Christmas Past:

House rule #1225:  On Christmas morning many years ago, four eager girls were allowed to “sneak” downstairs (often on or before 2 a.m.), grab their Christmas stockings and run back upstairs to their bedrooms.  Each girl was allowed to open the special gifts and treats that Santa had stuffed in their stockings!  The gifts under the tree had to wait until mom and dad woke up around 6 a.m.

Christmas Present:

My new daughter-in-law does not have a Christmas stocking, gasp!  Immediately the quilting wheels started turning!

I found a free McCalls Christmas Stocking Pattern and got to work!  Sandy gave me several yards of this gorgeous Christmas plaid fabric last year.  Nice colors for a stocking!

I cut out the pattern and made a quilt sandwich for the front of the stocking and for the back of the stocking.  I machine quilted straight lines up and down and sideways with my walking foot.  I know, I know!  I need to venture from this boring technique but it just seemed easier that stressing out over quilting patterns that have the potential to head south faster than Sandy’s flying geese!

See?  Nice and neat, no stress for this quilting novice!

Next, I decided to embellish the top part of the stocking.  Did I ever mention I have a painter’s tape addiction?  I use it for all kinds of things in my sewing room…including fabric stenciling!  I tape the fabric and stencil combo to a giant plastic square ruler and paint away!  The painter’s tape easily peels off and does not leave a residue on the fabric.

Here is the result of my painting and sewing embellishment.

The hardest part of this project?  The top stitching around the top edge!  I tore out the stitching 3 times and broke 3 machine needles!  I even had to use pliers to get one of the needles out of the seam…and I thought machine quilting was stressful!

Christmas Future:

I hope my daughter-in-law loves her Christmas stocking. Now this newly married couple can continue together the traditional stuffing of the stocking!