Sew Awesome | Elf-ish Stocking Part 1

Now that I have a sewing machine and a fireplace to decorate, I couldn't resist the urge to make my own elf-inspired stockings. (I know it's still a bit early, but I've already been blasting Christmas music, too.) Imagine Buddy the Elf disrobed and left his very curly, holiday-inspired socks laying around, and I threw them up onto the fireplace.

Who doesn't love Buddy? I believe I spent a year resisting the urge to answer the phone with, "Buddy the Elf! What's your favorite color?" after watching that movie. It's one of many shared passions between My Main Man and I. 

Anyway, as I was browsing my local Wal-Mart, I noticed a few very fun holiday-themed quarter yards of cotton for only $1 each, and I couldn't avoid purchasing some to make a couple stockings. Here's how it all went down:

STEP 1: I pulled out my roll of handy masking paper, which I mentioned here, and sketched out a simple curly-toed design. I then copied a mirror-image of the pattern onto more masking paper so I could cut out the pattern more easily.

STEP 2: Since I wanted to make a stocking for each of us, I layered each of our quarters and placed my patterns on top, pinning them all together. Then I cut away, allowing an excess border of 1/2 " all the way around, leaving me with four stocking pieces. I also cut a strip out of each fabric that measured 11" x 3" to create a hanging loop. 

STEP 3: For the cuff of the stockings, I bought a contrasting white-based patterned cotton quarter. On the masking paper, I drew a rectangle with a short edge equal to the width of the stocking top and about 10" long. (This may seem excessive in length, but as I go on it will make sense aesthetically.) I cut this rectangle out twice for each stocking. 

STEP 4: It's time to do some sewing. I folded one short edge of the cuff under twice and sewed a quick hem. I pinned the other short edge of the cuff piece to a stocking piece, and sewed them with a 5/8" seam allowance, pressing the seam afterwards. Remember the extra 11" x 3" pieces I cut out earlier? I folded each in half, pressed, then folded the ugly edges into the inside of the middle seam and pressed again. The I stitched down each side getting as close to the fold edges as I deemed possible. These would become the hanging loops. I folded each loop in half and placed it on top of the right side of a stocking half, about 3" from the top of the cuff. I pinned together two stocking halves, right sides together with the hanging loops "inside" , and sewed around the whole piece with a 5/8" seam (remembering to leave the top open so Santa can insert gifts).

STEP 5: I flipped the whole stocking inside-out and folded the cuff down until there was a 3" overlap on the outside. There was still another 3" or so of cuff sitting on the inside of the stocking. This way, the stocking still looks "finished" around that inside edge that tends to be really visible. 

I could have stopped here for some very basic but very cute stockings. However, I had a few extra touches I wanted to add just for a little more fun. I'll tell you all about those steps in Part 2 of this post, so stay tuned!

Also: I have a super awesome giveaway coming up Friday, so make sure to check back first thing Friday morning.