Christmas is right around the corner

Are you aware that it’s not long before it’s Christmas? Time goes by so fast sometimes and before you can blink twice, it’s the end of November. It is time to start thinking about the holidays.

When I think about Christmas, I think about gifts and dining with family and friends among other things. Having a dining table with beautiful Christmas decorations fills my heart with joy. And including that handmade touch is important to me as a sewer and quilter.

Looking for the perfect Christmas decorations

That’s why I search for easy but cute decorations to make for our Christmas table. It can be a challenge to find a non-traditional item for something so simple as a placeholder, right? We often fall back to the folded handwritten card or a napkin with some greenery, like some pine or holly berries.

Why not make this Christmas special? Let’s create a couple of little Christmas Stockings to go on your plates. I have a free tutorial for you with a printable template. Don’t worry, it’s an easy project you can do on a weekend or when you have some free time in the evening.

Here we go…

Printing of the Christmas Stocking template

First, you need to print out the template of one Stocking from our free resource library. It’s designed for US Letter size. You wanna make sure your print options are set on actual size or 100% to get the original measurements.

These Stockings are quite small so if you want to have larger ones to hang on your mantel, for example, you can also choose the option poster-size and enlarge the patterns to your desired size (maybe at 150%). The seam allowance becomes a little bit smaller but it doesn’t matter much for the end result.

The instructions given here are for the original size of the Christmas Stocking.

Don’t have the password for the free resource library yet? Click here and you’ll get it straight into your inbox. It’s chock-full with all kinds of patterns and templates.

By the way, in the resource library, you can also find this free Christmas pattern, a table runner to download. It is a quick project and can be finished in time before the holidays.

Materials needed for the Christmas Stocking

Besides your preferred sewing tools, like scissors, pins, and your sewing machine,

• You’ll need 2 Fat Eights in different designs if you want a different lining than the outside of the Stocking. If you like to use the same fabric for the lining you can use 1 Fat Quarter or a quarter yard.
  
  

• For the cuff of the Stocking, you’ll need 5 ¼ ”  x 6 ½ “ of neutral linen.
  
  

• When you use the sturdy canvas of the Sew Happy collection, you don’t need any interfacing or batting. However, if you’re making this with simple quilting cotton, you can add interface or batting to the pattern pieces.
  
  

• A piece of ribbon for the loop, 4” long
  
  

• The template for the Stocking from the free resource library

Cutting the pattern pieces

• Fold your Fat Eights creating the fold on the shorter end. 

Sewing instructions

• Fold your ribbon in half and sew it to the shorter side of one cuf piece, about ¼ “ away from the longer edge 

• Sew together 1 outer piece and 1 lining piece with the cuff in the middle, using a ¼” seam allowance, making sure you use the right pieces (pointing both the toes of the outer piece and the lining piece toward you) The shorter edges of the cuff are matching the top edges of the Stocking pieces.
  
  

• Press the seams toward the Stocking pieces.
  

• Do the same for the other pieces so you’ll get a mirrored version of the first pieced unit. The ribbon is placed with the lining part of the Stocking
  

• Place the two pieced units right sides together and with a ¼ “ seam allowance, sew all around while leaving an opening of 5” in the lining part.

  
  

• I trimmed the round parts of the pattern with my pair of pinking shears scissors to prevent unraveling of the fabric. Also when turning the Stocking, the seam will behave more smoothly. But that is optional.

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• Turn the complete piece and close the gap with hand or machine stitching. Give it a good press.
  

• Finally, tuck the lining into the exterior part, now the wrong sides of the fabrics are facing. You can use a wooden spoon to tuck the lining in and get the toes together nicely.

• Give it a good press again and fold the cuff down as a decorative part of the Stocking. That way the ribbon reveals itself and you can hang your Christmas Stocking.

Our winner from last week is…

Last week we had a giveaway for a copy of Martingale’s Soft Spot book. And the lucky winner is Marie Eddins. Congratulations, Marie! We’ll let Martingale know you are our winner for this wonderful ebook which they will send to you.

A fun gift or as an advent calendar

You can use these fun Christmas Stockings as a placeholder on your Christmas table. Or hang them on your mantel. But these make also fun gifts.

You can even make 24 Stockings and use them as an advent calendar. There is enough room for a small gift for all kids or grandkids. Not sure what to put into them? Holly has a big list of all kinds of Stocking Stuffers.

Let Christmas activities already start today.

Happy sewing!