Mesh Laundry Basket Repair

So we all have one (or five) of these wire messh, pop-up laundry baskets and after even a little use they look like this...





Now you can do one of three things, let it go till it literally falls apart, throw it out and buy a new one, or fix it. "Fix it?!" I hear you cry... Well I found a way to put a patch on my basket and it is now it is working better and will last longer.

So you are thinking I'm crazy these things only cost a few dollars in the first place so either use it till it falls apart and then buy a new one or just buy a new one. I could but really what happened was I found a good one that was only falling apart on the bottom and the handle was great so I really wanted to get a few more years out of it (cause I looked and can't find another like it).

So you are gonna try this fix? Well here is what you need...

A pack of double fold bias tape (or binding) I think I bought the 1" size.
Thread
Pins
Sewing Machine (optional)

You could make your own bias tape but I chose not too do that. It is easy and you could look up how to do it if you want to just use some fabric you have on hand.

Step 1: Measure and cut your bias tape for one side of the basket.

Step 2: Pin the bias tape in place.

Step 3: Sew the bias tape using either your sewing machine or a needle and thread. If you use a sewing machine then be careful working around the wire mesh, and I recommend using a zipper foot. I used my machine and it didn't give the best results but was quicker, and hey it is still just a cheap laundy basket. I'm not sure I would have done better with a needle and thread and my 2 hands but you may if you are careful.

Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 on the other sides.

Voila your basket is now sturdier for a while longer. You're welcome.

Introducing.... Preparing Thanksgiving Dinner...?

You are thinking, you know what Thanksgiving dinner is nothing new, The Pilgrims and Indians celebrated it hundreds of years ago. I know that, I do, really. But when I was growing up we almost never had Thanksgiving at my house and even if we did we didn't prep all the food ourselves, other family members would bring dishes to contribute. I grew up with all my family living about 30 minutes away from me, my Grandparents (on both sides), aunts, uncles and cousins. So every year I eat a lot of Thanksgiving dinners. We would have one at my moms side and one at my dad's side. When I was in my 1st year of college I also started to attend a dinner at my boyfriends families as well. Then I got married (to previously mentioned boyfriend), and not only attended the two dinners at my grandparents, and my in laws but my parents also started to have one with just my sister, me and my husband (and our kids once they came along). So "in my prime" I was eating about 4 FULL Thanksgiving dinners every year.

If at this point you are tired of my "life story" then you can skip to the point of this blog that will be marked with *** down towards the bottom.

Then something wonderful happened 2 years ago in 2009 my husband had to travel for work the first week in November for 2 weeks. It promised to be a hard, grueling and torturous assignment so for moral support I accompanied him. We sent our, then 2 1/2 year old, daughter to her grandparents. Then we packed up our bags and got on the plane and flew to Hawaii (I told you torturous). I spent my days lounging on the beach of Waikiki, strolling the open air markets, visiting the pool, taking naps, and seeing the Polynesian Center, while my husband worked. At night we went out for walks on the beach, nice diners, drives up the coast and swimming in the ocean.

When we got back we were exhausted. I do mean that literally. In once sense we were recharged in another we were so tired of travelling. So we told out families (to their disappointment) "We are not coming to Thanksgiving this year!" To that we were kinda given the "well can we come down to see the grandchild" And we said "No!"

That is how it all began.

So now we are getting ready for our 3rd Thanksgiving "On our own." Last year both of our families came down and we had more people here then we had beds for and more people here then we had chairs for at dinner. To top it all off I was 8 month pregnant with our 2nd daughter.

Our 1st year was just us, but we didn't have lots of time to prepare for it, plan menu items and prep food. So it was a "small" (the turkey was a 20lb+ number) meal with few items on the menu but plenty of food.

Our 2nd year we got something from everyone and it was a large meal and very hectic (did I mention I was 8 month pregnant?).

*** This year we are planning ahead. We are not having any family in from out of town and haven't invited any "locals" over (yet). And that brings me to the point of this blog.

I am going to be giving recipes for our menu items here and helping you (who are not veteran Thanksgiving meal makers) prepare for the big day.


Today is step 1. If you choose to get a fresh turkey then NOW is the time you need to be ordering it. Call a local butcher or such and get that baby ordered. Then you just pick it up when you are ready (for us that will be Wednesday before Thanksgiving).

Cloth Napkins (Reduce, Reuse)

Well it dawned on me when I was filling the napkin holder for the millionth time lately that we use just plain too many napkins. Now I have a young child and a husband so napkins get used a lot at meals to wipe messy faces. So decided that cloth was the way to go. I do plenty of laundry so throwing some napkins in with a load seems like no big deal.

So after convincing my husband this was a good idea I went off to buy fabric. I didn't buy anything special as far as a material but I did find some pretty fall fabric (cause Turkey Day is right around the corner). I also bought some Christmas fabric and a pretty cream colored with white snowflakes so I would have a Christmas set and a winter in general set. (You can see these fabrics to the right.)


Here is what I bought
2 yards of each kind of fabric.
Tread
(Wow that is complex)

You will need to decide what size you want your napkins to be. A typical "Dinner" napkin (like you would get at a fancy restaurant) is about a 16" square. I made mine more like the size of a typical paper napkin at about a 13" square.
With a 16" square (and standard 45" fabric) 2 yards will get you about 8 napkins, a 13" square will get you about 12 napkins.
I was more concerned with with quantity over size, even if I used them for Thanksgiving dinner they don't need to be so big in my book, but you are making your own custom napkins so they can really be what ever size you want.

Step 1: Cutting
First wash and iron your fabric, I ironed the fold down the center the fabric back in so that it would make cutting easy for me.

I cut 14" squares (to make 13" when finished), but first cutting a strip of fabric 14" wide off the fabric (width wise).

Then cut 7" off the FOLDED side (you know cause 7x2 is 14). 

Then measure 14" on the remaining fabric (for me I only had to cut off about a 1/2" from the salvage edge).



Do this for all of your fabric.

I then ironed all the fabric to remove the crease from the folded line in the fabric.

Step 2: Pining and Mitering
Next turn in a 1/4" seam and iron flat

Turn it in one more time at 1/4" so you have a double fold seam.

I added 2 pins in the center of the side at this point.

Repeat in a clockwise or counterclockwise if you are left handed (heh heh heh) around the other 3 sides.

Now if you choose you can add some more pins and sew your napkin like it is with the square corner. I chose to Miter my corners to make them look sexy. So if you don't want sexy napkins then skip to Step 3.

To miter....
1. Open your corner and locate the square made by the folds from your hem (I drew lines with a vanishing fabric marker to make it easier to see in pictures but you don't need to do that).

2. Cut the corner off above the square.

3. Fold the corner back down, the fold will be at the bottom corner of the square (I circled the point on my picture to help you see it)

4. Now refold your 2 sides at the original crease lines. And pin.

5. Repeat step 1-5 on the other 3 corners.

Step 3: Sew
Now sew close to the inside edge of your hem (but not so close that you go off the hem like I did oops). Stay as straight as possible and stitch around the napkin, making nice 90 degree corners in your miter.

TaDa! You have a napkin.

Now you just need to repeat Steps 1-3 for each napkin. Don't worry they get quicker as you go.