Miry! Pure Awesomeness! I bow to you girl, I have never attempted handles.
Oh..you did not get the best instructions, you got pretty shakey instructions. That you managed as well as you did is simply amazing. Again, you are so right, a few booboos help clarify the right way to do things.
For sure, cut the strips first, I like to wrap 6 or 7 feet, then sew, wrap another chunk, then sew. But cutting strips is my least favorite part of the project.
If you want to make bigger baskets, buy the 100 foot roll if you can find it. It makes it so much easier than trying to join two 50 foot sections. Can be done...just nit picky. I can usually get 2 smallish baskets out of 50 feet. Shocking how the bigger baskets really use up the cord! I figure where the cord changes how it's wrapped, from coiled around the outside to being in an up and down clump, that's about the half way point. Approximately.
So..are wrapped baskets on your Christmas gift giving list? Hope so, people love them! (most people..) Miry...I am so amazed at you and Prairie Chick...wrap on!