Basket Crazy

I found another UFO that should be so easy to finish up. It is “Basket Crazies” by Buggy Barn. Here’s a pic of their original quilt:

And here are my twelve blocks already set into rows like the original (but rows haven't been sewn together -- and the rows may end up in a different order when finished).

But here’s the dilemma. I’ve had them ready for sashing (between the rows only) and borders for several years (four or five, maybe?). But I can’t decide what fabric to use for the borders and row sashing. Every time I audition a fabric, it doesn’t seem to work. I’ve even taken the quilt blocks to my local quilt shops and nothing has seemed to work. So what to do?

Plan A: Re-set the blocks, so that rather be a quilt that is 4 blocks wide and 3 blocks high, it will be 3 blocks wide and 4 blocks high. That way I only need to figure out what to do with borders and don’t need to build in the extra height that comes from the row sashing to make the quilt square. It will be a vertical rectangular quilt.

Plan B: Keep looking for fabric in order to finish the quilt in the same manner as the original.

Plan C: Put it back into the cupboard for another year and worry about it then.

I'm leaning towards Plan A for now.

I started looking at quilts in the to-make queue, and I think I am a little bit basket crazy. Here's the evidence.

First, as you may recall from this post, I want to make Blackbird Designs basket quilt using the Antique Fair fabric I won from Carrie Nelson at Winterfest.

Second and third: While I was at Winterfest, I took two basket quilt classes. One was Trick or Treat from Blackbird Designs “When the Cold Wind Blows” book. It is made up of about 200 five-inch basket blocks.

It is the perfect hand appliqué project to take along with you because it is only two fabrics – basket and background. I finished only one block in class – not just because I was taking my sweet time, but because the two teachers were so fun to visit with and they did a mini-trunk show during class. Proof I made one basket block in class:

The other basket class was Jan Patek’s Blessings Baskets.This is her original.

I have sewn several of the rail fence blocks, but am only partly done with the basket on one of the appliquéd panels. I’m already thinking that I will not make my quilt as wide – two appliquéd panels, separated by rail fence blocks, and with inner border and rail-fence border. But we’ll see. I expect to do this one via machine appliqué, even though I began the first basket by hand in class.

So with these three plus the Buggy Barn quilt that is my current dilemma, that makes four basket quilts in the works.

But wait, there’s more! But at least this one is done! I can't find my pattern to remember who the designer was. It was a total stash quilt – except for backing. I would have pieced the backing, but I stumbled across this fabric that was just too perfect to pass up.

And how about this cute French Country Kitchen basket quilt. The top is done. I’ve got the backing. And the binding is even ready to put on – once this has been quilted. I know, it’s small enough that I have no excuse but to quilt it myself on the sewing machine. Maybe one of these days.

Oh and don’t forget A Tisket A Tasket that is currently being quilted.

And I just remembered, I started a basket block of the month a year or so ago with Homestead Hearth. It’s another Primitive Pieces by Lynda called “Gathering Baskets”. All I’ve done is sew a few half-square triangles for it.

So that makes seven basket quilts in various stages of completion. Good grief! If I only worked on basket quilts for the rest of 2011 I probably wouldn’t get them all done. But hopefully at least a couple will get finished!