Tiny Treasures Basket & Tray 

Something for the home

I’m one of those people who loves and appreciates handmade gifts. So I hope (and assume?) that my friends and family feel the same way. Mainly because most of the presents I give them are handmade by me. One of my best friends’ is very house proud. She’s always working on ways to make her home more beautiful. So I’m always on the lookout for the perfect gift. Something for the home. When I came across Anna’s Tiny Treasures Basket & Tray I knew I had to make Ginta some. I love the end result! 😍

The pattern for Tiny Treasures Basket & Tray is by Noodlehead. But it was originally designed for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. This means Anna has written the pattern in the style and format of Robert Kaufman’s. And the pattern (which is free!) is available to download from Robert Kaufman’s website. The pattern itself is easy to read – with detailed written instructions. There are also a few drawn pictures to go along side some of the steps. If I was going to make one criticism (& it’s tiny) is that the instructions could use a few more pictures. You might find it harder to follow if you are a visual learner. The skill level is aimed at Enthusiastic Novices and I think that seems pretty accurate.

The Tiny Treasures Basket & Tray project requires minimal materials. Most bagmakers will probably have the materials required to hand. With the possible exception of the leather/faux leather straps. This project also uses a couple of different types of interfacing. One of them is Pellon 71F, which is one of the stiffest interfacings I’ve used. This makes it harder to work with compared to foam/fleece. But it’s important to use Pellon 71F (or similar) because it gives the basket and tray it’s structure. If you want to know more about interfacings and stabilisers check out my information page.

A couple of other things that you might find useful if you decide to make your own basket & tray. First is basting (as well as fusing) the interfacing to your exterior and lining fabrics. I know for my future makes I will be doing this. The main reason is because I found after a while the fused interfacing started to unstick. You could do this step either before or after sewing the darts. Just remember to baste within the seam allowance. Another thing I changed and found to be a better option (for me). I replaced the hand stitching, to attach the binding, with topstitching. I’ve never been any good at handstitching and much prefer the neatness of topstitching. I think this is just down to personal preference. If you do decide to topstitch, I would recommend using  a heavy duty needle – to get through all the layers.

The thing I love the most about the Tiny Treasures Basket & Tray I made? It’s the fabric – I absolutely love it! Now I will confess that I did purchase this fabric quite a few years ago. I tend to do this with a lot of fabric 😔. By the time I find the perfect project for it – it has been so long it’s no longer available. I’ll try and change this bad habit going forward. But, what I can do, is tell you about the fabric. The trim is Kaufman Essex Yarn Dyed Linen (Blended Black). The navy fabric is ‘Buzoku Cotton Duck Canvas – Stars’. And the green/yellow is a Cloud9 Canvas called ‘Koi – Smile & Wave’. These two fabrics work so well together!

I don’t think there is anything else to say? If you want a quick project to make I can highly recommend it. I’m just so happy with the end result! 😆 So much so, I think I’ll have to make my own Tiny Treasures Basket & Tray! I can already see several places around the house where they would look good and be useful. Particularly in my craft room. I was sad to see these ones go to a new home. But the look on my friends face when she got them – made it all worth while!