The stockings were hung...

I have a little friend who celebrated her first Christmas in 2012. I bought her some books, but I also wanted to make her something that I hoped would become a special Christmas treasure of her own in years to come. When I was young I had all the Christmas books and movies where kids hung up their stockings on Christmas eve, but back then they didn't really sell Christmas stockings in the shops here. I had my Santa sack- a Christmas pillowcase- that I left out on Christmas eve for Santa to leave presents in, and though it was more practical than a stocking it lacked the Christmassy romance of a stocking. So I asked for a Christmas stocking for Christmas. My grandmother was a keen and talented quilter, and she made a quilted stocking from a green Christmas print. It also had a lace frill around the cuff, because most seven year old girls love anything with lace.

My stocking has become one of my treasured Christmas decorations. Every year it gets hung on one of the drawer knobs on the buffet in the dining room (we've never had a house with a fireplace) alongside the little blanket-stitched felt stockings I made as Christmas crafts at primary school. My fondness for the stocking from my grandmother made me decide to make my little friend a stocking of her own. Tree decorations are fun, but there's something special about a decoration of your own that hangs by itself in its own spot. Especially if there are treats in it on Christmas morning.

I wanted it to have a bit of a whimsical vintagey (ok, kitschy, but pretty kitsch) look rather than going with the traditional red and green. I used two fat quarters (the red fabric at the cuff is also the lining) and crocheted some lace that reminded me of bells. I also embroidered her name with my standard 'it makes pretty lettering' embroidery stitch. (I think it's whipped back stitch. But don't quote me on that, my knowledge of embroidery terms is pretty patchy) I was very pleased with the final result, and it was a wrench giving it away. But hopefully in years to come when my little friend is a big girl, putting up her stocking will be one of her cherished Christmas traditions.