I showed you the first steps for making the scrappy project Cathy’s Baskets.

Now let’s finish it up.

After making all the triangles for the bottom of the baskets, I will then make each of the basket squares one at a time.

After completing the top section I need to put the bottom section together and then sew the top section to the bottom section.

I didn’t take pictures when I made my original basket pattern and had to redraw it. So I decided to change it a little from my finished project. You can decide how you want to finish your baskets.

If you use the templates from the first segment, you will have to sew a Y sew where the two bottoms of the basket meet. I like the way this looks and found it not hard at all the sew the Y seam.

What I did for the original baskets was sew the shorter green side to the pink bottom section.

Then sew that unit to the bottom of the green triangle piece. Trim the edge flush with the green triangle basket.

Next sew a piece of green that is longer to the second pink bottom section and sew it to the second side of the green triangle basket. This creates an overlapped edge.

I like both ways.

This way the basket is squatter.

Once the bottom section is sewn together the top and bottom sections must be joined.

• Fold each section in half to mark the middle and pin the two sections together.
• Sew the two sections with a 1/4” seam allowance.

 

I like to press this seam in the middle open. It makes it easier to sew all the units together when you sew them in a row.

After the two sections are sewn together use a large square ruler to square the blocks up to 10.5”. Remember you want the guide to hit 5.25” across the middle NOT 5, so that you have a quarter inch seam allowance at the top. Also use your square to make sure you have an equal distance on either side of the basket to the edge.

• Sew three baskets in a row, three times.
• Sew all three rows together.

Use the left over scraps from the green and pink fabrics and cut them into 1-2” wide strips. Make a striped border from all the strips.

Add the striped units to the outside edge of the center 9 patch basket section to create your stripy border.

Layer your quilt top with batting and backing fabric. I like to use 505 spray adhesive to baste my quilt tops.

I have started using Press and Seal plastic wrap on the top of my quilts to play with quilting designs before I begin the quilting process.

It just helps me visualize what I want to quilt in what areas. I went through about 5 different designs before I settled on these.

I don’t leave this on the quilt when I quilt it.

I could leave it on if I wanted to quilt right through the Press and Seal and tear the paper off after quilting.

The first thing I always do when I  start to quilt a larger project is to stitch in the ditch with my walking foot.

• Stitch across all the rows and then down the rows and around the outside edge between the center and the stripy border in the ditch.
• I used a very fine fuchsia colored thread to stitch in the ditch because I don’t like monofilament.
• I then switched to green Magnifico from Superior threads and outlined stitched around my baskets and handles.
• While I still had the walking foot on my machine I stitched a cross hatch design in the center of each basket triangle. I used the two angled sides as a guide line.

Next I switched to free motion quilting and quilted a squiggle in the triangles at the base of the basket and wiggle line on the inside of each basket handle.

• I changed my thread to YLI silk thread and quilted the flower and feather designs around each basket.
• I used Clovers white marking pen to mark each arc for the feathers.
• I used my favorite Madeira 30# thread to quilt leaves in the scrappy border.

Once I finished the quilting I squared up the quilt and added a traditional binding.

I like Sharon Schaumbers method of gluing the binding. You can find a tutorial on YouTUBE for it. I think it works the best and I like the results.

I hope you enjoyed this project and that you make your own scrappy Cathy’s Basket quilt.

Happy Quilting.