Table Top Basket Tutorial

Table Top Caddy. A handy table basket to store your sewing supplies.

 This table top basket was made using a Vlieseline product called Solufleece. It is a water soluble fabric and is excellent for creating open work for free motion embroidery. I have used it in another way here, sandwiched between layers of fabric to create a scrunched (crashing) effect. It can be washed out when you have finished but for this project I have left it in place so it helps provide support to the sides of the basket.

Finished sIze 15cm (6in) high x 15cm (6in) wide

MATERIALS

50cm (½yd) of 112cm (44in) cotton fabric
One fat quarter fabric for lining
75cm (30in) Paper backed fusible web 
25cm (1⁄8 yd) Solufleece
20cm x 61cm (8in x 24in) Cotton wadding
18cm (7in) Square of pelmet interfacing
Variegated cotton machine quilting thread, 40 weight

PREPARATION 

All measurements include 1⁄4in seam allowance, unless otherwise stated. 

Handy hints

Recommends using a walking foot on your machine to make this project as it helps to prevents the layers from slipping. She also uses a size 90 quilting needle in her machine.

Choose your softest fabrics for this project, cotton fabrics that have a stiff feel or surface will not work well with this technique.

 CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS

From the grey fabric, wadding, and Solufleece cut a 8in x 24in rectangle.

From the paper backed fusible web cut two 8in x 24in rectangles.

From the pink fabric cut a 6½in x 20in rectangle and a 2½in x 20in rectangle

Cut a one circle from the grey fabric and one circle from the pink fabric.

Cut one 6in circle from the pelmet interfacing.

PREPARING THE PANEL

1. On a flat surface place the Solufleece, followed by the two pieces of fusible web (carefully remove the paper first as this is not needed), then the wadding and finally the grey fabric with the right side facing you. Pin these layers together.

2. Place a size 90 quilting needle in your machine and thread up with the machine quilting thread. Set the stitch length to 3.

3. Using the fabric marking pen and a ruler draw a straight line down the centre of the grey fabric, along the length. Quilt along this line. Used a pre-set wavy line but you could use a straight line if you prefer.

4. Stitch four lines of quilting either side of this centre line approximately ¾in apart. Use your quilting bar if you have one or draw the lines onto the fabric first. If needed trim the layer’s level
with the top fabric if any have moved while you were quilting. Fig 1.

CRASHING THE PANEL

1. Place on old tea towel or scrap fabric on your ironing board to protect it from any stray fusible web. Place the iron on cotton and steam settings, making sure there is plenty of water in the reservoir as this technique uses a lot of steam.

2. Hold the iron over the front of the panel with the grey side facing up. Do not to let the iron touch the fabrics as this will stop the process. After a few minutes you should see the fabric begin to move under the iron. Move the iron around so that every area gets a good blast of steam and you get an even amount of shrinkage.

3. Once the fabric has been crashed it should be left to cool for an hour. It needs to shrink down to 6½in x 20in however, if needed you can trim the panel down to this size. Fig 2.

 MAKE THE CADDY

1. Place the 2 1⁄2in x 20in pink strip of fabric on one 20in edge of the grey textured panel with right sides together. Stitch together using 1⁄2in seam allowance. When sewing allow the grey fabric to form small pleats slightly gathering in the edge.

2. Push the pink strip away from the crashed panel and finger crease. Then fold the unit right sides together with the pink strip along the top and join the edge to make a drum.

3. Take the lining fabric and fold lengthways with the right sides facing. Sew the edge to make a drum and turn right side out. Place the lining inside the drum and line up the seams.

4. Turn under the free edge of the pink binding strip by 1⁄2in and pin in place. Sara machined this edge in the ditch to catch the binding on the other side. You can hand sew this down if you prefer to.

5. To make the base of the basket sandwich together grey fabric, pelmet interfacing and pink fabric. Settle the pelmet interfacing in the centre of the grey circle before placing the pink one on top. Fig 5. Add a few pins to hold in place. Using your fabric marking pen divide the circle into eight sections and sew through all the layers. Fig 6.

8. To join the circular base to the grey crashed panel divide the panel into quarters and mark with a pin. Do the same with the base and match these points. Match right sides together. Using lots of pins bring the edges together and machine in place.

6. Pull the basket through so you can see the right sides of the outside and the lining. Push the outside back into the lining so you can secure the sides of the lining to the pink base. Turn under the lining by approx. ¼in and pin this to the edge of the seam line of the circular base. Hand sew this edge to secure.

7. Turn the basket the right way out and ease into shape.