We are just 1 week away from the celebration of Christmas. I had a special project I have been working on. Now that it has been delivered, I can tell you about it.
For years, my family has had lovely green velvet stockings. Years ago, my oldest sister made stockings for each of her sibling’s families; and as the family grew, she added stockings. My children loved their stockings made by their aunt, and when they started their own married lives, they took their stockings to their new homes. One daughter decided that the new brother-in-law law / husbands in the family deserved hand-made stockings. She worked with her talented friends and made 3. Then, the babies started to arrive; and I gifted my Mom & Dad stockings to the first daughter, and I have been making the stockings for the grandchildren as they come along. I didn’t put any names on those stockings when I made them, as I don’t hand embroider. A couple of years ago, my daughter sent me the kids stockings back, and I was able to embroider their names on the stockings with my embroidery machine, and send them back in time for Christmas
This year, the newest granddaughter needed a stocking. I decided on deep red velvet for the “cuffs” of the stocking and dug through my supplies of cording etc. I matched my embroidery thread to the gold cording for the names.
I had “just enough” of the dark green velvet to cut out 3 new stockings – so the NEW Mom & Dad are getting new stockings to match.
I did a production line sewing marathon yesterday, stitching out the names on the red velvet; putting the cording in for the bottom of the cuff.
I referred back to a blog post I had read recently about making a LINED stocking with a cuff, and “no raw edges“ – tutorial for a stocking by Cluck Cluck Sew (Gosh I love people who write great tutorials.) My cuffs are a little different that the tutorial because of the cording and the name. (Test fitted with pins, name was upside down…duh moment……)
Anyway, the tutorial worked out well. I used muslin for the lining. Nothing fancy, but won’t be bothered if a little chocolate melts in them. The lining can be pulled out far enough to spot wash if needed. I made my own paper pattern years ago for the size/shape of the stocking boot.
I think these are the best of the stockings I have made over the years. The new parents were surprised too! Now, a week away from Santa doing his duty! 
This is a fun family tradition, and I do have other green and gold velvet on hand. Since I gave away my “MOM” stocking 8 years ago; maybe I should make a Grandma stocking ……… Wondering if Santa would start to stop by again and fill it?
What ever your projects are, I hope you are having a good time with making them. Merry Christmas!
Stitching Grandma 