A few weeks ago I wanted to make a birthday gift for a sewing friend. I’ve had this basket in my head for a while now, ever since the scalloped hem emerged everywhere in sewing land! I thought it would make a cute gift with some handmade bias tape and buttons. And, I can’t lie, I was in NEED of a project to sew with some of my Warp & Weft Koi stash! It’s been sitting for far too long and I was dying to make something with it.

I think this little basket even qualifies as zakka! I’ve been intrigued by zakka since reading the blog tours for Patchwork Please (Ayumi Takahashi, Pink Penguin), and Zakka Handmades (Amy Morinaka, Chick Chick Sewing). I think I might be a bit late to the game, but I’m okay with joining the “trend following” masses – the projects are so pretty!

Here is the definition of zakka according to Wikipedia:

photo VIA

Vague enough for you?! Zakka could be almost anything!

I used a little piece of almost every piece of my stashed Koi in this project, leaving out only my daughter’s favorite “The Way of Flowers” for another special project! “Don’t be Koi” for the bottom of the basket, “Scalloped Edge – Gray” for the sides and “Pennants Waving – Ivory” for the inside and top edge detail. Rashida Coleman-Hale outdid herself on this line – it’s gorgeous. You can see the whole (GOTS organic certified) line here. And the deep purple “Don’t be Koi” adds to the just-emerging quilting cotton purple palette. For some reason, not many designers have focused on using purple until now.

I think I am going to make a few more of these with Rashida Coleman-Hale’s Tsuru fabric line. Hopefully using up some of my gorgeous fat quarters I bought from Fabric Spot in the spring. Maybe in different sizes – taller, wider, nesting baskets? Maybe one with a handle? I’d love to know what you would make!