Project #1 Complete!

This is probably a very pre-mature post, but I'm writing it anyway. Naturally, since the holidays are around the corner, I've been inspired to start a million projects. It's not actually a million but the list is pretty long. It's just so exciting to have a bunch of project ideas swirling around in your mind. I say that the post is pre-mature because I may list them out and then not complete them all for one reason or another. That's ok though. Maybe writing them in a post will give me an additional sense of obligation to finish them? We'll see.

So, what are all these projects?

Well, I told you before about wanting to make a Christmas stocking for C. My mom came over yesterday and we got to work! I'll admit that it's been a few years since I've used a sewing machine. Ok honestly, it's been since sixth grade home ec, so if I were 29 right now (is that possible??) that would be 18 years ago...gah! Anyway, with a quick refresher from my mom we started pinning, cutting and sewing! I didn't take any pictures of the process as a good blogger would have, but it was pretty simple. Here's my best step-by-step.

1. I used the stockings J and I have for ourselves to create a pattern. I just put one down over some paper and traced around it. Then I cut out the pattern.

2. I took the pattern and pinned it to my stocking fabric (I chose red flannel with a white flannel cuff, creative right?). I had the fabric folded in half to make each side of my stocking double-layered for some extra durability. I cut two identical copies of the pattern and placed them one on top the other giving me four layers of stocking-shaped fabric.

3. I pinned my four layers together and did one simple straight seam all the way around except across the top of the stocking, of course. Then I added a zig-zag stitch just outside of the straight seam to minimize fraying on the inside.

4. The last step was attaching the cuff. I turned my stocking right-side out and cut a 9" wide strip of white flannel fabric long enough to wrap completely around the top of the stocking with a little extra for a seam. I folded the 9" strip in half so that the cuff would also be double-layered and would have that nice folded edge along the bottom of it. With the folded edge sticking up above the stocking, I pinned the 2 rough edges of the white flannel to the top of the stocking with 1/2" of overlap. I sewed a straight seam all the way around to attach the cuff and then sewed another zig-zag along the rough edge to minimize fraying.

Then I sewed one straight seam at the back of the stocking where the two ends of the cuff met. The seem looks wonky in the picture but that's because I sewed it flat against the stocking at the bottom. Trust me, it's all good :)

All that was left to do after that was turn down the cuff and embellish!

I still haven't decided how to embellish it. Keep it simple with a monogram? That itself offers almost endless possibilities. Create a cute felt applique animal (penguin, polar bear, kitten) or other holiday symbol (snowflake, evergreen tree, mittens)? I could use a different one for each child's stocking since I intend to have more children and bought enough fabric to make their stockings as well. Who knew this would be the toughest part??

With that project (almost) completed, I have a few more on the waiting list!

• A new Christmas wreath for our door
• Cranberry topiaries mentioned, and pictured, in my last post
• Knitted pillow covers
• A new wet-bag for our cloth diapers when we're on-the-go (our current one has a hole)
• A project so exciting (to me) that I'm going to make a huge deal out of it and make you guess what it is!!  Here is a hint...

What? A purse? Yes, this is an adorable hand bag (found here). So how is it going to be an exciting project?? You tell me....  What do you think it's going to be?

PS- Thanks to my SIL, Erin for this project idea!  :)