Christmas Stocking

I found some tinsel yarn in a charity shop a few months ago and stored it until I needed it. I have gold, red and silver, so I shall be using those, in combination with other wools, over the next few weeks, to make Christmas decorations.

I am starting with a Christmas stocking. I found this pattern on Pinterest and printed it off from this website https://www.arkathwyn.com/blog/free-pattern-classic-christmas-stocking

Having printed the two pieces of the pattern, cut them out, matched up the guide points and taped the pieces together, I cut out 2 pieces from dark green felt, for the outside, and 2 from pale green fleece, for the lining.

I folded over 2 1/2inches or 6.25cm on the right side of the piece of green felt I was going to decorate and pinned it, so I knew where the cuff would come to and would not get any of the decoration where it would get covered.

I attached the decoration to the right side of one felt piece, starting with a gold and white yarn flower with a gold button in the middle. I used both pairs of strands to attach the flower, one pair above the other pair. With all of the decorations, it is important to keep them well in from the sides, so that nothing will get caught in the seam.

I added white glitter flowers with white fabric and bead flowers on top by stitching through the felt, then through the centre of both flowers and through the bead and back through the flowers and the felt. The purple flowers are added by stitching through the flowers on either side of the centre, because of the size of the bead. The leaves are stitched down along the centre vein, starting the stitching under the flowers. These were hand stitched.

When I had added all the flowers and leaves, I placed the other piece of felt on top, pinned, tacked and stitched a narrow seam (1/4 inch or 6mm) around the sides.

I clipped the curves and trimmed the seams before turning the stocking inside out.

I cut a length of green and white braid 7 inches long. This is to make the loop to hang the stocking up.

I pinned the lining pieces together, including the loop at 2 3/4 inches from the top, with the loop inside and the ends sticking out through the seam. I pinned a 1/4 inch (6mm) seam, tacked and stitched it. I stitched 3 times over the loop of braid, so it would be strong even if I loaded lots of parcels into the stocking.

I clipped the curves and trimmed the seams. I turned under 1/4 inch (6mm) hem on the lining and the stocking and tacked them both.

I tucked the lining inside the stocking and hand stitched around the top. I removed all the tacking stitches. Then I turned over the top so there was a fleece cuff around the top of the stocking and the loop was in the right place.

I stitched a length of white lace around the cuff, with the join in the middle at the back.

The finished length of the stocking, after turning over the cuff, is 11 inches or 28cm from the top to the heel. The measurement from heel to toe is 9 inches or 23cm. The width at the top is 7 inches or 18cm.

I am entering the Christmas stocking in the following challenges.

Moving Along With The Times ‘Christmas Flowers’ http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.com/2020/11/challenge-124-for-november-xmas-flowers.html

C.R.A.F.T. challenge ‘Gift Bag or Box’ https://trimmiescraftchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/11/challenge-575-gift-bag-or-box.html

Very pleased to have my Christmas Stocking chosen to be in the top 3 at C.R.A.F.T challenge blog

A Perfect Time To Craft Open Challenge https://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.com/2020/11/a-perfect-time-to-craft-challenge-for.html

Country View challenge ‘Anything But A Card’ https://countryviewchallenges.blogspot.com/2020/11/november-2020-anything-but-card.html

Not Just Cards challenge ‘Anything Goes’ http://notjustcardschallenges.blogspot.com/2020/10/october-challenge-please-leave-in-draft.html

Allsorts challenge ‘Lace, Real or Faux or Anything Goes’ http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2020/11/week-597-lace-real-or-faux.html