A New Beginning

Well this is my second attempt at a blog and I am hoping that I will be posting more often to this one. My first blog I made the focus on only one of my hobbies, miniatures. However, I haven't been working on those much at all due to current living arrangements, there just isn't enough room. Eventually  that will change, but in the meantime I have been working on my other crafts more and more and felt strange posting about them on a blog that is supposed to be about miniatures. So, I decided I would make another one about ALL of my projects. For those of you who don't know me from my other blog I am happily  married to my high school sweetheart, the mother of two wonderful children and a full time employee at the local hospital processing payroll for 550 employees. I have been crafting since I was little. I rarely am found without a project in my hands, be it crochet, embroidery, beading, tole painting, ceramic painting, miniatures, or felt applique. I have probably left off a few, but those are the main ones. I love anything handmade/homemade. The work that goes into something like that is amazing and if the person really loves what they are doing it is reflected in their work. If I am not working on something then I will be reading/watching other people's projects for continual inspiration.

October of last year I came across a blog of a woman who quilts, but she also admitted to having a  small obsession with felt applique stockings. Seeing pictures of her progress and reading about her working on one of these stocking kits inspired me to try again. In 2001, my sophomore year of high school, I made my first attempt at one of these stockings. I remember having fun with the front but when I had finished I couldn't figure out for the life of me how to attach the back. I ended up giving it to my brother to hang on the wall at Christmas time. So, last fall I made the jump. I ordered a Candy Snowman stocking for my daughter. Half way through that one I ordered Tree Finishing for my son by Christmas I had completed both of those plus a Sugarplum Fairy for my niece, a Football Santa for my nephew, a Patchwork Santa for my aunt and a Golfing Santa for my uncle. I don't have photos of my niece or nephews but below are the others. I felt that the backs when cut exactly from the felt provided didn't give enough room to actually stuff the stockings so I purchased separate matching felt and cut the backs out. I also lined the fronts with an additional piece of felt so that the stitches were hidden and wouldn't catch on anything inside. My aunt and uncle requested an additional 3 inches be added to theirs to make them longer. That was a chore to figure out but well worth it in the end. I added those 3 inches, made larger backs and also made a semi removable liner from coordinating fabric. By that I mean I stitched the lining in place along the tops but left the rest loose so if needed you could pull them up and out for a quick hand wash. I didn't do that to the other 4 stockings I made but I may start doing that as I like the d how they looked, plus it was really practical, no fuzzy candy. I apologize for the staggered pictures, they loaded strangely.









 

 

Candy Snowman Elora's Stocking





Sample of the lining to my Aunt's



















Patchwork Santa, my Aunt's



view of the back



Detail





Golfing Santa









I have now decided to make a stockings for all of my immediate family. Sounded like a great idea at the time after I saw every one's reactions to the completed ones. However, I set myself a deadline of Christmas 2013, then I counted. That means I need to complete 16 in one year. I should have done the math sooner, as it is I just really started working on my Husband's stocking last week. LOL I have fondly titled this "The Year of the Stockings". Fortunately it seems to only take me two weeks to complete a front and an hour to attach a back. Liners add a bit more time but not a lot. I like to save up a few finished fronts to do all the backs and liners at once. Surprisingly I love the hand stitching aspect but always dread having to use a machine. After much calculations and arranging if I work non-stop this year, minus vacation in September, birthdays and holidays I should make my deadline. If I at least finish the children's stockings first then I will be happy. Adults will understand.

 

Besides the stockings I am also crocheting a couple of afghans. My husband has requested one in a soft grey in a pattern called "Catching the Wave" found on Ravelry. My son, 5 years old,  requested a green one and my daughter, 2 1/2 years old, wants one done in purples. I also have one almost completed in a Celtic Knot pattern. That one has been a lot of fun to do. Later I will post pictures of that one as well as the in progress photo of my husbands stocking. His is the most unique I have seen.

 

Till next time~