Martha's Handquilted Sheep Laundry Basket
Martha's Handquilted Sheep Laundry Basket
Solid untreated cedar — naturally weather-resistant, no varnish, no chemicals
Copper roof — keeps the rain out and ages into a beautiful patina
Mixed tunnel sizes — welcomes mason bees, mining bees and many other wild species
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Martha's Handquilted Sheep Laundry Basket
Hand-Quilted in Sheep Hollow Cove, North Carolina
Martha "Marty" Hensley, 66. Appalachian quilter. Has been making quilted sheep baskets in her sewing barn in the Blue Ridge Mountains for twelve years. The barn closed in June. This is her final collection.
"I kept them to myself for a long time. The totes were what everyone asked about. The baskets were just mine. But I can't take them with me when I close up — and they should go somewhere."
— Marty Hensley, Sheep Hollow Cove, NC
What You Receive
Everything That Ships With Your Sheep Basket
The Sheep Basket
Hand-quilted, self-standing. 41 × 56 cm. Four designs available.
Care Card
Marty's instructions for keeping the sheep fluffy for years.
A Note From Marty
A personal note in every box — from the woman who made it.
Free Returns
30 days. No forms, no questions. Just an email to the shop.
Why This Basket
Six Things You Won't Find on a Factory-Made Laundry Basket
Every detail below comes out of twelve years of quilting at the same Bernina her mother gave her in 1978. Nothing here is an accident.
Real Wave-Stitch Quilting
Cotton-poly face, batted interior, Marty's wave-stitch quilt pattern running all the way around. You can feel the stitching with your hands — dense, even, built to hold its shape. Not a print. Not a flat fabric slipped over a frame.
Raised Sheep Appliqués — Real Wool
The sheep on the outside aren't printed or ironed on. Each one is individually cut, layered, and stitched onto the quilted ground. The fleece is raised — soft to the touch, part of the fabric. They won't peel, crack, or wash off.
Self-Standing Structure
Stands upright on its own — empty or full. No wire frame, no internal ring. The batted quilted walls hold the shape. Set it in the corner and it stays there.
Reinforced Canvas Handles
Two doubled-canvas handles, bartacked at the attachment points — the same technique Marty has used on her totes since 1983. Holds a full week of laundry without sagging. Won't cut into your hands.
Easy-Care Interior Lining
The inside is lined with a smooth, easy-care fabric that wipes clean. No rough seams, no batting exposed. Built for daily use — laundry, yarn, blankets, whatever the basket is asked to hold.
Four Designs From the Final Collection
Cozy Meadow, Pastoral Flock, Starry Night, and Colorful Flock — each with a distinct mood. One basket. Four ways to bring a little flock into your home.
— A Letter Marty Keeps in Her Cigar Box
"Dear Mrs. Hensley — I have had your sheep basket in the corner of my bedroom for eight years. It started as a laundry basket. Now it holds my knitting, my good blankets, and whatever my grandchildren bring when they visit. It is the most-used thing in my house. Everyone who comes over asks about the little sheep. I wanted you to know."
A longtime customer — one of hundreds of handwritten notes Marty has kept since she started making baskets twelve years ago.
Where It Lives
Perfect For
Quality Promise
Five Things You Get With Every Sheep Basket
Marty's 30-Day Return Policy
Put it in your laundry room. Use it for your yarn. Let it stand in the bedroom corner for a week. If it isn't what you imagined — send it back within 30 days for a full refund. No questions, no forms. Just an email to the shop.
A Note From the Sewing Barn
Marty hand-quilts every basket and places every sheep appliqué herself, one piece at a time, on her Bernina in Sheep Hollow Cove. Because each basket is made by hand, slight variations in color, stitching, and the position of the sheep are a natural part of how each one comes out. These are not flaws. This is what handmade looks like.
To keep the sheep fluffy and the quilting in good shape for years: hand wash with lukewarm water, lay flat or hang to air dry. Do not tumble dry. The basket is made to last — treat it gently and it will.
The Details
Product Specifications
| Dimensions | 41 cm diameter × 56 cm height (approx. 16" × 22") |
| Material | Cotton-blend face fabric, quilted with batted interior |
| Sheep Appliqués | Individually cut, layered, and stitched — raised wool fleece, not printed |
| Quilting Pattern | Wave-stitch all-over quilting, wraps full exterior |
| Handles | Two doubled-canvas handles, bartacked at stress points |
| Interior Lining | Smooth easy-care fabric — wipes clean |
| Structure | Self-standing — no frame required. Holds shape empty or full. |
| Designs Available | Four: Cozy Meadow, Pastoral Flock, Starry Night, Colorful Flock |
| Care Instructions | Hand wash with lukewarm water. Do not tumble dry. Air dry flat or hanging. |
| Note on Variations | As each basket is handmade, slight differences in color, stitching, and sheep placement are natural. Not a defect — the character of handcraft. |
| Origin | Hand-quilted in Sheep Hollow Cove, NC — final collection |
| Maker | Martha "Marty" Hensley, quilting since 1974 |
| Shipping | Free shipping on every order. Ships in 2–3 business days. |
| Returns | 30-day full refund. No questions asked. |
