Super easy Christmas Stocking

To me, the Christmas season always comes upon us far too early.  I do love Christmas, honestly, but when it seems to take over a full quarter of the year - well, for me it's a little much.  So what am I doing posting a Christmas tutorial in early October?  I guess it's mainly for all my customers who've been asking me for Christmas fabrics and projects since April (you know who you are) but it's also for the beginner sewers who want a little more time to get their heads around these things - even if it is (as I've titled it) super easy!

What you need:
Template downloadable here
Main fabric (Alexander Henry's 2D Yuletide)
Lining fabric (Robert Kaufman Ivory Solid)
Pom Pom trim (Apple)
20cm hanging ribbon
Co-ordinating colour thread

1.  Download your template.  Join it together, and cut it out.  Then take your fat quarters, fold them in half, and cut two templates out of each fabric.

2.  Lay your two main fabric pieces right sides facing, and pin.  Stitch around the edge with a half inch seam allowance, leaving the top open.  Repeat for your lining fabric.

3. Cut notches in all your curves.  This will reduce the bulk in your seams and make for smoother curves once it's the right way out.

4.  Turn your main stocking piece the right way out, and slip it inside the lining stocking piece (still the wrong way out).  Get your hands right in and have a good poke around so you line up all the seams and everything fits nicely.

5.  Along the top edge, slip the pom poms inside, bobbles down, lining up the woven edge with the top of the fabrics.  Pin into place.  Don't worry if you find this a little fiddly - it's not just you!  Carefully sew around the edge, keeping as close to the pompoms as possible.  What you want is to sew over the strings, and have the entire woven ribbon in the seam allowance.  If once you've done you can't see all the ribbon, over-sew it a little lower.  Leave a 3" gap for turning.

6.  Turn the right way out, pushing the lining fabric inside the main fabric, and getting what looks like an almost finished stocking.  Ladder stitch the turning gap closed.

7.  Turn down the top a couple of inches to make a nice soft trim on your stocking.  The last step is to stitch a ribbon hanging tab to the inside back edge of the stocking.  And then you're done.

Making this stocking makes me think of the stockings I used to get when I was younger.  I loved the fact that I always got the same things in my stocking every year.  A few surprises, maybe, but I could guarantee that every year I would get a mini can of coke, a small orange, moisturiser, and a multipack of blank cassette tapes.  There was something comforting in always getting these.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I still got the tapes long after tapes had been superseded by CD's - but I loved it.  It meant I could record my CDs and play them in my car, which was years off having a CD player.  Record/Play.  What did you get in your stockings?  Was it different every year?  The same?  Do you remember a really good stocking present?

I also have another random stocking tradition.  I probably shouldn't share this one, but in the spirit of giving, and all that.  I don't get a stocking unless I shout out the window "I believe in Father Christmas!" at the top of my voice.  After all, if I don't believe in him, he can't give me a stocking, right?  I still do it now, only I make mum do it with me.

My brother told me he remembers one year a drunk man walking past and shouting back "Me too!"

Anna x