Small, hanging, patchwork fabric basket.

After some thought about the storage side of my mini hamper of hair accessories gift, I decided that what Venetia really needed was some sort of hanging storage for all her bits and pieces, and that this needed to be in the small space in her room between her mirror and the door - since this is where she stands and does her hair. Something hanging so conveniently right there is hopefully going to help her keep it all tidy, and avoid hair clips and bands being scattered all over the house! Once this decision was made, I didn't have a whole lot of scope for what to make, since it really is quite a narrow space.

I decided on a hanging, fabric basket. I had a look at this 1 Hour Fabric Basket tutoial on Craftsy. It's basically very similar to the one featured on Crazy Mom Quilts a couple of weeks ago, just with different sizing. So I used this method, but with my own sizing requirements, and instead of adding side handles I put in 3 small tabs at the back for the hanging element.

It was all looking perfect and holding its shape pretty well, but then I realised that holding its shape whilst sitting neatly on the table next to me would be quite different to holding its shape when hanging on a wall from those back tabs. It was obvious that as soon as I put it into a hanging position it would gape forward badly.

I added some extra, emergency 'quilting lines' to try and strengthen the structure, and tried a bit (quite a lot in fact!) of spray starch, but clearly it was still going to gape. So I sewed in a very basic pleat at the front, and that did the trick well enough.

It was then crying out for a fabric origami butterfly to be sewn over the pleat.

And my plan is to insert a nice stick, or piece of driftwood, in the tabs at the back, screw a couple of largeish hooks into the wall and hang the stick on the hooks. So it will look like this, imagine the hooks...

And here it is in the space it will eventually hang, happily it does fit nicely!

But I think she could do with another one underneath, so there's room in each for a quick rummage without anything spilling out, and so she can fit in her life saving 'tangle tease' and maybe some detangling spray! I can go for the same again, adding the pleat to avoid the gaping forward, but has anyone got a better idea for a design?

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts again this week. Have a great weekend.

Sally.