This quilted and lined fabric basket makes an adorable housewarming gift. Show off your paper piecing skills with the cat pumpkin block, and choose your favorite fabrics to customize it for either Halloween or Thanksgiving/fall! Fill it with party napkins and rolled plasticware when setting the table for loved ones!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE INSTRUCTIONS WITH ADDITIONAL PHOTOS.

Supplies

• 1/8 yard each or large scraps of yellow, orange, cream, and burgundy solid fabric for cat pumpkin block
• (1) 4½” square, (2) 5” x 9½” rectangles, (1) 13½” x 9½” rectangle of yellow solid fabric
• (2) 13½” x 9½” pieces of lining fabric
• (2) 13½” x 9½” pieces of fusible fleece
• Cat Pumpkin foundation piecing pattern, printed at 100% scale (download printable instructions with pattern here)

Instructions

1. Cut out each section of the cat pumpkin foundation piecing pattern on the dotted line, making sure to leave space on the outer border (seam allowance). Starting with section A and continuing in alphabetical order, assemble each piece of the block in numerical order. Refer to our Foundation Paper Piecing Tips.

• Sew completed sections A, B, and C together to make the cat face.
• Add D and E to the sides.
• Add completed section F below the block, G above the block, and H on top of G.

2. Carefully remove the paper from the back of the block.
3. Sew a 4½” yellow square to the bottom of the block. Press. Sew a 5” x 9½” rectangle to the left and right sides of the block. Press.
4. Press fusible fleece to the back of both 13½” x 9½” outer basket pieces.
5. Cut out and remove 3¼” squares from the 2 bottom corners of the outer basket front and back. Repeat with the lining pieces.
6. Quilt the outer basket pieces as desired.
7. Stack the outer basket pieces right sides together and sew together on the sides and bottom.
8. Where the cutout corners are located, open up the fabric and pinch the seams together to make boxed corners. Pin or clip in place and sew using a ¼” seam allowance. Repeat for both corners.
9. Repeat steps 7-8 with the lining fabric, but leave a 3-4” opening in the center of the bottom edge for turning.
10. Leaving the outer basket turned wrong sides out, turn the basket lining right side out. Slip the lining inside the outer basket, lining up the side seams. Clip in place along the top edge and sew using a ¼” seam allowance.
11. Turn the basket right side out through the hole in the lining. Push the lining to the inside of the basket, leaving 3/8” of lining showing (the lining will roll easily over the seam allowance inside). Press, pushing out the corners. Stitch in the ditch between the lining lip and the quilted basket, going all around the perimeter.
12. Hand stitch the hole in the lining closed using a whipstitch.