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Ngaire's Handmade Baskets
Ngaire's Handmade Baskets
Dispatched within 2–3 days
30-day returns policy
Insured & free shipping with tracking
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Ngaire's Handmade Baskets
Handmade in Geraldine, South Canterbury
Ngaire Fennessy, 72. She learned to quilt as a young woman at her mother's machine, and for nearly fifty years she has made hand-quilted pieces one at a time in her little shop on Talbot Street. This is her final collection of baskets — around 300 are left, and the shop closes at the end of November.
"My mother taught me to quilt at this same machine. I made quilts and totes for years, until a woman at the A&P show in Timaru asked if I could make her something for her laundry — something too pretty to hide. That was the first basket. I've been making them ever since."
— Ngaire Fennessy, Geraldine, South Canterbury
What You Receive
Everything That Arrives With Your Basket
Your Handmade Basket
100% handmade. 3-layer feather-stitch quilted. Self-standing, empty or full. Your chosen design, ready to use.
Eight Designs Available
Wildflowers, Hearts & Roses, Flower Hearts, Bluebirds, Sunflowers, Cottage Garden, Butterfly Meadow, Butterflies. Each motif individually appliquéd.
Ngaire's Card
A short handwritten note from Ngaire in every parcel — her granddaughter Brooke packs them up at the back of the shop.
30-Day Returns
If it doesn't feel right when it arrives, send it back within 30 days for a full refund.
Why This Basket
Six Things You Won't Find on a Printed Basket
Every detail below is the result of nearly fifty years of making the same thing properly, and refusing to cut corners on any of it.
Real 3-Layer Quilted Build
A heavy cotton-poly outer shell, a full batting interior, and a dense feather-stitch pattern that locks all three layers together. Run your thumb across it. You can feel every stitch. That is not a print. That is real quilting.
Appliquéd, Not Printed
The motifs — from the wildflowers and sunflowers to the bluebirds and butterflies — are individually cut, layered, and stitched onto the panel by hand. They will not crack, peel, or wash off. A printed graphic is a picture of a design. An appliqué becomes part of the basket.
Stands on Its Own, Empty or Full
No wire ring, no plastic frame. The batted, quilted walls hold the shape themselves, so the basket sits up straight in the corner whether it's stuffed with washing or completely empty. It will not slump or collapse at the bottom.
Bartacked at Every Stress Point
Doubled reinforced canvas handles, bartacked at the points where handles fail. Carry a full load of washing from room to room without the seam pulling loose. Ngaire has been bartacking these handles the same way for nearly fifty years.
Roomy — 40 × 56 cm
Deep enough for a full load of washing, a pile of blankets, a basket of wool, a heap of toys — or anything that deserves a nicer home. It holds its shape instead of caving in, and it's machine washable — gentle cold wash, dry flat in the shade.
Built to Last for Years
Under her worktable, Ngaire keeps an old biscuit tin full of photos and cards her customers send in. Some have kept the same basket in the same corner for eight years and more. That is not a throwaway. It is a piece of daily life. This one is made the same way.
✦ Craft Note
"The difference between a properly quilted basket and a printed one is obvious the moment you pick it up. A true quilted piece has loft — you can feel the batting beneath the surface, and the stitching lifts the pattern into a raised relief that gives the fabric real body and weight. What Ngaire makes is the real thing: a three-layer quilted construction with hand-placed appliqué, the same approach quilters across Canterbury have used for generations. A piece built this way holds its shape and lasts for decades."
Alison Rennie — Master Quiltmaker · 30 years · Past President, South Canterbury Patchwork Guild
Where It Goes
Made For These Corners of the Home
Quality Promise
Five Things You Get With Every Basket
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
If the basket doesn't feel right when it arrives — whether it's the weight, the stitching, the motif, anything — send it back within 30 days for a full refund. No questions, no forms. Just a quick email to Ngaire and Brooke.
✦ A Note From Geraldine
Ngaire hand-finishes every basket and signs off on each one before it's dispatched. Slight variations in the quilting pattern and motif placement are a natural part of handmade construction. No two baskets are exactly alike, and that is by design. The appliqué is hand-placed. The feather-stitch is hand-guided. The bartacking is done one handle at a time. These are not flaws. They are the maker's hand at work — nearly fifty years of it.
The Details
Product Specifications
| Material | Heavy cotton-poly blend outer shell, full batting interior, wipe-clean lining |
| Construction | 3-layer feather-stitch quilting, hand-placed appliquéd motifs, self-standing walls, bartacked handles |
| Available Designs | Wildflowers · Hearts & Roses · Flower Hearts · Bluebirds · Sunflowers · Cottage Garden · Butterfly Meadow · Butterflies |
| Structure | Self-standing empty or full — no wire ring or plastic frame |
| Handles | Doubled reinforced canvas, bartacked at every stress point |
| Interior | Lined, wipe-clean interior — roomy enough for washing, blankets, wool, or toys |
| Approximate Size | 40 cm W × 56 cm H |
| Care | Machine washable — gentle cold wash, dry flat in the shade. The stitching holds because it's sewn through three layers, not glued or printed. |
| Use | Washing · Bedroom storage · Nursery · Blankets & wool · Presents |
| Maker | Ngaire Fennessy — quilting for nearly fifty years, Geraldine, South Canterbury |
| Final Collection | Around 300 baskets remain — no reorders; the shop closes at the end of November, the last baskets are available while stocks last |
| Delivery | Dispatched within 2–3 working days |
| Guarantee | 30-day full refund, no questions asked |
The Final Sale
The Final Sale
Message from the Artist:
After years of making things by hand, our workshop is closing. These are the last pieces we'll ever ship. Every item on this page was made slowly, carefully, and with more love than any factory could replicate. Nothing rushed. Nothing outsourced. Just real craft from real hands.
We're proud of every single one. We hope they find good homes.
When they're gone, they're gone — and so are we.
Shipping with NZ Post
Shipping with NZ Post
Free shipping NZ-wide
- Delivery time: 7–14 working days
- Insured: Every parcel is fully insured
🌳 Carbon-neutral shipping with NZ Post
800+ Happy Customers
Excellent 4.9
What Ngaire's customers are saying
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
My granddaughter Brooke and I personally reply to every single email — as quickly as we possibly can. Whether you have a question about your order or just want to talk craft, we're here.
You can reach us:
- Mon – Fri: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (NZ time)
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (NZ time)
Email: info@craft-folk.com
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Of course. We stand behind everything on CraftFolk 100%. If you're not happy, neither are we. Just shoot us an email within 30 days and we'll make it right — no hassle, no headaches.
How are your products made?
How are your products made?
Every single product on CraftFolk is 100% handmade — crafted by hand, using only premium quality materials. We're proud to carry on a tradition of craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations.