Sewing through the Story: Christmas Stocking

“Go and visit her,” Mac suggested. “Girls like it when you take action. Or so Lottie tells me.”

“I can’t!” Jasper said. “Ella’s mum says I’m only allowed up to visit once a term. And if I go up before half term I won’t be able to go at Christmas, and I’ve got this great plan to put together a Christmas stocking for her…”

I’d been hearing about the Christmas stocking plan since July. It wasn’t all that great that it needed six months’ preparation, trust me.

Secrets, Schemes & Sewing Machines

Jasper says: Make one big one for holding all your presents, or lots of little ones to fill with chocolate and hang on your Christmas tree. Start now, and you could make them for your whole family by Christmas…

Katy says: For the purposes of this demo, I made a smaller stocking to hang on the tree – mostly because when we unpacked our Christmas stockings last December it turned out we had enough to have more than two each, and Santa just doesn’t bring that many presents!

Christmas Stocking

Supplies:

Red felt

White, coloured or patterned felt

Newspaper and pen

Red and white ribbon (optional)

What to do:

Draw out your stocking to the size you want on the newspaper, then cut it out

Fold your felt in half, and pin the stocking pattern to it

Cut around the stocking shape to give you two identical felt stockings

Draw a star shape (or a Christmas tree, or whatever festive shape you fancy!) on the newspaper and use it to cut out one shape from the patterned felt

Pin the shape to the middle of the front piece of your stocking and, using an embroidery needle and three strands of embroidery thread, sew all the way around it using blanket stitch or whip stitch, removing the pins as you go

Pin the stockings together with the right sides facing out and tack around the sides and bottom with a loose running stitch in white cotton thread, leaving the top of the stocking open. Remove the pins.

Using an embroidery needle and three strands of embroidery thread, sew all the way around the sides and bottom of your stocking using blanket stitch. Remove the tacking stitch and your stocking is finished.