Picnic Basket

These lined picnic baskets make perfect presents, either given empty as picnic baskets, or filled with wonderful gifts. Ideal for country or beach picnics, the sturdy cotton liner is washable and can cope with any accidents or spills as you dine al fresco.

You can also evoke the wholesome comforts of days gone by and create a vintage style "Householder's Basket" with wooden clothespins and lavender scented laundry water.



MATERIALS:

*wire or wicker basket

tape measure

paper for making patters

cotton fabric

pins

needle and matching thread

1 inch cotton webbing tape for ties

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Measure the depth and circumference of your basket and make a paper pattern, adding 1 inch all around for seams and hems.

Make a paper pattern for the base of the basket the same way.

Lay your paper pattern on the fabric and cut it out (you may need to join several pieces to get a piece big enough to fit around the circumference;if so, remember to allow extra for the seams).

2. Join the fabric pieces for the sides of the basket into a ring.

Pin the base piece to the ring, right sides together, and stitch, taking a 1/4 inch seam.



3. Turn over a 1/4 inch double hem on the top of the lining and stitch.

*If you are using a wire basket, you need to repeat steps 1 and 2 to make a second liner, then place one inside the other, wrong side together, so that the reverse of the fabric is not visible through the wire.

4. Cut eight 4 inch strips of 1 inch cotton tape for the ties.

*If you are using a double lining, pin pairs of ties at equal intervals between the two linings and stitch around the top edge of the linings to secure.

For a single lining, stitch the pair of ties neatly to the wrong side of the lining.

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