Hand Piecing Tutorial: Basket Case Block 1

For the first basket block, let’s start with a simple one for warming up.

If piecing by hand is new to you, then I hope the following instructions will get you started.

You’ll need general sewing supplies such as needles, thread, scissors, and fabric scraps.

You’ll also need cardboard or template plastic for making the templates, glue stick, a pencil for marking your fabric and a ruler.

Instructions:

1. Download and print the basket block template. Glue it onto thin cardboard like that from a cereal box or onto template plastic. Cut out the pieces (a-f) that make up the basket.

2. On the back of your fabric trace around the templates with a pencil or fabric marking pen. You’ll need to trace pieces a, b, c, and f once each, piece d twice, and piece e 4 times. These will be your sewing lines.

3. With the ruler, mark 1/4″ seam allowances around all pieces.  These are your cutting lines. Cut out your fabric pieces. If you have a good eye, you can just eye-ball the 1/4″ seam allowance and cut without marking. This works when piecing by hand (in contrast to piecing by machine) because you have marked your sewing lines in step 2.

4. Pin piece a to piece b with right sides of fabric facing. Make sure the pins go exactly through the corner points on both fabrics. The pictures below show what it should look like from both sides.

5. Time to start sewing!! Thread your needle and make a knot at one end of your thread. To begin your seam, insert your sewing needle in the place of the first pin, again going exactly through the points of both pieces of fabric. A little further down the seam come back up for your first stitch.

Take one back stitch by inserting your needle back into the corner points and coming back up in the same place as before. Hopefully you can see this in the next two pictures, as I forgot to use contrasting thread for better visibility. If you click on the pictures, a larger version will open, though.

6. Continue with simple running stitches and place your last stitch with the needle going again exactly through the corner points, i.e. where your second pin was.

Make another backstitch to lock your seam and make a knot. Let the seam allowance fall towards the triangle and finger press the seam. Going forward follow the pictures for the direction of the seam allowances.

7. Add piece c to the unit you just sewed. This time your seam will cross another seam (from a/b). You want to pin about a 1/4″ in front of that intersection. When you get there, your sewing needle should go through the last stitch of the a/b seam, and come back up on the other side of the intersection. Then make a backstitch through the last stitch of the a/b seam and continue as usual. This will make sure that there is no stretch in the a/b seam, that your blocks end up the correct size and it will prevent bulges.

Again, click the photos for a larger version.

8. Add a piece d to each side of your basket handles and half of your block is done. Clip those triangle dog ears. Looking good: front and back.

9. Sew the bottom half of the block: sew 2 pieces e together, twice. Sew these e/e pieces to f as shown below. Then sew the top and bottom half of your block.

All finished!

• For the introduction to project Basket Case and space Cadet go here.