And the stockings were hung...

by the chimney with care... after being homemade of course! :)

So this year, after YEARS of wanting to make my own stocking, I put together a stocking making night with the roommates (old and new) Danica, Stefana and Marisa. We all headed to the fabric store and picked out our fabrics. Which, let me tell you, at M & L Fabrics Discount Store, can be an overwhelming task. Once we all made our decisions, we all chose fabrics that were so perfect for our personalities and then we got home and got started!

We put some Christmas music on, Stefana made some Christmas cocktails and the fun began! We spent the next several hours cutting and laughing and sewing and singing until finally we were all finished. I made a stocking for both myself and my boyfriend:

I went to put our names on them but I felt like it made them look kind of tacky and it made them lose the simplistic look, so, nameless they shall remain.

Danica made a stocking for herself, her husband and even a paw shaped one for their puppy George :)

Stefana made three also, one for herself, one for her boyfriend and an extra because there was so much cute Dr.Seuss fabric she didn't know what to DO with herself. Haha.

Once we were finished I was so proud of all of us, especially Stefana who really didn't have much sewing experience beforehand and who was determined to do everything herself. They turned out great, especially for a first timer!

The next day I got to thinking about how much fun I had and how easy it really was to make and decided to make one more, document it, and do a little tutorial on it so, here it is! :)

(Note: It may seem a little long but I tried to be as thorough as I could in case anyone wanted to try it themselves. If you do, remember, be patient and most importantly be creative!)

Materials
1/2 yd (exterior)
1/4 yd (cuff)
1/2 yd (lining) (can be the same as the exterior if you’d like)
20" x 30" piece of batting (preferably Warm and Natural)
6 " ribbon for hanging loop
Coordinating thread (optional, white is always fine)

*These measurements will leave you with leftover fabric

The wonderful stocking template I got from FabricWorm and you can find it here.

The cuff template I created myself because I am so OCD I couldn't just free cut it. So i got some printer paper and taped pieces together measuring 16" x 9".

Exterior: Lay the fabric wrong side up and fold the right side of the fabric over about 13 inches (so that the pattern fits on it). Lay the pattern piece on top to be sure that it fits.

Remove the template and repeat the steps with the batting and lining (So that they are all laying on top of each other as seen below)

Pin stocking template to all layers of fabric.

Cut around the template, making sure to cut through all three layers (which should all be folded in half, leaving you with six pieces of fabric.)

As you can see here

To assemble the body of the stocking, put the two exterior body pieces right sides (or, as some people say, pretty sides) together. Put the batting on the wrong sides of the exterior fabric. As you can see in the picture below, you will have a layer of batting, two layers of fabric (right sides together) and then another layer of batting.

Pin in place.

Sew the four layers together with a 1/2" seam allowance.

Trim the batting from the seam allowance if necessary to help reduce bulk. Also, make small snips around edges TOWARDS the inside of the stocking, being careful not to snip your seam. This way the fabric can bend.

 

Turn right side out and press with iron.

It's starting to look like a stocking!

 

Interior: Put your lining pieces right sides together. Sew them together leaving about a 4” gap on the heel side that will be used later to pull the stocking through. (I marked on the photo below where I left an opening on the left side, about two inches down) Snip the round edges. Set aside for later.

 

Cuff: To make the cuff I used my 16" x 9" template and cut my fabric.

Use your iron and press the piece in half (like a book)

Sew together the open side.

Turn the cuff inside itself like the photo below so it’s folded at the bottom and the raw edges are at the top. It should make a tube you can stick the stocking in.

Stick the cuff on and around the top of the stocking, matching the raw edges and making sure the seams line up together.

Stick the whole thing into the lining. The stocking and lining should be right sides together.

Again, make sure all of the the raw edges meet together at the top (lining on the outside 2 cuff edges, and the sewn together exterior and batting edges).

Grab your  6" piece of ribbon and fold in half. Place the ribbon between the cuff and the lining along the back body seam of the stocking, like the photo below (the hole that you left is also useful to make sure that your ribbon is straight and in place). Make sure that all seams and the ribbon match up evenly.

Sew all the way around the top. Make sure you catch all the layers (lining, cuff edges, loop, stocking).

Turn the whole thing right side out using the hole left in the side of the lining.

You're almost finished!

Finish turning it inside out and press and sew up the hole in the side of the lining.

Stuff the lining inside the stocking and fold the cuff down. Press the edges as needed.

Aaaaaand viola! All done! I was so happy once I finished my stockings and am glad I was able to share it with you. Now, to fill them with fun treats for everyone! :) Stockings were always my favorite part of Christmas. My grandma had knitted stockings for us that grew with every item put in them. They were like Mary Poppins' bag, just never ending. It was so much fun.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments on this tutorial. Keep it mind, it was my first, so be kind. Haha.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! :)

xoxox,

shea