The Year of the Stocking

Whew! Cliff set a December 18 craft deadline and I almost made it. I ended up finishing very early on the 19th.

Everyone on my Christmas list got handmade stockings this year.


First up, my two former roommates and dearest sister friends, Kate and Piper. Kate is my personal stylist and she has kept me well supplied with stripey sweaters for years, so sweater stockings were my first priority. Mind you, I had to go to Goodwill to find just the right sweaters to cut. My stripey Gap sweaters will be with me for eternity. Love them so.

Next up, my former colleague out here. Without Nicole, my first year at OFS might also have been my last. She helped me make sense of the nonsense that is teaching in the 'hood. Nicole has a beautifully decorated "eco-chic" apartment on the west side. But, I thought there was room for a little sparkle at Christmas.


I already wrote about the stocking I made for my inlaws here.




And, I already wrote about the stocking I made for Ashley, my Sweet Goodness Swap partner, here. I think it is my favorite.

Or maybe this watermelon stocking for my sister-in-law is my favorite?



Each summer for decades my in laws have gathered at Brynilsen's Viking Village for a week. They decorate their whole cottage from top to bottom in watermelons.Going to the cottage is a very important tradition to my sister-in-law.  Every time I see pink and green I think of Lee.

Stockings for Cliff and I were a bit trickier. Cliff had weighed in a few months ago, when I first started thinking about stockings. He told me he didn't want crazy colors or patterns. He wanted something soothing and calm.

I of course, would choose to make some colorful Sara's Art House inspired stockings. So it was a bit like Designing for the Sexes over here.

This is what I came up with. Light blue pinstripes with white cuffs and just a bit of red trim.


With Christmas just a week away I still needed four more stockings for my visiting family. As it turns out, I wasn't the only one with stockings on my mind. My brother called and suggested that we just do stockings this year.

Around Wednesday, I hit the stocking wall. Fortunately, I had bought these felt stockings years ago at Joannes and I decided to just embellished them. Simple fleece holly leaves and some button berries. Easy peasy!


My brother and his wife are newlyweds. In fact their first anniversary was Sunday!  I wanted to do something a little special for them, but it took weeks to think of anything Finally under pressure to clean up the crafty land,I doctored some images found on google to celebrate new marriage.
They are known around town for their romantic nature, so what's more fitting than mistletoe for her?
 
And, fixing up their new home is my brother's pride and joy. I wish they were both the lighter gray color. I also wish I had time to add ruffles for her and a cuff for him, but they are done and they are good enough!

While I had toyed with embroidering names on the red and the blue stockings, I wanted to leave them more open ended. I had thought of making tags when my mother in law sent me the cutest red, white and lime gift tag set for Christmas (opened with permission!) They are Mara Mi Multipurose Gift Tags and I can not find a link to them online. If I was a gift tag, these are the gift tags I would want to be. They fit my aesthetic to a T! Anyhow, they are the perfect  finishing touch for the stockings and I am thrilled to be done.

Very soon all these special people will be gathered around this fireplace. I can't hardly wait. I am fixing to sign off here for a few days of family. Thank you for stopping by and making blogging so much fun! Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Updated: The metal scroll-y thing is a candle door frame that I got from Linens & Things when we got married. I bent it a bit to fit our mantel -less fireplace. Sometimes I wish for a mantle, but mostly I am satisfied. I am not sure if they even make these anymore, I think they were a "turn of the century" trend. LOL
Here is one on Ebay. This store sells something similar (not for candles though) that could go over a fireplace.