Stocking Time

A friend of mine has asked me to make her 5 Christmas stockings for various members of her family.  I haven't made stockings in quite a while, so I was happy to take on this project.

For a few of them she requested specific fabrics-- an airplane theme for her grandson, an animal theme for her daughter who's a veterinarian.  I will have time later this week to go and get some fabric for those.

But one stocking is for a man, with  no other specifications.  I made that one this morning, to kind of reacquaint myself with the process.

I used this tutorial from the Busy At Home blog.  I don't know about you, but I sometimes have a terrible time understanding printed tutorials.  But this one is quite clear and easy to follow.

I did this in 2011!

Another thing I can't handle:  tissue paper
patterns!  Several years ago I made cardboard
templates out of stocking patterns, and I'm glad I did!

Another helpful hint:  the front of the stocking is backed with batting to add nice shape and body to the finished stocking.  Rather than cutting out the batting, I just pinned the front of the stocking to a scrap of batting, sewed 1/4" seam all the way around the fabric piece, THEN trimmed the batting flush with the stocking piece.  Easy!

I thought that black and gray houndstooth would be a nice accent/lining fabric.

And that chopstick is my favorite All Purpose Poker for projects like this.

 I folded over the top about 1", and added buttons and a ribbon loop for hanging.

Festive yet restrained, a stocking any man could love!