The holiday stocking is a staple for any mantle during this time of year. This version livens up the basic version with some quick embroidered details.  Make some in a variety of colors for everyone in the family (friends and pets, too). Use our HANDMADE HOLIDAY kits or scraps from your own workroom.

SUPPLIES

Paper to make pattern or a print-out of the Alabama Chanin Holiday Stocking Pattern (Download from our Resource Downloads page and print at your local copy shop.)
Paper scissors
5/8 yard of 60” wide medium-weight organic cotton jersey fabric for the outer-layer of the stocking (scraps work well for this project, too)
5/8 yard of 60” wide medium-weight organic cotton jersey fabric for the inner-layer of the stocking (scraps work well for this project, too)

Or get our DIY RED APPLIQUÉ  STOCKING kit or the DIY WHITE APPLIQUÉ STOCKING kit.

Supplies for stenciling (see page 48 of Alabama Studio Style)
Anna’s Garden Stencil (pull-out from Alabama Stitch Book or download from our Resource Downloads page) *Note that any stencil can be used here.
Button craft thread
Embroidery scissors
Hand-sewing needle
Basic sewing supplies: fabric scissors, pins, needles, ruler, rotary cutter
Alabama Stitch Book, Alabama Studio Style or Alabama Studio Sewing + Design: All three of these books contain the basic sewing and embroidery techniques we used to make our version of these stockings.

Prepare your Holiday Stocking pattern. The pattern has two pieces—a stocking body and the stocking cuff.

Cut 2 top-layer pieces from one color and two backing-layer and four cuff pieces from your second color.

First you will need to embellish the cuff of your stocking. Choose your preferred method (quilting, reverse appliqué, negative reverse appliqué) and follow the instructions found in Alabama Studio Sewing + Design.

Once you have finished embellishing the cuffs, you are ready to attach them to the top of your stocking.

Attach the cuff to your stocking body by laying out one of your outer-layers wrong side up. On top of this, you will lay one of your inner-layers wrong side up, followed by your cuff, wrong side up.

Making sure that the top edges of these three pieces are aligned, connect all three layers by sewing along the top stocking line with a 1/4” seam allowance using a double strand of button craft thread and a straight stitch—wrap-stitch the beginning and end of your seams.

(Find all of these stitches detailed in our Alabama Studio Book Series.)

Now flip your cuff section over the top so that your completed cuff shows on the outside of your stocking. Lay this aside.

Repeat with your other cuff and outer and inner layers.

To assemble your stocking, you make a stocking “sandwich” by laying one completed stocking side on top of the other completed stocking side so that the inner layers face each other and your outer layer and cuff are showing on the outside.

Check your edges to make sure everything is lined up evenly and pin into place.

While pinning, insert a small loop of fabric in the upper right corner of your stocking and in between the sandwiched layers. This will be your stocking hanger.

Beginning at the top of one side of your stocking, sew your stocking together using a double strand of button craft thread and a straight stitch, wrap-stitching the beginning and end of your stocking.

Depending on the color of your stocking top and the main body of your stocking, you may want to switch thread colors as the colors of the stocking change.

Sew around your stocking 1/4 inch from the edge—wrap-stitching the beginning and end of your seams.

You may also choose to embroider the name of the lucky recipient on the front of your stocking.  I will be adding my daughter Maggie’s name to the red one (by request).

Happy Holidays from all of us @ Alabama Chanin

DESIGN CHOICES:

Fabric weight – Alabama Chanin 100% organic medium-weight cotton jersey
Fabric color – Carmine with White; Forest with Carmine
Button Craft Thread —Coats & Clark Colors #2 (white), #128 (carmine), and #61A (forest; available for the stocking kits only)
Stencil – Anna’s Garden

Embroidery technique – Forest and Carmine stocking: negative reverse appliqué; Carmine and White stocking: reverse appliqué