Latest projects

So I slept through December… eh, it’s Alaska! What else am I supposed to do?? Start taking iron pills and get up some steam, that’s what! So I worked on my new sewing basket and I am thrilled with it. So much handier than my old hussif.

I purchased it at our local Value Village (second hand store) for a big $2.99. It was actually in very good shape, but I didn’t like the color or the fabric. So I ripped that all off, took off the handles, removed the lid.

Pretty ugly… but not battered or broken. So between me, the glue gun, and my store of fabric, I transformed it into this:

I used a pile of fat quarters intended for a new hat to transform the top lid into a sampler of flowers, embroidery, beads, and buttons. Using one of Laurel Burch’s books for inspiration, I utilized both yoyos and simple round shapes, and made a variety of flowers. The butterfly is a purchased iron-on applique, from (you guessed it!) Value Village. The top lid is two layers: a piece of stiff tagboard, covered in fabric; topped with two pieces of quilt batting cut about an inch smaller than the lid and covered in black fabric. The fabric is turned underneath the batting, and the lace is underneath that; all of which is sewn down to the black flowered fabric.

The outside of the basket is covered in a black background/bright flowered Mary Englebreit fabric; it was purchased secondhand at a sale by a group of local scrapbookers. The handles are covered in ribbon from Value Village, and secured with more of the ribbon hotglued to the basket (more hot glue than I’ve ever used in my life!) and dee rings. The inside lid (another piece of tagboard covered in the black flowered Engelbreit fabric) has a triangular square of fabric to hold my glasses, a scissors holder, and a needlekeep. The needlekeep is going away; I want a needlebook instead, that I can take out of the basket. I’m also going to add a pincushion; I keep sticking pins in the eyeglass holder, so I might as well add a pincushion. The two lids were sewn together around the edge with a simple whip stitch, and the hinges are hot glued between the lids. There are two pieces of vintage twill tape hot glued to the lid and basket to keep it from flopping back too far.

Inside, I used more of the black Mary Englebreit fabric and some cheery cherry fabric with a white background to make pockets for scissors, needles, seam ripper, pens, thread, needles, and all the other sewing accessories I use. The white background makes it very easy to see the inside!

And I love it! I can put a project and the embroidery thread in the basket, carry it with me, open the lid and get to work. With my old hussif, I had to have a flat place to set my hussif to make it easier to get things out. This basket can set right next to me, and I don’t need a table any more!

Here is a tutorial for making a patchwork sewing basket, from Magda of Little Thing If my recycled basket hadn’t worked out, I would have made one of these.