Patchy Stockings

What did you do with your Christmas swap fabrics?

Here is what my sister did.

Aren't those just about the cutest stockings you have seen?

Did you want to make some yourself?

Here is how you do it, or at least how we did it.

Take all your squares and separate them by color, we did bright red, dark red,

 greens, blues, etc.

We then went to the store and bought 5/8 yard for the lining, backing, and such.

Match light and darks, we wanted to tie the backing into the front so we matched

three with the backing fabric.

Lights and darks.

You need twelve blocks or 24 squares total.

match together and mark a diagonal line down the center of each block.

With your quarter inch foot stitch on one side of the line.

Flip it over and do the other side.

Please save you life and sanity by chaining them all together.

Now cut on the line you drew.

 Two triangles, press first then open, and press toward the dark side.

lay on top of each other, opposite of each other.

Draw another line.

Repeat.

You end up with this super cute hourglass.

Easy peezy lemon squeezy.

Are you ready for step two.

Lay out your squares the way you want them to be layed out.

We liked the dark fabrics alternating.

Sew them together in rows, and then the rows to each other.

Then take your stocking pattern.

We made up ours.

I like to have a big toe and and big opening.

I made my pattern on poster board so I could easily trace it onto the fabric.

Trace pattern on three layers of fabric.

It is important that you lay your fabric out this way,

with wrong side up and then right sides together.

Sew with right sides together the patch fabric, and the backing.

Then with right sides together, sew the lining pieces

leaving an opening on one of the sides.

We put prairie points on the cuff, so we didn't cover up the piecing we did,

Here is how it goes.

Five inch square (we made five per stocking)

Press in half

Press in half again.

Line them up along the opening of the stocking, interlocking the points together.

Baste them in place. 

Sorry I did not get a picture of this step,

feel free to kick me in the shin the next time you see me.

Turn the stocking inside out and press, slip it into the lining, right sides together.

Don't forget the hanger. I made them five inches by two and a half.

(fold in half, sew together, turn inside out)

Now sew them together.

Remember that opening we left in the side?

pull the stocking inside out using that opening.

It will look like this.

Close the opening.

You can hand stitch it closed, but I figured it is a stocking,

 and who is going to be looking on the inside to see how it is sewn closed.

Stuff the lining to the inside, press it and you are done.

And just like that you have the cutest stockings on the block.

Have you used your squares yet?

Now are you sad that you didn't get in on the swap.

I will be doing it again I promise.

Until then I hope you have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.