Merry Christmas!!
Today I will be showing you the "quilt as you go" method to make Christmas stockings. As part of today's tutorial I have a free Christmas stocking pattern as well for you!
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What You Will Need to Make Your Stockings
You can find a fabulous selection of Christmas Fabrics in the shop.
- PDF Stocking Pattern (Just click on the link.)
- 1 Fat Quarter for the Backing
- 1 Fat Quarter for the Top Cuff of the Stocking and Loop Hanger
- 2 Fat Quarters for the Stocking Lining in a Solid Color Fabric
- 3 Fat Quarters (at least) for the Front of the Stocking. I used many different prints.
- Quilter's Dream Batting. This is by far the best batting that can be used for this project due to the weight and sturdiness of it. Plus, it is made with 100% cotton. It can be found on Amazon or at most local fabric stores.
- Quilting ruler, mat and rotary cutter. Although these are not necessary they do make it much easier and faster when sewing.
Print out the stocking pattern. Make sure that all your 1" squares printed at the right size. Then, glue or tape your pattern together.
Assembly
Note: We will be using a ¼" seam allowance.
1. Pick out at two or more prints and cut half of them at 2½" by the length of the fat quarters and the other at 1¼" wide by the length of the fat quarters. The strips will be alternating between the 2½" strip and the 1¼" strip, so be sure to pick your fabrics according to how you want your finished stocking to look. I like to lay mine all out beforehand. This also helps keep them in order as I sew them onto the stocking. When laying them out, also note that you will be using a ¼" seam allowance, so you will need more strips than the length of the stocking pattern itself.
2. Cut out your stocking pattern piece on your quilt batting only for right now. We will start by sewing the strips onto the batting itself first.
3. Take your stocking batting piece and lay it down right side up. The stocking "toe" should be facing to the right. We are going to start at the "toe to heel" part of the stocking to sew our strips on. We will work our way to the top, then come back and work our way to the bottom.
4. Take a 2½" strip from about 2/5 of the way down in your laid out fabric. Lay this strip wrong side down onto the stocking batting piece, going right through the heel to toe part of the stocking. Place it so that there is extra fabric extending beyond the batting. You will place all the fabric strips like this and the extra fabric that hangs over the edge will be trimmed off later.
5. Take the next strip in your layout (a 1¼" strip) and lay it right on top of the 2½" strip, right sides facing and raw edges matching. Be sure to place the 1¼" strip at the top of the 2½" strip. Pin in place.
6. Sew through the top of both strips and the batting with a ¼" seam.
7. Take you stocking and press the 1¼" strip up towards the top of your stocking.
8. Take the next strip you have set out, working your way up through you strips to the top of the stocking. It should be a 2½" strip. Place it right sides facing and raw edges matching. Pin in place and sew on just as the strip before.
9. Press the strip up.
10. Repeat these steps until you get to the very top of your stocking and the batting is all covered in fabric strips.
11. Flip your stocking over. We will now sew the strips going down to the very bottom of the stocking. Working in the very same manner, take a 1¼" strip that you had set out and place it at what is the bottom of the first strip, (free raw edge of the first strip). Match up your raw edges and pin in place. Sew on in the same manner as all the other strips.
12. Press the the last strip up, or towards the bottom of the stocking. Repeat steps until all of the stocking is covered in fabric strips.
13. Take your front stocking piece and flip it over to the wrong side. Trim away all the extra fabric that extends beyond the stocking batting piece.
14. This is what you should have now. It is looking more stocking like!
15. Take your stocking backing and cut a mirrored image of the stocking front.
16. Cut two stocking lining pieces.
17. We will now sew all these layers together at once. Lay your stocking lining pieces down first with the toe part facing you. Next, place the stocking backing with the right side facing up on top of the lining pieces. Lastly, take your stocking front piece and place it right side down on top of the backing piece. The front and backing pieces should have their right sides facing each other at this point.
18. Pin around the stocking but leave the top of the stocking unpinned.
19. Sew around the stocking, leaving the top un-sewn for turning.
Do not trim the seam or cut into the curved areas, leave it as is.
20. Time to turn our stockings! Open up your stocking with the front and back of the stocking in your hands. See photo below. Insert your hand into the stocking between the front and back of the stocking and put your hand all the way down to the toes to turn your stocking.
21. Grab the toe area and pull it though...
22. You now have a perfectly turned stocking! Lining is where is should be and all in one easy step. Press well.
23. Take your fabric for your stocking loop hanger and cut it to 1½"x 6". Press in half with the right sides together to make a center crease. Then, open it back up and press the raw edges to the center crease you just made.
24. Refold your loop back together to form a double folded strip. Press again. Stitch the long side closed.
25. Now, take your top cuff fabric and cut 7½" x 18½". Sew the two short ends together and press the seam open.
26. Fold the cuff in half with the two wrong sides facing each other, making a narrow circle shape. Match the two raw edges together and press around your cuff well.
27. Place the stocking loop hanger to the inside of the stocking and pin in place. It needs to be on the heel (back side) of the stocking.
28. Take your stocking cuff and place it inside your stocking lining as you just did your loop hanger. Match up the cuff seam to the back side stocking seam. (Where your loop hanger is pinned). Pin the cuff around, making sure that you match all the raw edges of all four layers to your raw edges of your cuff.
29. Stitch around, being sure to lock your stitches in place.
30. Now flip you your stocking cuff over and admire your hard work!! Well okay, I don't think that this was hard, but super fun! Repeat until you have a whole family of stockings.
If you have any questions you can ask here or in our Facebook Group, Whimsical Fabric & Me. Please be sure to share your creations in our group as well.
Happy Sewing!!!
Sharon
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