Nothing looks better at Christmas than a row of stockings lined up along a fireplace, eagerly waiting to be filled with goodies, and it's even better when you get to discover what’s been hidden in them on Christmas Day. I ran out of time for this make last year so I’m making sure I get it made with plenty of time to spare, as my current stockings are starting to look a little bit threadbare!
I was very lucky to receive some of The Craft Cotton Co. fabric for this make - the Stripes and Stars Fat Quarters. I love the colours of this Fat Quarter set; the greens and reds are just perfect for Christmas. I opted to do a striped patchwork effect for the stocking, with quilted detailing on the patchwork joins. I also opted to do a roll over top for the stocking as I like the effect it creates and I think it’s nice to see a little of the lining, especially when the fabric looks so nice!
You will need:
Pencil
Paper
Pins
Ruler
Needle and thread
Sewing machine
The Craft Cotton Company's Stars and Stripes fat quarter set, green plain
-dyed polycotton and Heritage wadding
First, make the stocking template:
Make a stocking template the size you would like – the bigger you make it the more presents you can squeeze into it! Cut two templates of this stocking - keep one template whole to do the lining, wadding, and wadding lining fabric, and with the other template, cut it into strips, mine were 4cm wide. Make sure that you number these pieces; otherwise it can get a bit confusing putting them all back together!
Now cut out the fabrics:
Cut out the lining fabric, wadding, and wadding lining fabric using the whole stocking template.
Now using the same whole stocking template, cut out the main stocking fabric (make sure you leave a 5mm seam allowance when cutting out). The layout of fabrics I chose for the strips is shown below:
Now to sew the strips together. Do this by placing two pieces right sides together and sewing down the seam. Once you have sewn them all together you should have one striped piece for the front and another for the back.
Adding the quilting detail:
Layer one piece of wadding, one piece of the lining fabric, and on piece of the striped outer stocking fabric pieces as shown:
Sew the detail you would like (as shown in the picture below). I chose to sew along the stripe joins for this and alternated between a straight stitch and a pre-set stitch on my machine that looked like a line of snowflakes.
Now to make the hanger:
Pick one of the fabrics to make the hanger and cut a strip of 24cm x 6cm - I chose to use the green snowflake.
Next, fold the strip in half length-ways with right sides facing and sew along the bottom and up the side leaving the top unsewn. Now just turn it the right way out and you have your hanging strip. Before sewing the front and back together, fold the strip in half to make the loop and pin to the back piece with the ends of the loop hanging 1cm over the edge of the back piece. I chose to place this 10cm down from the top edge to give enough space when the top edge is turned back over.
Now sew the front and back together:
Pin the front and back pieces together with right sides together - the loop will be on the inside. Now sew the whole way around but leaving the top edge unsewn. Turn the right way round.
Finally, making the lining:
Take the front and back lining pieces and place them right sides together - sew around this leaving the top edge unsewn. Leave the two pieces right sides facing together.
This lining can now be inserted into the stocking.
To attach to the stocking, fold the top of the stocking inward by 1cm and fold 1cm of the stocking lining outwards and slip stitch the two edges together.
Roll the top back over and you now have your stocking!
© By Lesley Foster at Hook, Stitch, Sew for The Craft Cotton Company 2015