to end up with is the D seam across the middle of the bottom of the box.

Sew together the boxed edge seams of the lining and exterior...

Finally — and I consider this one of the best tricks that I've learned over the past year — secure the lining to the exterior by sewing them together along the two boxed seams. (Both should be wrong side out, bottom against bottom, when you do this. I should have taken a photo showing both pieces extended, but imagine that the top openings of both are at opposite ends and the joined bottom seams are in the middle.)

This ensures that the lining will never pull away from the bottom of the box once it's completed.

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Turn it right side out and pin or clip the top edge together. Baste all the way around.

Clip the top edges together and baste...

For binding the top edge, I used some 1.5" ribbon that I found in my stash. (I pressed it in half first so that it had a crease along its length, making it easier to wrap against the edge.) Otherwise, I would have made some 2" double folded binding for the job.

Bind with regular binding or your choice of ribbon...

If you do make your own binding, you can use straight 2" fabric strips; i.e., they don't have to be cut on the bias since the edge is not curved.

Measure out the corners...

After binding, measure out the distance of A from the center seam, in both directions. Do this around the top edge, close to the bottom, and somewhere in the middle. Mark with pins at each point.

Pin along the vertical edges of the "corners"... 

Pinch each corner along the pins and replace them with clips if you have them. You will sew lines here to form the corners of the box.

Sew along corner edges...

Sew about 3mm or 1/8" away from the edge, down the length of each corner, starting and stopping about 3cm (a little over an inch) from the top and bottom.

And that's it!

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Tips and variations?

Sew the lining with a slightly larger seam allowance to ensure a snug fit. (The improvement will be particularly apparent if you're making a smaller box.)

Finished interior...

If you don't mind some wastage, for faster and easier cutting and fusing, you can cut entire rectangles — measuring B x (C+A) — first, fuse on the required interfacing and then cut away the A x A squares.

Soft, but still stands up...

You can easily add handles to this project. My preference would be to use rivets to add them after the fact, but they can also be incorporated into the top binding without the need for additional hardware.

View of the bottom...

This fall, it will be ten years since I re-started sewing. (Wow!) I think I've been pretty darn good with my fabric usage to have only accumulated this many scraps in a decade.

Should be good for some time to come...

What will you use your box for?

'Til next...

Car Caddy & Waste Bin

Modified Sew4Home Car Caddy & Waste Bin...

Over the past decade and a half, hubby and I have taken several road trips a year out to our vacation home and beyond.

During these trips, we usually stop for fast food along the way. Every time, I've had to fashion some sort of waste container with a plastic or paper bag for discarded packaging or even chicken bones.

How many times have I said to myself — usually as I attempt to hang and prop open a plastic bag from the glove box door — why don't I make myself a fabric trash bin? Many times. Many, many times.

And yet for whatever reason, it never got done. (Part of it might be that I never came across the right project.) 

Until now, when — ironically enough — we've sold our vacation home and won't be doing those long drives on a semi-regular basis any more.

Back view...

This combo car caddy and waste bin was made just in time for our last trip out. It's a modified version of a project from Sew4Home, searchable on their site via that name.

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My modifications weren't major, but involved both design elements and supplies used.

image courtesy of Sew4Home...

In terms of changing the outward appearance, I did away with a snap secured flap pocket on the back and replaced it with a simple open top patch pocket. I didn't see myself needing to keep money in this, especially since this caddy isn't likely to stay in any of our vehicles full time.

I also made the two front bellows pockets differently; different from the pattern and different from each other; one is bigger.

Because I wanted the caddy to hang from specific spots in both our vehicles (and not off a gear shift), the single strap as designed was omitted entirely. Instead, I used separate sections of hook and loop tape — attached to the back with a couple of rivets —to create a handle that can detach from itself.

Oh, and due to my "square shaped" fabric constraints (I used a couple of selections from my Just Sheep collection from Spoonflower), I made the entire bin an inch shorter (eight instead of nine).

Using an old blanket as a substitute for fusible foam...

By way of supplies, I do not have — and don't ever anticipate having — fusible foam at my disposal. What I do have are remnants from a section of an acrylic blanket that I trimmed up to fit in a duvet cover for my mother.

It's not as firm as a foam interfacing and it's certainly not fusible, but I "made do" with it and some fabric glue. (Performance-wise, it serves the same purpose in making the bin able to stand up by itself.)

Velcro handle that comes apart...

As designed, the front pockets were to be trimmed with something called foldover elastic from Dritz. Had none of that either, so I just went with bias tape.

What do you think of the lime green interior??

I did, however, have the elastic for the side panels (from one of my $1 belts), red grosgrain ribbon for the hardware attachments, as well as a "D" ring and lobster clasp. I also had a supply of ripstop nylon for the interior... albeit in an eye-popping shade of lime green!

 

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I want to draw your attention to the base of this item. The bottom of this rectangular shaped container has defined corners which are not rounded, nor boxed in the conventional way.

 

image courtesy of Sew4Home...

Sew4Home offers an extremely helpful tutorial for how to sew this type of inset base to a four sided "tube". (The link to the tutorial can be found on the same page as the instructions for this caddy project, or you can search for it on their site via the title shown in the graphic at right.)

It was definitely a lesson learned for me, and worth a read if you're interested in upping your sewing skills. If you're a regular reader here, you may know that I like to take on projects that offer something different, even if they're relatively simple. There's nothing otherwise difficult about this caddy/bin, but I'd never sewn in a base like this before.

View of the rectangular base...

Further on the topic, I applied another recent lesson learned when I sewed the short side seams of the lining base to the short side seams of the exterior base. The result is that once it's turned right side out and the top edge is sewn down, the lining will never, ever pop out. (I used the same technique when I made my duffle; thank you to various YouTubers for that lesson.)

Side view...

As I said above, the sections of wide black elastic came from a belt that was purchased a few years ago at a discount shop for one measly dollar. This particular belt has now had its parts repurposed in three projects: the elastic on this caddy, the connector links on my Frankenpurse and the buckle on the Oriole bag.

Regardless of what economic era you care to name, that definitely qualifies as stretching a dollar!

A relatively quick sew....

As you may have suspected, dealing with the substitution of interfacing took up most of my time on this project. Without the fusibility factor, I was left to glue small sections at a time and wait for them to dry before pressing to remove "glue bubbles".

The sewing part was fairly easy and went relatively quickly, even with having to adjust for my fabric. For instance, the top facing that joins the lining to the exterior called for a 22" piece. Since I was dealing with fabric that only measured 18" x 18", I sewed together sections to meet the requirement.

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We once went out to our vacation home and forgot to bring the keys. Not to say that having a ring on which to hook them would have prevented that from happening, but it might have helped.

One of two ways to keep keys handy...

Curious as to how we use the pockets? I stuffed a small packet of tissues for the photo shoot, but in actual use, I keep my phone and some napkins in this one.

The back one is for fast food coupons. (Now you can see why I didn't want a snap/flap closed pocket.)

Back pocket is perfect for fast food coupons!

On the topic of fast food, whenever we buy anything that comes with fries, my other half is always quick to remind me, "Get ten ketchups!" (Lucky I don't want ketchup myself or it would be an embarrassing ask at the counter... and it's quite literally always me going in to do the purchasing.)

A ketchup pocket!

Therefore the bigger bellows pocket is intended for the scads of ketchup packs required to keep hubby happy. (Oooh... does anyone else hear Wilma Flintstone singing??)

'Til next...