Denim Fabric Container Tutorial.

They are just so quick and easy to make. Here's the how to, so you can make your own denim fabric baskets using pre-loved jeans.

Materials:
Choose a section of the leg of the jeans where the top and bottom of your cut piece are the same width. If your jeans are shaped and you cannot get a piece that is the same width top and bottom, you will need to unpick one seam and cut the fabric.

The instructions are for jeans that can be used without the need to unpick the seams.

Small basket:

• 1 piece 7.5 inches x 8 inches - jeans leg for the outside of the bag
• 2 pieces 8 inches x 8 inches - contrast colour for the lining
• 2 pieces 8 inches x 8 inches - interfacing

Medium basket:

• 1 piece 8 inches x 8.5 inches - jeans leg for the outside of the bag
• 2 pieces 8.5 inches x 8 inches - contrast colour for the lining
• 2 pieces 8.5 inches x 8 inches - interfacing

Large basket:

• 1 piece 7.5 inches x 9 inches - jeans leg for the outside of the bag
• 2 pieces 8 inches x 9 inches - contrast colour for the lining
• 2 pieces 8 inches x 9 inches - interfacing

I used a medium to heavy weight, woven sew-in interfacing, but you could substitute this with a different weight interfacing, with iron-on interfacing or with batting. It all depends on the look you are after.


You will need to alter the measurements to utilise the jeans that you are using. Add 1/2" to the width of the lining, for the seam allowance.

Instructions:

• All seams are 1/4", unless otherwise indicated.
• Use a denim needle.
• Some of the seams will be quite bulky. Open seams where possible to reduce bulk and go slowly over bulky seams. If necessary, turn the machine by hand (using the handwheel), over bulky seams.

Sewing the lining:

1. Sew the interfacing to the wrong side of each piece of lining fabric. Sew close to the edge of the fabric. If you are using iron in interfacing, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
2. Sew the two side seams.
3. Sew the bottom seam, leaving a gap of 3 inches.
4. Press all seams open. You won't be able to open the seams at the corners. This won't matter as the corners will be cut off in the next step.
5. Probably not necessary, but I neaten the edges of each seam.

Making the box corner ~ lining:
Small basket: 2" box corner
Medium basket: 1.75" box corner
Large basket: 1.5" box corner

NB: The measurements from here on are for the small basket.

1. Measure 2 inches from the corner seam (don't measure from the edge of the fabric) in both directions and on both sides of the fabric. 
2. Put a mark to show where 2 inches is. You will have 4 marks on the front and 4 on the back.
3. Pull out the sides of your bag.
4. Place one seam on top of the other seam.
5. Put your pin through the top mark. If the pin comes out through the mark on the other side, your boxed corner will line up. 
6. If the pin is not coming out through the mark on the other side, reposition the fabric until it does.
7. Make sure the seams are open to reduce bulk.
8. Take the pin out and hold the fabric in place. If you would like, hand sew in place to hold.
9. With a ruler, draw a line across the fabric.
10. Sew across the line. I sew a couple of times for reinforcement.
11. Cut the fabric and neaten.
12. Repeat for the other side.

Outside of bag:

1. Turn the jeans wrong side out.
2. Sew the bottom seam.
3. Press seam open.
4. Neaten each side of the seam separately.

Making the box corner ~ outside of bag:

1. Measure 2 inches from each side edge of the fabric. The front and back of the jeans may be different widths, so the seam may not be on the edge.
2. Measure 2 inches from the bottom seam, on both sides of the fabric. 
3. Put a mark to show where the 2 inch marks are. You will have 4 marks on the front and 4 marks on the back.
4. Line up the marks you have made, not necessarily the seams, as the seams of the jeans may be off centre.
5. Put your pin through the top mark. If the pin comes out through the mark on the other side, your boxed corner will line up. 
6. If the pin is not coming out through the mark on the other side, reposition the fabric until it does.
7. Take the pin out and hold the fabric in place. If you would like, hand sew in place to hold.
8. With a ruler, draw a line across the fabric.
9. Sew across the line. I sew a couple of times for reinforcement.
10. Cut the fabric and neaten.
11. Repeat for the other side.

Attach the lining to the outside of the bag:

1. Place the bag inside the lining. ie: the right side of the bag is next to the right side of the lining.
2. Line up the top edges of the lining and the outside.
3. To reduce bulk, off set the lining and the jeans seams slightly, so they are not directly on top of each other. Off setting the seams will help with this step and with the final topstitching.
4. Baste (hand sew) the top edges of the lining and the outside.
5. Sew a 3/8inch seam to join the top edges of the lining and the outside of the bag.
6. Neaten the seam.

Turn the bag right side out:

1. Put your fingers through the hole in the bottom of the lining.
2. Gently pull the right side of the bag out through the lining.
3. Hand stitch or machine topstitch the gap in the lining. I hand stitched the small basket, because the gap was too close to the seams to machine stitch.

Finishing off:

1. Push the lining back into the bag.
2. Iron the top edge of the bag.
3. Topstitch 1/8inch (3mm) from the edge, around the top of the bag. This step is where you will find the most bulk. Go slowly over the bulky seams. If necessary, turn the machine by hand (using the handwheel), over the bulky seams. If your machine can't handle sewing over the seams, you can omit the topstitching, or topstitch the front, stop before the seam, then topstitch the back, stopping before the 2nd seam.
4. Fold over the top about 1.5".

You can vary the shape of your fabric baskets by changing the measurements for the box corner. The width of the basket will be twice the measurement you make for the box corner. eg: If the box corner is 1.5", the width of the basket will be 3", as for the basket above. The height of this basket is also larger. 

The middle sized basket has a box corner of 1.75", making the width of the basket 3.5" wide.

I think the smallest basket is my favourite. It's like a little box. Experiment with the jeans that you have on hand. You can make your baskets tall or short, wide or thin, depending on what you will be putting in your denim fabric baskets.