All my little baskets I have made by hand. I think they are easier that way. You can follow these simple ideas if you think that it might be hard to do. I will not show you the whole basket as I would like to maintain "a little mystery" until it is actually posted - in a few weeks.
I start with my drawing, and trace the designs onto template plastic. I use a very fine pen so as not to distort the size, and my craft scissors. I draw on the line, and cut off the line
These are my favourite marking tools - 2B pencils, nice and sharp and a black and a green Artline 200 fine 0.4 available from the stationery shop. They wash out, but do not rub out as you work. The black I use for the templates, and the green you can see on most colours, but I do not use on white. That is what the pencil is for.
you can see the 2B pencil well. The Staedler is nice and soft and does not drag the fabric
Cut all the pieces out, adding a 1/4" seam allowance. I "eyeball" my seam allowance, but if you are new, you might like to measure the seam. Does not matter if it is over or under, you can trim it later if you want. I lay all the pieces out into the design.
See where my scissors are pointing? that is where I plan to start sewing. I will sew all the sway down in a zig zag fashion, then around the corner, and up the other side. Run your fingers along to see how many pieces you can join at once. Starting at that point, you can stitchdown one side, add in the little triangles, around the corner, up the other side, then add the larger triangle.
pick up the first 2 pieces, and put your needle and thread into the corner where the line is drawn. Do not sew into the seam allowance. Do 2 little back stitches and a reef knot/figure 8 knot. Do not put a knot in the end of your thread. When you get to the end, there is a pin, do another backstitch. Do not cut off thread!! add another piece of the basket.
Keep adding pieces until you run out of thread. At this point (above) you move around the corner. Keep adding in pieces. Until all are included.
You will now be able to add the centre triangle. Stitch on the side where all the seams are, threading your needle under the seams, and not catching them in. All this before I knotted off and changed my thread.
Here I pivot - threading the needle through and out the other side, so I can pick up the other side of the triangle.
All done now. you can give it a little press, but I do not really press until the whole thing is completed. It took me less than an hour. You could not do this on your machine any faster. By the time you cut out, stitched all the triangles into squares, checked the size, trimmed where necessary, assembled into strips and stitched again.
The back looks neat as well. Press all the seams flat. you can now add in the side pieces all in one go, using the same method, and then the top.
I use a size 10 milliners needle - you can get more stitches on the long ones. I also use only cotton, but strong fine cotton. You don;t want it breaking. Generally, you will need only one or two pins to make something like this.
This basket has an appliqued top. I will do that later, then join along the top, and lock in the loose ends of the applique.
Any questions? Ask me
wendy@legendandlace.com
No comments:
Post a Comment