Sunday, June 25, 2017

A Proliferation of Pixies

Earlier this year, I was on the lookout for a project for a swap. The guild I belong to—the NHMQG—had never done a swap before, and I wanted something interesting enough for quilters of different skill levels to sew. I had my eye on Fabric Mutt’s Pixie Basket tutorial since its debut, and those sweet mini fabric baskets seemed like a good contender.

I was smitten! My first basket came together in less than an hour, and I had all of the necessary supplies on hand. (A layer of batting and muslin gives it some substance—no special interfacing required.) I showed my creation to the guild’s board and set the swap wheels in motion.



The basket for my swap partner sewed up just as quickly as my trial run. That second basket led to two more (for quilty friends who needed a little pick-me-up), and baskets #3 and #4 led to even more (for teachers at the end of the school year). In fact, my year-to-date total is 15 Pixie Baskets! I’ve given away all but the first one I made, filling them up with gift cards or chocolates or fat quarters.

The pattern proved to be a decent way to use up scraps, and I put some cherished bits into these wee receptacles ...

These three baskets feature fabric from Rae Hoekstra, Heather Bailey,
and Lizzy House.

Fifteen Pixies are too many to fit in one picture!

Even the insides are pretty. : )

There are a few other patterns I’ve made en masse—that is, three or more at a time—including drawstring bags, totes, other totes, pouches, and tissue cozies.

How about you? Do you have any go-to patterns when you need a quick gift (or 15!)?

Linking up to Let’s Bee Social, Needle and Thread Thursday, and Finish It Up Friday ...

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15 comments:

  1. These baskets are so cute. Might have to sneak some time in today and see what I can do.

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  2. Michelle, thank you again so very much for the much needed pick-me-up. Wow - I love that you have made 15 and given away 14!!

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  3. What a cute little collection! I made one of these forever ago so thank you for reminding me the pattern exists - I'm always on the lookout for something that will work for teacher gifts or small ideas for friends. Or heck, might be a good receptacle for spare lego parts.

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  4. Zippy pouches are always my quick need something, and like you, I've given nearly all of them away. I've been thinking about pre-cutting a bunch of scraps into a standard size for a quick en masse project... Hmmm, maybe these should be a contender. :D

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  5. The pic of them all together is darling! Love this! I love to make small pillows (like oblong ones) and zippy pouches, as Sarah mentioned above. Coasters, too.

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  6. Wow....15. I've made one. I bet you'll end up making more. LOL

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  7. I like that picture of them all lined up together. They are cute in any fabric combination!

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  8. Love your baskets! I've made something similar from a free pattern on Pinterest and they were so fun to make - almost addictive.

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  9. Hi Michelle,
    Well, those are just the cutest little baskets I've seen. I have not had to make anything en masse . . . YET. I am hosting a baby shower next month (7/22), and want to make something for the guests. Mug rugs and a microwave cozy comes to mind . . . but who wouldn't want a pixie basket?? Who?!! I would like one. Look how cute they look all lined up there. I would have trouble picking just one . . . just sayin'. HAHA Thanks for sharing the tutorial - I will be checking it out. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  10. I recognize one of those baskets. :) Today is the first day I've gotten on my blog reader for a bit to see what people have been up to and saw this post. These are perfect for teacher gifts.

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  11. Adorable!!! I see some of these in my future... you know I'm such a copy cat;-) I doubt I'll be as prolific as you though, 3 of anything is my limit!

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  12. Your baskets are adorable! I love seeing your multiples and the colors you chose.

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  13. These are adorable, especially the one with the mice on it. And your pictures are great. I made three pouches once and tried to take a picture of all three. I couldn't figure out a good angle!

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  14. Cute baskets! Love the little tab handle on the ends. My state quilt guild has their convention coming up in less that 2 weeks, usually there are lots of such items as table favors. We have made tissue covers, pincushions, needlebooks, small square baskets in the past. These pixie baskets are great. Thanks for the introduction to the pattern.

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