Most traditional basket blocks have the basket oriented across the diagonal. Here are some examples.

         

Sometimes you need a basket that sits at the bottom of the block instead. I designed a sampler quilt recently, and I wanted a basket with the base along the bottom, so I designed this one.

Today I’m going to tell you how to make it.

This basket finishes at 8″ x 8″. “Finished” means how big it will be when it’s sewn into a quilt. “Unfinished” refers to the block size before it’s sewn to anything else, and it includes the seam allowances. Usually, a block’s unfinished size is 1/2″ larger in both directions than its finished size. This block is 8-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ unfinished.

Cutting

1 background square (J) 5-1/4″ x 5-1/4″

1 background rectangle (K) 4-1/2″ x 8-1/2″

1 square (J) 5-1/4″ x 5-1/4″ of a color for the basket legs

1 square (L) 4-7/8″ x 4-7/8″ for basket body

14″ rickrack or a bias strip 1-1/4″ x 14″

 

Sewing

Place the J squares right sides together. Mark a diagonal line from corner to corner on the wrong side of one square. Sew 1/4″ out from both sides of the line. Cut between the lines of stitching and open the patches. Press toward the darker fabric and trim off the dog-ears. Each unit should be 4-7/8″ x 4-7/8″.

Next, place the L square right sides together with the unit you just made. On the wrong side of L, draw a diagonal line in the opposite direction from the seamline of the bottom unit.

Sew 1/4″ out from both sides of the line. Cut between the lines of stitching and open the patches. You’ll have two units like this.

Now you have both sides of the basket base. Sew them together at the center.

I used rickrack for the basket handle. In the next post, I’ll show you a great trick for applying rickrack. You can also create a bias strip for the handle, 3/8″ wide finished is about right.

On the remaining background rectangle K, mark 1″ in at the bottom of both sides, and 1″ down from the center at the top. Use these marks to place your handle. Applique it or sew it in place.

Sew the handle section to the bottom section to complete the basket block.

Here are some layout ideas for the basket block.

Make them in autumn colors and put Flying Geese in columns between them. If you take out the lines around the patches, it looks different (better, I think).

If you wanted a square quilt, you could do something like this:

I wasn’t wild about these colors, so I used reproduction fabrics to change the look.

Then I removed the lines:

I decided I wasn’t thrilled with the light border around the outside. Most of the time, a border that is lighter than everything else, especially if it’s the last border, doesn’t work very well. (I’m sure there are exceptions.)

So I messed around and this happened.

I love red, so I’d be happy with this. But if you’d prefer blue or black to finish it off, that would work! I could play with these ideas all day. For now, I hope you’ll start on a basket of your own, and in the next post, I’ll show you a great rickrack trick for the handle.