I really dislike wicker baskets – storing them, using them, everything. But given that Easter baskets are often treasured by children, I set about making a collapsible one for Madeline.

I had originally hoped to get an Easter-themed reusable grocery bag (like the ones that Chico makes). They’re small and easily stored. I got a Halloween themed one for Madeline for her trick-or-treat bag, but as far as I could tell, they don’t seem to make one for Easter.

Inspired to make one, I found a really great idea for a foldable fabric one and decided to make one out of leather.

I first cut out the pattern, giving each of the flaps a contour after establishing the geometry.

With that in place, I was able to verify that the layout was roughly correct. To make the button holds, I cut two holes on either end of a line I marked, then connected the two with cuts.

Then came the sketching and burning in the design, taking care to clear all the folds and flaps.

When dyeing this, I substantially diluted the dye with rubbing alcohol, and wetted the leather considerably in hopes of getting a more even dye. I also chose to use cloth rather than a dauber, and while it come out more even than I’m used to, it was still not as even as I’d hoped.

Once dry, I could carefully paint in the details.

I applied neatsfoot oil to keep it soft and resolene to protect it. When sewing on the button, I used a spacer to ensure that there would be room between the button and leather to accommodate the flaps and the hand strap.