DIY Christmas Stocking – Strip Quilting

The hardest part about making a Christmas stocking, in my opinion, is finding the right-shaped pattern. So many are too pointy, too skinny, too small, too…not what I envision to hold a bunch of fun little gifts.

Finally, just weeks before Christmas, I found a pattern I like. Sure, it’s been there since 2010 and it’s on one of my favorite sites, but why make it easy on myself? It’s this one here on the fabricworm.com blog and even has a tutorial, but I’ve discussed before time and again how I have issues with instructions. The shape is perfect, the size is perfect, but I didn’t really want a cuff and I wanted to add in the complication of strip quilting. Ok, strip quilting is really easy, I just like to make it sound hard and all fancy. It’s really just taking some fabric which can be scraps, a bundle of fat quarters or whatever you want, cutting it in strips of whatever size, then sewing it together in stripes. Quilt/top sew it down to the batting – done.

Here’s an example of a pile I gathered:

fabric pile for the man
fabric pile for the man

I had been saving the Moda Japanese-modern looking fabric for ‘just the right project’ for at least 8 years and it’s perfect for my man’s stocking (and I still have > 1.75 yards left to covet.) I cut them in strips, sewed them together, pinned the fabricworm pattern to it, and cut it out.

cut out pattern
cut out pattern

Cut out 2 pieces of batting – I prefer front and back batting, but you may not. I certainly do NOT recommend the synthetic batting you see here, but I have some left over from a Halloween project and decided to use it up. I wasn’t terribly concerned about it not being flat because once I quilted it down, I just trimmed the excess. Not a big deal.

cut out batting
cut out batting

Next, cut 2 of the lining and sew together, wrong sides facing, then turn right side out.

cut out lining x2
cut out lining x2

Put the lining in the sock, right sides facing. Start sewing an inch from where you’re going to insert your loop and stop an inch before. This gives you a hole to turn the thing all right-side-out.

lining in stocking and sew
lining in stocking and sew
hole to turn right side out
hole to turn right side out aka birthing

I cut about a 4 inch length of white grosgrain ribbon, folded it in half, and pinned it in the hole.

pin in loop to top-stitch
pin in loop to top-stitch; try not to flip the bird to the camera

Top-stitch around and presto, chango, MAN stocking.

 

MAN stocking
MAN stocking

He said it looks a little “David Bowie.” I can live with that.

So, maybe you have a kid that really wants a StarWars stocking?

Yoda Stocking
Yoda Stocking

You can’t deny the Yoda. What? You don’t have scorpion camo in your fabric stash? Pfft. here’s a different look at sewing in the right side to right side lining in and MORE Scorpion Camo!

Scorpion Camo!
Scorpion Camo!

Yoda looks completely indignant against paper garland.

Indignant Yoda
Indignant Yoda

Did I stop at just one stocking? NO. Did I stop at two stockings?? HELLS NO. (do people still say hells no?)

Baby's Stocking
Baby’s Stocking

This last one, I had a 4 fat quarter pack that I bought, loved and didn’t know what to do with (familiar theme again) so I thought I’d see if I could make a complete stocking out of it….and BAM!

Fat Quarter Stocking
Fat Quarter Stocking