Christmas Stockings

My header refers to crafts, as in not-just-knitting, but it seems that i spend far more time knitting than anything else. I do really enjoy other crafting things, like, for example, SEWING!!!

So, I present, SEWING!!! With PICTURES!!!

A couple of years ago, when I first got my sewing machine, I had this sudden idea to make stockings for my nieces and nephews (5 of them at the time) using pieces cut from my Dad's old shirts and/or jeans. It hadn't been a year yet since he had passed away, and it was the first Christmas without him. They were a big hit with everyone, and my younger brother and his wife, who didn't have kids at the time, were hoping that when they did have kids I would make one for them too. I didn't tell them at the time, but I had set aside enough fabric squares to make at least 2 more.

So, now that they had the boys, I wanted to make them stockings too. I kind of wanted to surprise them, but my brother had asked about the stockings back in September...

I pieced the fabric squares together, trying to get a mix of the different patterns. Most of the fabric is from shirts/jeans from my dad, but there are a few squares cut from a scarf of my mom's too.


I stitched the squares together and cut out my template (which I had saved from the first 5 stockings, thankfully!). I was using thin batting which a backing of scrap fabric for the front "quilted" piece, and some solid colored fabric for the back and the cuff.


It took a couple of days after they had been assembled before I had time to finish them. I had them lying on my floor where I would admire them and think about Christmas, my Dad and the babies. I was feeling proud of myself and my craftiness, when I noticed this:

Yes. That is a large, gaping spot where I failed to get the top sewn together properly. Yes, I only noticed it 3 days after I sewed the back to the quilted front. Yes, I was very very relieved that I noticed it BEFORE I sewed on the cuffs. Yes, this does nothing to curb my tendency to procrastinate and be distracted by other projects, because I wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't procrastinated/been distracted by other projects.

So, crisis averted, I managed to get the top fixed with a minimum of swearing, it is Christmastime, after-all, and I continued on my merry way.


the letters for their names are out of fimo-type clay

So, now they are boxed up and on their way to my brother & sister-in-law's, hopefully will arrive before Christmas... Go Canada Post Go!!