Custom Christmas Stockings
I started with this...
And ended up with these...
Would you like to make your
own?
Supplies:
- Cotton fabric*
- Optional: Batting for a quilted look
- Optional: Ruffles**, piping, tassles, pom pom trims, etc.
*After making your fabric piece, take it with you to the store so you know how much fabric to buy!
*You can buy or make ruffles. I made mine using a ruffler foot for my machine (I got mine for $20-25 on eBay and LOVE it!!!!!!!), which allowed me to use a printed fabric of my own choosing. You can also buy pre-made ruffles at the store if you want.
Directions:
Using freezer paper (or
other paper on a roll, like wrapping paper), draw out
your stocking design, adding five inches at the top if
you want the top to cuff over. Mine measures 20" from
top to heal, and 11" from heal to toe. If you have a
stocking you like the size & shape of, just trace
it.
Cut out two lining
pieces using your pattern piece one time right side up
and another time upside down so your pieces are
opposite, like this. These will be the inside of your
stocking. You can either use a solid piece of fabric, or
do a fun print down low and the top 5" or so in a solid
fabric which will fold over to add names to the
stocking.
If you're making a
stripy or patchwork stocking, like my "Landon" or
"Austin" stockings, sew fabrics together how ever you
like,
then iron your piece nice
and smooth.
Cut out the stocking
shape the same as you did your lining. (Two symmetrical
pieces)
If you're making a
patched foot stocking, like my "Bo" stocking, cut out a
heel and toe piece, (I did this to make a pattern)
then use heat & bond to
adhere it to your stocking.
Then, use a decorative or
zig zag stitch along the inside edges. I used a star stitch
to look like snowflakes.
If you want to add
names to the stocking, remember to place the name upside
down, like this, so it's right-side-up when you fold it
over.
I used machine
embroidery, but alternatives to
embroidery include:
1- Writing the name in elmer's glue and sprinkling it with
glitter (If you choose this option, wait and do it very last,
after the stocking is complete, then let it dry fully before
handling.)
2- Cut letters out of fabric and iron them on with
heat-n-bond. You can stitch around the edges afterwards if
you wish.
3- Freezer paper
stenciling
Now let's make a loop
to hang the stocking from... cut a rectangle piece for
each stocking, measuring 10" x 4", and a piece of
fusible interfacing measuring 9 1/2" x 2". Iron the
interfacing to the center of the rectangle.
Fold the edges of the
fabric over the interfacing,
then fold the strip in half
to make a nice long strip with turned under edges. Sew it
shut, then set it aside for later.
Optionally, if you'd
like to add a layer of quilt batting for extra fluff,
now's the time. It's really only necessary to quilt the
outer layers of your stocking- so you'll just need two
pieces of batting cut to the stocking shape. Sew it to
your stocking using lines, Xs, or swirly designs like
quilters do. This was my first time to try out my
free-range quilting foot, which I found both fun and
slightly frightening. Although it's far from perfect I
think it turned out just fine considering I had no idea
what I was doing. My advice if it's your first time to
quilt batting is to draw out the shape of your lines on
paper, then practice sewing those lines onto some scraps
til you're comfortable with it. Then, start on the BACK
piece of your stocking at the TOP of the piece since
that'll be folded over under the cuff so no one will see
that part when the stocking is finished. The more you
practice quilting the batting, it the better it looks :)
OK, let's start
assembling all these cute pieces and turn them into a
stocking!!! At this point, I switched to using my
serger, but if you don't have a serger then a sewing
machine will be fine- though I'd choose a short stitch
length to make a stronger stitch. We'll start by serging
PART of the lining together. So, lay your two lining
pieces on top of each other, right sides together, and
serge from the top, half way down (to just above where
it starts to curve). The blue pins mark the area that I
serged.
Repeat with the outer
stocking pieces. Unfolded, the pieces look like this:
Now, we're going to sew
the top seam together, so lay the lining and outside
piece on top of one another, right sides together, like
so:
*Make sure that your seams
line up!!
Now STOP! Before you
sew. If you want ruffles or piping to stick out the
edge, then put it in place now!!! The pretty edge should
be sandwiched inbetween your outer piece and lining
piece, with all the raw edges together, sticking up at
the top. THEN sew this edge shut so that the
piping/ruffles stick out the right way when you unfold
it. Unfolded, it looks like this... Are you getting
excited yet???
Fold the stocking in
half, right sides together, like this.
Sew around the entire
edge, starting with the outer stocking fabric and ending
with the lining fabric. Leave a generous open spot in
the lining (mine was 6 inches) to fit your fist and
bulky stocking through to turn it out. Turn the stocking
right-side-out through that hole, and sew the hole shut.
No one will see where you sewed it shut since it's the
lining.
ALTERNATE METHOD for
people w/ a serger... If you want to keep the lining
bulk free and prevent it from riding up, then serge the
side opposite the side you already serged, leaving the
foot portion on both ends open. Then turn it
right-side-out, and then tuck the outer part of the
stocking INSIDE the lining, so that the LINING (which
will be on the inside of the stocking) is facing OUT,
and the outer fabric is facing IN, and serge the foot
portion of the stocking together. I like the result from
doing it this way, but it was a pain to get all the
layers of fabric to catch in the serger so as not to
have any holes, and it was a pain to keep it from
leaving a funky pointy spot where the two seams meet. If
you can handle that better than me, you may prefer this
method, but on the other three stockings I just did the
regular sewing method listed in the previous step.
.
Tuck the lining inside
the stocking, iron it if needed, then cuff the top over
if you made a cuff.
Last, place your loop
piece in place, and sew it down. If you have a cuff, sew
in a way that you do not sew through the cuff too. I
just nudged the cuff up out of the way when sewing.
There's more than one way to
attach your loop, but the way I did it was to sew this shape
right through the front, loop, and back of stocking at
once.
Once I put the cuff back in
place, this seam is completely hidden.
Now, hang your
stockings up, take a bow, and enjoy some milk and
cookies you fabulous little Christmas Elf!
Here's a closer look at mine... it has a triple layer of
ruffles! A girl has to have her ruffles you know.
And here's my hub's... no girlie frills here... though I did
sneak in the cute star stitch on the patches :)
And our boys' coordinating
stockings... I wanted to do the little pom pom thingies
sticking out but the hubs ruled that too "girly" so they each
have a simple piping edging, which I find rather classy.
And the little blip of
lining fabric at the top (spots in Landon's and stripes in
Austin's) was actually just an afterthought. I intended to
have theirs just white at the tops, but when I was cuffing
them over I went a little too far and liked how it looked.
.
Last, if you decided to
do this project yourself, please send me a photo of it
with your name and what state you're from! I've recently
decided to start featuring my readers' finished
results.
PS- Do you
want
a tree skirt to match? Check out this tutorial!!!
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