Then while glancing at our family's stockings hanging across the table beneath the viewing of Kirstie's Handmade Christmas, it occurred to me that my sister in law didn't have a stocking. EUREAKA! I thought it was possible she may have one at home but I personally have 3, made by relatives over the years, so more than one is perfectly okay! =)
I immediately knew it would be blue, it would be quilted and it would have her name on it.
But first Kimura's for fabric...
Family owned and operated since 1926, means they'll be celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. =)
Here's a great 3 min video about the store Kimura’s Fabric Store
My first dive into this pattern utopia was in high school, 30 years ago, for a sewing class at Konaweana High School.
I mostly made 60's/70's inspired outfits and Kimuras was the only place to find florals that fit the esthetic.
Most recently I was in for baby quilt supplies. Today I was on a hunt for Hawaiian or Japanese blue florals and blue seascapes.
And Winnie Kimura who helped me 30 years ago, was still working the store to help me that day along with another very friendly woman and I wished I'd asked her name. We talked about our dogs while they cut my fabric.
My late grandmother and late aunt were seamstresses and dress makers. Most of my clothes growing up were handmade up until I was a teenager and I asked for a GUESS acid washed jean jacket and matching jeans with jean bow cut outs on the back for my 12th birthday. I remember my grandmothers sewing room being stacks, floor to ceiling, of fabrics. She also worked at a fabric store. She'd open up the door of her sewing room and say, "Pick out your fabric" and the next time I visited there would play clothes and at least one fancy dress for birthdays and holidays with lace or ribbon and because of Anne of Green Gables....puffed sleeves.
Birthday Dress, Snoopy piñata
Christmas Plaid Pinafore
Matchy Matchy
Another birthday dress (matching digital watch). And that snow cone maker was probably one of the most used gifts of my childhood.
Christmas in green velvet and my favorite Rainbow brite.
Striped summer romper and watermelon. I would wear this now. Actually I might have one like it now.
My other grandmother crocheted or quilted gorgeous blankets for many decades. She had an enormous quilting frame that hung from the ceiling and could be pulled up when the room was in use and lowered for hand-quilting work. She and I also designed and made my wedding dress many many years ago.
My fabric hunt ended up being very quick and successful. I narrowed it down to these 5 designs and batting, a quarter of a yard for 4 of them and a half yard for the one I choose for the cuff and interior.
When I got back home, I broke down a cracker cardboard box to draw out the templates: my stocking shape and a square. I decided on a 3x3 square because of the math. I could fit 3 squares on the quartered yard and 3 squares ran across the stocking front. I drew the stocking template from tracing a stocking I already had but made it about 1/2-1 inch larger all the way around for seam loss. I actually could have added 2 inches. The template ended up being 19 top to bottom by 8.5 across the top.
For the smaller prints I cut 3 down, 3 times across wasting no fabric with each cut but if you have a larger print, I recommend designing your square segments to get the desired elements. Example, this Honu print might have solid blues or just a sea turtle fin if I cut them 3 up. I used a silver color pencil to trace out what i wanted.
I used the template to trace the inside of the stocking and the batting as well.
Next I sewed the squares together first in rows across.
Then ironed the seems down before I sewed the rows together.
I know ironing each seem, "seems" like a pain but the seems look so much cleaner and
straighter when you do.
So clean and flat.
All sewed together!
I laid the interiors on top to see what needed to be trimmed off.
Starting to take the stocking shape!
The three layers: Interior, batting and fronts ready for the sewing machine.
I sewed across each line already made from sewing the rows together.
Front and interior, Sewing machine quilted!
Next I sewed these two together, interior fabric on the outside so when it's sewn, I could then turn it inside out with the right sides facing out.
Other side!
Stocking sewn and quilted. Next the cuff...
I sewed the fabric together like a scrungie with no elastic. (Measure desired size and sew right sides together, leaving a little bit open to turn the fabric inside out and then hand sew the small hole)
Next was the trickiest part of the whole thing. Maybe because I'd been sewing all day but I kept doing it backwards. I pinned it, flipped it, nope wrong, Pinned it flipped it, nope wrong. Until finally, I Pinned the cuff to the top and INSIDE but sticking out, not tucked in, of the stocking and when I folded it over to preview, success.
I flipped it back and sewed my desired placement, once sewed, I could flip the cuff over the top of the stocking to complete.
Final stage: the Lettering for the name!
I made letters out of the same cardboard and then cut out the fabric.
Next I laid the letters on thin batting and cut around those.
I glued the fabric letters to the batting with book binding glue, as that was what I had and it worked very well. Fabric glue would be more appropriate. =P
The letters blended in a little too well to the stocking so I decided to add details with silver embroidery thread to add some shimmer.
Late night stitching.
A little extra and ready to be attached to the Stocking!
I used the book binding glue again to attach then hand-sewed the edges.
The hook also right side fabric sewn together and turned inside out.
I hand sewed the base inside the stocking.
FINISHED!
Time to complete: 2 days (approx. 12 hrs including buying the supplies)
We had one solitary poinsettia bloom in our backyard garden this year.
Just in time for Christmas.
P.S. My sister in law's name means "Blue".
