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fabric basket

Patchwork Sewing Basket: How to Make a Small Fabric Catchall

Make a compact patchwork sewing basket with pieced cotton, foam stabilizer, a separate lining and topstitching—or adapt the idea for scraps or old jeans.

By ThatPainter Team 3 min read
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A patchwork sewing basket is a small, lined fabric catchall for notions and portable sewing supplies. The current AllPeopleQuilt pattern finishes at 8-1/2 × 4-1/4 × 4-1/4 inches and uses pieced cotton, foam stabilizer, a separate lining and topstitching. Follow its construction sequence below, or compare scrap-friendly and repurposed-denim versions if you want a different size or more organization.

What the AllPeopleQuilt pattern makes

The free AllPeopleQuilt Patchwork Sewing Basket is credited to American Patchwork & Quilting Editors, inspired by French Countryside by Renée Nanneman, and tested by Diane Tomlinson. Its finished dimensions are 8-1/2 × 4-1/4 × 4-1/4 inches, a compact size for small notions or supplies you want to keep on a work surface or take along with a project.

The pattern combines coordinated printed fabrics with foam stabilizer, a separate lining and topstitching. Its example stabilizer is ByAnnie’s Soft & Stable. The materials list specifies 10-inch squares of green, coral, white tone-on-tone, blue and gray prints for the basket body, 1/3 yard of white print for the body and lining, and a 36 × 58-inch rectangle of foam stabilizer. The cutting instructions divide these fabrics into half-square triangles, other triangle units, gray squares, long strips and lining rectangles.

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#1 Best Overall
SINGER 40355 Sewing Basket with Removable Storage Tray, Floral Print
  • SINGER sewing organizer measures 11.75” x 8” and stands 6” tall (10.25” x 7.5” x 6” excluding the handle)
  • Decorative sewing basket provides ample storage for all your sewing and crafting essentials featuring a modern day floral print travel case with a coral silken polyester interior
  • Features a coral pink trim, a matching collapsible handle, and a magnetic snap closure to keep contents secure
  • Provides a roomy main compartment as well as a removable tray insert to keep needles, thread, sewing notions, and tools neat and organized
  • Toolbox can also be used as a stylish supply organizer for embroidery and quilting essentials, craft storage, scrapbooking supplies, art supplies, costume jewelry, or beauty products

How to sew the basket

Use the pattern’s cutting list and diagrams for the exact piece shapes and measurements; the sequence below explains how the components come together.

  1. Piece the panels. Make half-square-triangle units from the green and coral squares. Add white and blue triangles to form the two pieced blocks.
  2. Join the body. Sew the blocks and gray squares together to create a body unit measuring 4-3/4 × 26 inches.
  3. Add the structure. Fuse or lightly press the body and base fabrics to the foam stabilizer. Optional machine quilting can control the basket’s stiffness.
  4. Shape the outer basket. Fold and sew the body into a box, then attach the stabilized base.
  5. Sew the lining. Assemble a separate lining, leaving a 4-inch opening for turning.
  6. Finish the top edge. Place the body and lining right sides together and sew around the top. Turn the basket through the lining opening, close the opening, then topstitch 1/8 inch from the top edge.

Choose the stabilizer and stiffness

Foam stabilizer gives the AllPeopleQuilt version its structure; ByAnnie’s Soft & Stable is the example named in its materials list. The pattern’s guidance is direct: “The denser the quilting, the stiffer the basket will be.” Quilt more densely for a firmer catchall, or use less quilting for a softer result. The pattern does not specify a single required quilting density.

Rank #2
Sale
Dritz Medium Sewing Basket Kit Filled with Essential Sewing Supplies
  • Size: 10-1/4" L x 7-1/2" W x 6" H
  • Pocket and pincushion attached to inside of basket lid
  • Magnetic snap closure
  • Color coordinated cord wrapped handle and trim
  • Removable tray for organizing small tools and sewing supplies

Compare other patchwork basket approaches

Other versions change the scale, materials or storage features, so their dimensions and construction are not interchangeable with the AllPeopleQuilt pattern.

