Jingle bells stocking



Hello again, I love this time of year - I was returning home from work and as I reached the outskirts of Hereford I realised I could smell apples - harvested for cider making, one of the best smells.

So as the evenings draw in and the heating is turned on - we can enjoy making little gifts and presents in preparation for Christmas.

This week I've made a small stocking and decorated it with bells using a new  Bigz die 658765 - Christmas Bells by Tim Holtz ( it will be available from October).

My stocking is small - which I will fill with little treats for the grandchildren - but you could make it any size because the technique will be the same.

I cut 4 layers of medium weight white cotton fabric in the shape of a stocking ( you can find lots of images on line) 13" long by 10" at the toe.

For the Christmas fabrics I chose from the Yuletide range by Makower.

I cut 2 strips of Christmas fabric  2 1/2" wide to make a border for the top of the stocking.

I used 2 more different fabrics for the bells. I applied fusible web to the wrong side of the fabrics and placed them over the bells shapes on die and rolled them through the Big Shot.

Sew the border strips to the top of 2 of the stockings

 and press.

 Fuse the bells in place and stitch - I used a zig-zag stitch but you could use a straight stitch.

 

 Stitch the stockings, with the borders, right sides together, and stitch the plain pair together , but leave an opening along the straight side, so that you can turn the stocking right sides out.

Clip and snip the curves as pictured below. 

 

Turn stocking right side out.

Cut a strip of 'border' fabric - 1 1/2" x 5 1/2" to make a loop - press in half along length and then press edges to the middle and stitch in place. 

Pin loop to the top edge of the back of the stocking.

place one stocking inside the other, with right sides together, pin and stitch them together around the top edge.

Pull the stocking  so that it's right sides out - and looks like the picture below. Pin and slip stitch the opening and then push the lining inside.



 

Now you have the completed stocking. 

You could make one for  each member of your family, or as gifts for friends young and old.

I had hoped to have finished the quilt for Oona for this week - but it is in progress - I have stitched some of the animals in place and will keep you updated until I can actually show you the finished article.

Enjoy the week.

Angela