Christmas Stockings Show and Tell

These Christmas stockings are my "heirloom" stockings that I made almost 15 years ago.



They were for my baby boy, my husband, and me. Then I had more children, and they became the children's. Then I had four children, and I got behind. I have started, (but not completed) a fourth stocking. My 'baby' is now 10 years old.



I was originally inspired by some vintage (antique?) lace I had. I wanted to use the lace in projects that will be treasured, so that others can see the beauty of the lace too.

The above star lace with the delicate leaves at the top is one of my favorite pieces of lace. (Well, one of the favorite pieces that I own, at least). That was originally my stocking.



The next lace (shown above) is crocheted, and I have always wondered if it was crocheted by hand. Both laces came from the estate of a German relative, and both are more then 3 inches wide top to bottom.

The third piece of lace I bought at a modern fabric store, and embellished with pearl beads.

The fabrics I used were fabrics from sample books I collected to use, Robert Allen and more. I loved the rich textures, but the sample pieces are usually quite small. I pieced the stocking cloth using a foundation piecing method. These stockings should last.

I had originally planned on "Crazy Quilting" the stockings, but I could never bring myself to do it - I think it would detract from the rich fabrics and the lace.

Maybe I'll show some in-process photos from the fourth stocking - In another blog. It won't be done by St. Nicks, December 6th, unfortunately. In the Midwest, (Well, Wisconsin at least) many of the German descent people who have been here for awhile put out shoes, or stockings so that St. Nick can fill them with Candy. I think the custom is Dutch, and you are supposed to use wooden shoes, but customs morph. Anyone else out there celebrate St Nicks?

Click on the photos to see them enlarged - the detail in the lace is fantastic! (I look at these now and think the contemporary (80's) stocking shape doesn't really fit with the vintage feeling I was going for, but that is my "10 years" later opinion.)

For Show and Tell items, visit My Romantic Home (I was entry 31 out of 91)

For Transformation Thursday items, visit The Shabby Chic Cottage (I was entry 86 out of 103)

For Thrifty Thursday items, visit Thrifty Thursdays (I was entry 31 out of 34)

For Best of Crafts items, visit House of Grace (I was entry 23 out of 50)