This year, it's going to be a tight Christmas, so I've decided to hand make as many gifts as I can. Starting with the little ones' stockings! I've been seeing several pins each day, on Pinterest about making your own stocking. Instead of using a tutorial, I thought that I would free-hand it and sew it by hand.
This past summer, while visiting my husband's Aunt, she had cleaned out her closet and was ready to give five or so bags of clothing to charity. I took almost everything! I figured I could either wear some things, or use it all for sewing projects. Two lovely, but too big, sweaters have now been used to create stockings.
I don't have any photos of the original sweaters, as I have had them cut up for months. They just needed sewing.
To make a stocking, take a sweater and turn it inside out. You can use a stocking you already have to use as a stencil, download a template (Martha Stewart has a good template), or you can draw it freehand. I chose freehand, which is why mine look a bit skinny. I think I'll try a template the next time I try this.
Trace around your stocking/template, or draw a a general stocking shape onto your sweater with tailor's chalk. If you don't have chalk, you can use pencil, pen, marker or drawing chalk. Use whatever you have on hand.
Once you have two pieces, pin them together, making sure the edges are as close as possible, all the way around.
Once you have pinned the edges together, you can start sewing. You can do this with a sewing machine, but as I am fairly new to using the machine, I thought I'd hand sew this. I used a backstitch all the way around, to make it as secure as possible.
You can turn down the top of the stocking and add embellishments, or you can sew a cuff onto it. I took two spare bits of fabric and measured them to the width of the stocking. I sewed the fabric together to make a cuff and pinned the cuff to the stocking, right side out. I sewed all the way around, as close to the top of the stocking as possible, with matching thread.
Here are the final products--sorry for the wrinkles!
Big C's stocking
Little C's stocking. I added a bit of lace to the edge for a bit of girly-ness.
All in all, a success. Two small stockings for two small kiddies. I don't think they'll really care as to what they are; they'll be more interested in what's inside!
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