These instructions are copyright 2008 Summer Louise Truswell. You may print one copy for your own personal use or to make items as gifts. If you'd like to reprint in a newsletter please contact me for a print-ready layout.
Early Christmas morning, we would sneak down the stairs and into the family room, trying to slip past Mom’s sharp hearing. Of course, our army of feet (six children!) would wake our parents, and they would usually enter the room moments after we had found the stockings. Each stocking had been lovingly sewn with our names, so it was very clear which stocking belonged to each child. We even had a stocking for the family pet, although it was a miniature size.
These instructions and photographs are for a miniature stocking. They will work for a large stocking as well. The stocking is lined. I highly recommend lining your stocking, as it makes it sturdier, in addition to keeping the needlework cleaner. You can skip the lining step, if desired. The size of the stocking is dependent on your finished needlework piece and you will need to purchase your backing and lining fabric based on that.
Materials Needed:
· Stitched needlework piece to be made into stocking
· Backing material
· Lining material
· Twisted cording for trim
· Tassel, if desired
· Sewing thread
· Scissors
Directions:
Wash and block your needlework piece, if desired.
Layer the fabrics in the following order: two layers of lining fabric with right sides facing, backing fabric with right side up, needlework piece with right side down facing backing fabric. Cut all four pieces of fabric, leaving generous margins.
Lay the front of the stocking on a lining piece with right sides together. Sew a seam along the top edge of the stocking. Repeat with the backing fabric and the second piece of lining fabric.
Fold the lining back from the stocking and finger press in place.
Lay the front of the stocking and the back of the stocking together with right sides facing. Make sure that the top edges of the stocking are perfectly matched. If desired you may pin each side. You will be skipping two-three stitches there to allow for later insertion of the twisted cording.
The turning of the stocking will be done through a hole in the lining. Begin at the bottom of the lining fabric and sew the back and front of the stocking together by traveling around almost the entire perimeter of the stocking and lining. Remember to skip two-three stitches where the lining meets the backing and stocking. Finish your seam with at least three inches for turning.
Use a pair of sharp scissors to trim the seam by clipping corners grading the curves slightly. Don’t get too close as the canvas will unravel a little bit.
Turn the stocking right sides out. If needed, reach in with the eraser end of a pencil to push out the sewn edges of the stocking. From the outside finger press the seam down and gently shape into place.
Fold the raw edges of the lining fabric back into the lining and finger press in place. Use matching sewing thread to sew the seam closed. I use a narrow zigzag with a sewing machine.
Push the lining fabric down into the stocking.
Starting on the toe side, insert one end of the twisted cording into the space with missed stitches at the top of the stocking. Use matching sewing thread to carefully sew the twisted cording to the stocking. The sewing thread should sit down in the bumps between the different twists of cord. Sew the cording down around the toe of the stocking and back up to the top. Travel around the cuff of the stocking and back to the back. Loop up the excess cording to make a hanger. If you wish to add a tassel then loop it over the twisted cording hanger at this point. Insert the other end of the twisted cording into the space and sew closed.
Admire your finished miniature Christmas stocking!
1 comment:
I am just about to finish a little xmas stocking and will use your instructions for it.
Thank you very much for the tutorial :-)
Pierrette =^..^=
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