It measures 6″ from top to bottom, so would look great on a larger tree, or perhaps over a door handle or decorating a mantelpiece. And if you do feel like filling it, there’s room inside for a small, expensive gift or trinket, or it’s a great size for a few little chocolate or sweet treats.
You will need:
Stocking template, which you can download here as a pdf. IMPORTANT: When you print this out – make sure that you UNTICK the ‘Fit to Page’ dialogue box. I have drawn a 1″ square on the pattern so that you can check that the pattern has printed correctly.
1 piece of fabric, measuring at least 12″x8″ for the outer
1 piece of fabric, measuring at least 12″x8″ for the lining
1 piece of medium interfacing measuring at least 7″x20″ (or equivalent) for the stocking outer and lining
1 piece of fabric measuring 8″ by 5″ for the cuff
1 piece of medium interfacing measuring 7 3/4″ by 5″ for the cuff
1 piece of fabric measuring 7″ x 1″ for the hanging loop, or you can use a 7″ piece of ribbon or tape.
Pattern notes:
Use a 1/4″ seam throughout (unless otherwise indicated). Start and finish all seams with reverse/back stitching to secure.
Method:
Use the template to cut out 2 stocking shapes from the outer fabric. Unless you are using a solid fabric that looks the same on both sides, remember to flip the template over so that you end up with a back and a front for your stocking.
Repeat with the fabric you are using for lining the stocking, so you end up with 4 pieces like this:
Use the templates to cut 4 pieces of interfacing – again remember you want to flip the template for 2 of the pieces. Iron the interfacing to the stocking pieces, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Now is the time to do any embroidery or embellishing that you want to do on the outside of the stocking, it gets a bit tricky if you leave it until later (I speak from experience, as usual!).
Put the 2 outer stocking pieces right sides together, pin and stitch. If you aren’t the best and stitching curves (yes, I am talking about myself again) then mark the curved bits of your seam line with a fabric marking pen, it makes sewing a nice flowing curve SO much easier:
Put the 2 lining pieces right sides together, pin and stitch with a generous 1/4″ seam (i.e. sewing just a bit wider than 1/4″ – you can see my stitching is just inside my marked seam line):
Clip and notch the edges of the curved sections of the seams on the outer and the lining, like this:
Turn the lining section of the stocking right side out, and keeping the outer section wrong side out, place inside the lining, so that the wrong sides of the lining and the outer are facing each other.
Align the seams and stocking tops, then pin the lining and outer together around the top edge.
Put this aside whilst you make a start on the cuff. Cut the fabric for the cuff piece in half lengthways and the interfacing too.
Iron the interfacing to the cuff pieces, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Put the 2 cuff pieces right sides together and stitch along one of the long edges. If you are using a directional fabric (like my peacock feathers here), bear in mind that this seam is going to finish up as the bottom edge of the stocking cuff, so make sure you are stitching the bottom edges of your fabric together – like this:
Press this seam to one side (doesn’t matter which) like this:
Now measure across the top of the pinned together stocking and make a note of the measurement – it should be around 3.5″, as mine is (ish) here:
Fold the cuff widthways (right sides together) and use the measurement you have just taken to mark a stitching line on the cuff (basically this step is to make sure that the the diameter of the cuff and top of the stocking are pretty much the same). So in this case I marked the stitch line 3.5″ away from the folded edge of the cuff:
Stitch along this line and then press the seam open:
Put the cuff and stocking to one side whilst you make the hanging loop (unless you are using ribbon or tape, in which case you can hop straight on to the next stage).
Fold the 7″ by 1″ piece of fabric in half lengthways and press:
Unfold and then fold the long edges into the middle and press (mind your fingers!):
Fold in half again lengthways and stitch closed along the long open edge:
Fold the hanging loop in half and pin it to the back seam of the stocking, with the raw edges of the loop lined up with the raw edge of the stocking:
Keeping the right side of the cuff together with the right side of the stocking lining, slip the cuff round the top edge of the stocking. Pin the edges together. You now have a LOT of pins round the top edge of the stocking, and you will find it easier if you baste the fabrics together and remove the pins. Believe me, it is much easier to sew the next bit if you do! Anyway, you should end up with something that looks like this:
I like to stick a couple of pins through the back seam and hanging loop so that it stays in position, or you could maybe put in a couple of extra basting stitches to make sure the hanging loop doesn’t bobble around.
Now, I’m not saying this next bit isn’t tricky… but it is worth it, and it’s not much sewing, so persevere and it will work out just fine.
Stitch the stocking and cuff together around the top edge. The easiest way to do this is to pull the topmost edge of the stocking aside (sometimes this tutorial sounds a bit saucy, don’t you think?!), and stitch round the inside of the stocking, like this:
If you really don’t fancy this, you can always backstitch round the top by hand, it wont take 10 minutes… Once the cuff and hanging loop are stitched into position, turn the stocking right side out. It will probably look something like this:
Next, fold the cuff section upwards, away from the stocking and then fold the cuff in half, along the seam line. You should end up with something that looks like this:
Turn the raw edge of the cuff under 1/4″ and slip stitch into to the top of the stocking, making your stitches just inside the seam allowance of the stocking top:
Press the cuff, but leave it folded upwards, and top stitch the edge of the cuff. Again, push the nearest part of the stocking cuff out of the way and sew on the inside (which is actually going to end up as the outside of the cuff anyway – hope this makes sense!):
Fold the cuff down, thoroughly press the top edge of the stocking and then top stitch close to the top edge of the cuff. Give the stocking one final press and you are all done and ready to find a place to hang your lovely stocking.
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