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:
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 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.
Next, cut 2 of the lining and sew together, wrong sides facing, then turn right side out.
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.
I cut about a 4 inch length of white grosgrain ribbon, folded it in half, and pinned it in the hole.
Top-stitch around and presto, chango, 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?
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!
Yoda looks completely indignant against paper garland.
Did I stop at just one stocking? NO. Did I stop at two stockings?? HELLS NO. (do people still say hells no?)
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!