Version Finished size Structure and features Pattern route
AllPeopleQuilt 8-1/2 × 4-1/4 × 4-1/4 inches Pieced cotton, foam stabilizer, lining and topstitching Free project page; pattern and instructions
Quilting Digest scrap-friendly basket 6 inches tall × 9 inches wide × 3-3/4 inches deep A patchwork strip can be embellished with hexagon flowers, embroidery or hand quilting; presented for projects, tools and other items Article and project, published May 17, 2025
Needle Field repurposed-jeans basket 28 cm long × 28 cm wide × 25 cm tall 8 × 6 cm patches, thick batting, quilted panels, lining pockets and small handles Project article, published January 28, 2011
NordicCrafter Patchwork Winter Mystery Sewing Basket Not stated in the cited marketplace information English Paper Piecing design; reviews dated August–September 2026 describe clear instructions and a giftable result Paid downloadable pattern/tutorial in the NordicCrafter Etsy shop
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Adapt it for scraps, jeans or extra storage

Use leftover fabric

The Quilting Digest approach is designed around a patchwork strip, making it a useful alternative when you have scraps to use. Its example measures 6 × 9 × 3-3/4 inches; embellishments such as hexagon flowers, embroidery or hand quilting change the look without changing the basic idea of a fabric catchall.

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Rank #3
SINGER Large Sewing Basket Kit, Vintage Spools, Notions Pack, 127 Count
  • Sewing Basket with Tray Insert and sewing notions is a classic way to store your sewing and crafting essentials
  • Fabric print on basket is a fun design with vintage spools; basket has a collapsible handle for ease-of-use for travel and storage
  • Interior storage plus organization with tray insert is vital for storing the essentials of the notions kit, which includes: tomato pincushion, seam ripper, 8-inch fabric scissor, needle threader, 60-inch tape measure, 100 dressmaker pins (size 17, 1 1/16-inches long), thimble, 10 hand needles, 10 mini spools of polyester hand-sewing thread (10 yards each)

Repurpose old jeans

Needle Field’s version uses denim patches, thick batting and quilted panels. Small handles make it easier to carry, while lining pockets organize items such as magazines, templates, pencils and larger tools. It is substantially larger than the AllPeopleQuilt basket, so treat its measurements and patch sizes as a separate design rather than a direct substitution.

Add pockets or handles deliberately

Pockets add organization but require planning their placement before the lining is assembled. Handles improve portability, but they also alter the pattern and need to be secured into the basket’s structure. The cited AllPeopleQuilt instructions describe a lined basket without added pockets or handles; the denim design is an example of both features in a different build.

Quick Recap

SaleBestseller No. 2
Dritz Medium Sewing Basket Kit Filled with Essential Sewing Supplies
Dritz Medium Sewing Basket Kit Filled with Essential Sewing Supplies
Size: 10-1/4" L x 7-1/2" W x 6" H; Pocket and pincushion attached to inside of basket lid; Magnetic snap closure
$22.58
Bestseller No. 4
Michley Large Premium Owl-patterned Sewing Basket with 41-PC Sewing Kit, 10.5-inches by 8-inches by 6.7-inches
Michley Large Premium Owl-patterned Sewing Basket with 41-PC Sewing Kit, 10.5-inches by 8-inches by 6.7-inches
Owl-patterned fabric; 41-Pc sewing Kit inside; Carrying handle and latch; Removable plastic tray
$27.99
Best Value
Hobby Gift Medium Sewing Box Organiser
  • Medium Sewing Storage Box: Practical medium-sized sewing box designed to organise threads, tools, and accessories neatly for home sewing, crafting, and hobby use
  • Internal Organiser Tray: Includes a removable accessories tray to separate needles, bobbins, scissors, and small sewing items for tidy and efficient storage
  • Integrated Pin Cushion & Pocket: Features a built-in pin cushion inside the lid and an internal pocket to keep pins and small accessories secure and easy to locate
  • Sturdy Carry Handle: Features an integrated top handle for easy lifting and transport between rooms, classes, or craft workspaces
  • Size & Easy Care: Measures approximately 10 x 7.3 x 5.7 inches, offering useful storage capacity without bulk; spot clean only, contents not included
Rank #4
Michley Large Premium Owl-patterned Sewing Basket with 41-PC Sewing Kit, 10.5-inches by 8-inches by 6.7-inches
  • Owl-patterned fabric
  • 41-Pc sewing Kit inside
  • Carrying handle and latch
  • Removable plastic tray
  • Basket measures 10. 5 x 8 x 6. 7 inches. Note: The measurement of 10.5 x 8 x 6.7 inches is the same as 11 x 8 x 7; the one on the label is just rounded to the nearest inch.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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