Needles & Pins: Stockings For Montevue

We have begun our special project of making quilted Christmas stockings for the residents of Montevue Assisted Living, Frederick County's home for idigent elderly members of our community. We need 70 or so stockings by November 28th, so if you are interested, please stop by to pick up a kit for $10.00. When you return your finished stocking, you will receive a $10 gift coupon to use in our shop and you can sign up for a special drawing featuring a Juki sewing machine as the grand prize. You can read all the details in our September 2010 newsletter at http://www.needles-n-pins.com./

As promised in the kit directions, I'm posting photos of the stocking construction process. If you have any questions as you make your stocking, please don't hesitate to call!

Quilt Your Fabric before cutting out the stocking. I cut my 1/2 yard of stocking fabric half (forming 2 fat quarters) and quilted the front and back sections separately --easier that way. Layer the fabric and batting and, if you like, add a backing - (not your lining fabric) - could be a leftover of anything light in color or muslin.

I always test my machine quilting before starting on a project - it can save a lot of grief later!

Lay your pattern on the quilted piece and cut out.

Turn the pattern over to cut out a mirror image for the back.

This is what you should have!

Do the same for the front and back linings.

Layer the fabrics (both for the outside and the lining) right sides together and pin. Stitch with a 1/4" seam. Clip carefully at curves.

Turn the outside stocking right sides out but leave the lining with wrong sides out.

Cut the strips for the cuff rectangles and the hanger.

Stitch the two cuff rectangles together along one long side. Press.

Now fold in half, right sides together, as shown, and stitch the long edges together in a 1/4" seam. Press. Turn right sides out and press.

Pull the cuff (right sides out) over the top of the stocking body (also right sides out). Align top raw edges and pin. I placed the seam of the cuff along the back seam of the stocking. Make the hanger loop as described in the directions and pin it to the cuff seam on the outside

of the stocking.

Now gently and carefully put the stocking with cuff inside the stocking lining, which is wrong sides out, and align the toes to make sure everything is headed in the same direction. Align the raw edges at the top and re-pin. Stitch along the edge with a 1/4" seam. Take your time - you have several layers to work with - and use your walking foot or even feed.

After removing the pins, gently draw the stocking body out through the opening in the side of the lining.

The stocking is almost completely out!

Here's the stocking and cuff - cuff not turned down yet - and the lining.

Here's the lining stretched out and ready to be pushed inside the stocking. First, you want to close the opening in the seam. Turn the seam allowances inside, press and then stitch, either by hand or machine. I stitched mine on the machine.

The lining has been pushed inside and the cuff turned down. See how the hanger pops right up where it belongs? Shape the top of the stocking and press.