Handmade Christmas Stockings

When we got married eleven years ago, I made these stockings. The one on the left is my husband's and mine is on the right. I didn't use a pattern and just made them up as I went along. My husband asked for a patchwork look. I used my machine's embroidery stitches along the patchwork seams and added some decorative hand stitching to the seam at the heel and toe.

I am partial to white on white combinations so my stocking is all white on white patterns with snowflakes. I then hand stitched snowflake designs on the stocking body, and added decorative stitching along the heel and toe and the couple of patches on the body. I also scattered little pearl beads.

When the kids came along, I made their stockings to coordinate. Timothy's is on the left and Lily's is on the right. Timothy's is the only stocking with jingle bells and my husband is very jealous! I made his patchwork like his Daddy's but added red beads on the holly fabric print to appear as berries, and a hand sewn holly applique on the toe/body of the stocking. His stocking also has some decorative hand stitching along the heel and toe, like ours.

Lily has a yo-yo snowman sewn on top of a background meant to look like a snowy sky and pine trees. I sewed buttons from my grandmother's collection onto the stocking because they resemble snowflakes.

I really enjoyed making all of these stockings. I made each one two sided and identical on both sides. I liked combining hand sewing and machine sewing, as well as, applique and embellishments. I am posting these today because I have started on Penelope's stocking. I am having fun with it too! The "theme" of her stocking is Christmas candy/gingerbread.