Easter Basket Tutorial

The inspiration for this Easter Basket came from here and I adapted this tutorial.  Both would be good resources for you to refer back to if you decide to make this little guy!

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 yards of fabric to be used for your base, inner liner, handles and ears (I used solid blue in this tutorial)- I will call this fabric "A"
• 1 yard of fabric to be used for the outer sides of your basket and handles (I used seer sucker)- I will call this fabric "B"
• A 19"x 3" strip of fabric for the inner part of the ears (I used green)- I will call this fabric "C"
• 2 button eyes
• Embroidery thread
• Cotton Ball
• Spray Adhesive
• 7.5" x 10.5" piece of cardboard (for the base)
• 28" x 20" piece of fleece batting 
• Stiff stabilizer (for the ears)

**All seam allowances are 1/4 inch.**

This is a big project, but if I can do it, so can you!  I've divided this tutorial in to 5 sections to understand it a little better:

1. Body of Basket

2. Handles

3. Ears

4. Liner

5. Embellishments

**Keep in mind that you may need to double click on these pictures to make them larger.  I shrunk them for this tutorial.**

Let's get started!  

1. Body of Basket

Cut two strips of fabric 19" x 8".  This fabric will be the outer sides of your basket (Fabric B).  Cut one strip of fabric 19"x 12".  This will be the bottom of your basket (Fabric A).  Pin them with the right sides together and sew them into a large rectangle like the picture below.  
Next, place your rectangle on top of the piece of batting (with the right side up) and pin it in place.  There should be about an inch of batting all around the edges.   Sew the batting in place with straight stitches down the two seams in the middle first and then all of the outer edges.  After the sewing is done, trim the excess batting.
Fold the rectangle in half so that the two smaller strips of Fabric B are together.  Sew down the right and left sides, leaving the upper open like in the picture below.
Next you're going to box the corners (this link is helpful).  I made sure that the distance from the pointy tip to the needle was 4 inches, which means that the distance from the center seam to the outer edge was also 4 inches on both sides.  Trim the tip.  Repeat on the other side.  Your first step is done!
2. Handles

Cut two 21" x 2" strips out of your Fabric A and two 21" x 2" strips out of your Fabric B.  Press them.  While you've got your iron out you may as well cut your ears and press them too.  The ears will be two 9.5" x 2.5" strips of Fabric A and two more of Fabric C with a curve at the top.   Press these and set aside.Grab two of the handle strips and sew them with the right sides together.  Open them up and press the seam open.
Next fold the outside edges in towards the middle.
Finally, fold it in half so that the handle is a width of 1 1/4" wide.
Sew down both edges of the handles.   Repeat these steps for the other handle.
Sew the handles on to the basket 2" away from the side seam as shown below.  Be sure that the handles droop downward.
3. Ears

Grab your pressed ears that you set aside earlier.  With the right sides of the fabric together, pin them to a piece of stiff stabilizer.  Sew around the outer edges, cut the excess stabilizer, turn the ears right side out and fold over one side to make them look a little more ear-like!
Next, attach your ears to the center of one side of your bag (obviously not on the side with the handles.)  Be sure that the ears droop downward.
Sew them to the basket.
4. Liner

You're over halfway there now!  Next step is the liner.  Cut a piece of Fabric A in a rectangle that is 18" x 27".  Fold in half with the right sides together and sew all the way up one side.  On the other side, leave a 2 inch opening.  Trust me, it will make sense soon.  (Side note: Be sure you backstitch well on both sides of the 2 inch opening on this side.  You'll be flipping the basket through that opening.)  Square off the edges like you did before, with 4 inches from the pointy tip to the needle for your seam.

Turn the main body of the basket inside out (tuck in the ears and handles) so that the batting side is facing out.  Put the liner you just made inside the basket so that you can see the wrong side of the liner.  Pin it all the way around the top to secure and sew.
There's your little hole.  Turn the whole basket inside out through that hole.
Stitch around the top of the basket.
5. Embellishments

Remember that piece of cardboard I asked you to have in the beginning?  Pull that out, along with a piece of your Fabric A.  Cut the fabric with pinking sheers so that it is about one inch larger than the cardboard all the way around.  Trim the edges like I've done below.  Next, cover the cardboard in stray adhesive and attach your fabric. Be sure that the fabric is smooth across one side and the other side with the edges folded in doesn't matter.  This will be placed inside your finished bag to serve as support.

Finally, attach your button eyes, cotton ball tail, and embroider a face and you're done!  Happy Easter!