GRANDMOTHER'S SEWING ROOM: Easter Basket

I wanted to make something special for my granddaughter's first Easter. I found this cute applique bunny basket from Designs by Sick.  I chose an off white with gold sparkles to do my designs on.             First, put tear away stabilizer in your hoop. Then lay the fabric on top of the hoop.  Do NOT put IN hoop as the sides will be cut away. I put in the 3d color called for to save extra thread changing. The first two colors are to set the fabric on the stabilizer and these stitches will be covered by the final satin stitch

 Sew the first 'design'. Then remove the hoop from the machine.  Cut as close as possible to the thread to remove the excess. I have found that my curved scissors that I use for cutting the thread works wonderfully for removing the excess fabric.

 Once the fabric is cut away, put the hoop back on the machine and sew the 2nd color, which is another set to hold down the original shape. Again, this will be covered by the final satin stitch, so I just used the 3d color, which is the first color of the design.
Go ahead and start the design. Do ALL but the last two colors.

 Remove the hoop from the machine and turn upside down.  Place the inside basket fabric on the back of the hoop. Make sure you have a large enough piece of fabric to cover the outline.

I used scraps of water soluble stabilizer (wss) to hold the fabric in place.  I just wet my fingers and put a drop of water on the scrap piece of wss and put on the corners of the fabric.  I smoothed the fabric in place. When it was time to cut away the excess fabric, this peeled off easily, like 2 sided tape or the gum on some labels.

 Someone suggested that I use Scotch tape to hold the fabric in place. This was a bit easier, but I think the wss held better. The wss I use is thick like paper, not the thin cellophane type. And if you get it too wet, it is a little more difficult to get off. I just barely dampen it enough to make it stick.
You can also use a spray adhesive, but I didn't want that sticky stuff on my hoop.  My aunt uses it and has no problem. I guess use what works best for you.

Before putting the hoop back on the machine, you need to fill the bobbin with the same color that you are doing the final satin stitch in.  Then sew the next design (an outline stitch).  Remove the hoop from the machine and cut around the fabric as close to the stitching as possible.  Place back in the hoop and sew the final satin stitch.  There is no need to change color: the design has to show a change of color in order for the machine to stop and allow you to remove the hoop.  The last two stitch colors can both be your final satin stitch color.

 When you take from the hoop, you can rip the pieces from the excess stabilizer. You may need to trim it, or if it doesn't tear easily you will need to trim it.  Fray Check is great to use on the edges if you accidentally snip too close.  Just put drops of this on the edge. To be totally safe, run this around each edge whether you think you've snipped too close or not. It is a nice precaution.








               

There are six different bunny designs to sew. Follow the same procedure for all of them.  When you sew the bottom piece, keep your satin stitch color in the bobbin as well as on top of the machine. Sew the first 'color' to hold down the top piece of fabric. Cut it, put the bottom on and sew it down. Remove from the hoop and cut the extra away. Then return to the hoop to sew the final satin stitches.
On your regular sewing machine, using the same thread in the bobbin and on top, and using a zig-zag stitch, attach the sides across the bottom.  If you notice, I turned my bottom piece upside down because I decided that I did not want the white fabric on the bottom of the basket. I just thought the purple (darker) would be better there. 

 Once all the side pieces are on, zig-zag the size pieces together.  They do a have a little curve to them. Here I am starting at the top of the basket and sewing down. I then reverse and sew back up.

 I know this is not a great picture, but wanted you to see the 'bowl' curved up as I was sewing. I had to lean up and peek over the basket sides to see what I was doing on the later sides.

 Here I put the bowl to the back and tried sewing from the bottom of the basket up to the top.  It was a little easier to see this way, but I still preferred sewing from the top down to the bottom.

Here are some of the bunny details. I have shown the bottom and think it looks fine with the dark on the bottom. If I make another one, I will do both sides of the bottom piece with the inside basket fabric.








The pattern called for all silver gray rabbits. I used a beige on one rabbit, off white on a couple, the silver gray on a couple and one rabbit is pink. I changed many of the colors to pinks and purples for the baby.

 There is a handle pattern, but sadly it doesn't fit in my machine.  I therefore took long scraps of each of the top and bottom fabrics and one of the stabilizer.  I laid them out on the cutting board and cut all the same size. I started out at about 2x11, but decided that 2 inches was too thick for a baby's little hand. I cut them down to and inch and a quarter (1 1/4 inch).

 Putting just the white fabric and the stabilizer together, I embroidered Kay's name on the middle of the basket handle. I then put the back fabric on and did a satin stitch down both long sides of the handle.

 Holding the handle in place,I did a tight zig-zag stitch over the satin stitches to hold the handle in place.
The handle could have been a bit longer, but this will do.

 On the inside of the handle, I trimmed the corners close to the zig-zag stitches.

 And HERE is the completed basket!!