Baskets for Anita

I was excited to be invited to play in the Flickr Friends Bee (BeeFF) earlier this year by Sarah.  Sarah and I were partners in the placemat swap a year or so ago.  I haven't participated in many swaps as of late, but love the idea of the online bee...just doing a few blocks a month and even getting blocks made for you one of those months! 

January is Anita at BloominWorkshop's month, and she chose baskets inspired by Gwen Marston and Freddie Moran's book, Collaborative Quilting.  Anita asked for bright colored baskets and backgrounds in varied neutral prints. 

I was nervous about the basket handles because I have never appliqued, but they turned out fine and I love how the applique foot on my Horizon worked wonderfully to line up my stitching so close to the edge and the wide plastic foot smoothed down the handles as I sewed them on.  My mistake on my practice block (below) was to trim the block halves before joining them...and I didn't think about how the handles are getting wider and basket narrower as I was trying to match up the handles with the basket edges?  There really is always something to learn isn't there?
 

To see all the other pretty basket blocks everyone made for Anita, check out our Flickr group.