When Christmas was approaching with my first baby, it suddenly dawned on me that I needed to get him a Christmas stocking. I couldn’t imagine buying one from the store. Mine is still the one my mom made me. My husband said his mom made his. I had to make this baby! Up until this point, I had only made one quilt. That was the extent of my adulthood sewing experience.
I liked my husband’s stocking, so I was going to make it with similar materials and technique. I have little creativity, so I let Hubby design the shape.
The pictures below are from my third son’s stocking, before my tutorial days, so I apologize for the gaps and poor photography. I’ll be sure to talk you through this.
Here’s what I used:
Fabric for outer stocking (main part of outside of stocking)
Fabric for cuff (top, header portion of outside where the name will be)
Trim (can use bias tape, or strip of fabric that is folded)
Accent fabric (for heel and toe patches of stocking)
Batting
Fabric for full lining of stocking
Embroidery thread
1. We started by drawing the shape of the stocking (including seam allowance) on a big piece of paper. I cut that out to use as a pattern.
2. I put the pattern over the fabric that would be the body of the stocking. I didn’t cut all the way to the top, as I knew I was going to do the top in a different fabric. I made sure I cut high enough for a seam allowance along the top for the cuff.
3. I used the pattern to cut the cuff/header portion of the outside, keeping to the shape of the pattern, and creating a seam allowance to attach to the main body.
4. I cut a strip of double-folded bias tape to use as trim, to be sewn between the cuff and body of the outside.
5. I placed the cuff and body, right sides facing each other, and slipped the trim in between them like a sandwich. I lined up all their edges and sewed them together.
6. I used embroidery thread to stitch the name onto the cuff of the front.
7. I used the pattern to cut heel and toe patches from my accent fabric.
8. I put the pattern on the batting and cut the full shape of the stocking, leaving seam allowance.
9. I put the stocking-shaped batting piece and lined it up against the wrong side of the outer stocking.
10. I sewed across the entire outer stocking and batting, making an X to quilt the pieces together.
11. I sewed the patches onto the heel and toe areas of the outer stocking, leaving an unfinished ¼” edge.
12. I used embroidery thread to sew large, exaggerated stitches around the patches on the outer stocking.
13. For the back of the outer stocking, I repeated steps 2 through 12 (omitting step 6). Be sure to FLIP the pattern so the toe points left before cutting.
14. With two complete outer pieces, right sides facing, I sewed them together along the sides, but not the top.
15. I turned the outer stocking right-side out.
16. I placed the pattern on the fabric I chose for the lining of the stocking, and cut two pieces.
17. I sewed along the edges of the lining pieces, leaving a hole at the bottom to later pull the stocking through, and did not sew across the top.
18. I cut a piece from my excess fabric I used for the outer body of the stocking. I sewed it into a tube that would later be folded into a loop to hang the stocking.
19. I stuffed my right-side out outer stocking into my inside-out stocking lining.
20. I lined up the tops of the outer stocking and stocking lining and sewed all the way around, placing the tube I made in the shape of a loop sandwiched into the seam.
21. I pulled the outer stocking through the hole in the lining.
22. I stuffed the lining into the outer stocking.
23. I top-stitched around the top of the stocking.
The steps can be confusing if you don’t have them planned out ahead of time, so I hope this helps. Have fun stylizing with your own embellishments. I’d love to see them!
Thank you for sharing this info, I really enjoyed your storytelling fashion.