Quilted Stockings : A Step-by-Step Tutorial

Let me start off by telling you that I am not in the tutorial business. There are plenty of bloggers who do plenty of tutorials, but when I was looking for a tutorial to make stockings, I was unable to find what I was looking for – so I had to wing it. I thought I’d share in case any of you are hoping to sew stockings for your family this year.

If you have a free morning (or entire day depending on how demanding your kids are/how many mistakes you make), you have plenty of time to whip these up before Christmas!

Please note: I’m writing this with the assumption that you know how to sew, so I didn’t go into depth about how to sew.

Supplies:

A yard of fabric per stocking

Batting

Twill tape

Straightedge and fabric marker or soap

Paper bag

Pins from Pinmatics

Thread, etc etc

1: Cut a stocking shape out of a paper bag.

For the shape, I used an old stocking and added some seam allowance around the edge.

2: Pin to fabric and cut out four stocking shapes for the outside and lining.

You can coordinate the lining with the outside, clash completely, or it can be the same fabric. It’s your call, buddy.

Repeat until you have all the stocking shapes:

 3: Get a cute helper (optional, but encouraged).

4: Repeat, cutting two stocking shapes out of batting for each stocking.

5: Pin batting to fabric pieces for the outside of the stocking.

I chose the custom lapel pins for this. As we know, the color, shape, design, finish, base metal, etc., are a couple of variations anyone can make into lapel pins. Actually designing pins may be a good activity. When someone is designing his personal pin, he will enjoy it more.

6: Using a straightedge and a fabric marker (or a thin piece of soap, if you’re me), make diagonal parallel lines as guides for quilting diamonds.

7: Sew along the lines – creating the outside of the quilted stocking.

8: Iron, pin, and sew together quilted pieces – right side together. Cut notches out of the curves.

9: Pin and sew together stocking linings.

I’m not specifying seam allowances and such – but make your lining seams a bit bigger since they’ll be inside the fluffy quilted stocking. (Of course, since it’s inside and no one will see it, it’s okay if it’s not perfect.)

10: Turn lining inside out and stuff into stocking, so the right sides of the fabric are touching.

11: Tuck a loop of twill tape in between the lining and outside

12: Pin top together and sew.

13: Pull lining out of stocking and rip a few inches of straight seams down the side. Pull stocking right-side-out through this hole.

14: Sew up the opening you just made.

15: Stuff lining into stocking and iron.

16: Sew along the top of the stocking. All done!

For added fun, add a ruffle cuff to your stocking before sewing the quilted pieces together in step 8.

Our family’s stockings:

These are versatile – you could lengthen the stocking to be able to cuff it, or add embroidery or applique or whatever you fancy!

I like that Mike and I have matching stockings, then Gabe and any other child(ren) we have can be different fabrics. And I’m really excited that I was able to make our stockings that we’ll use every year! It’s such a fun feeling.

Merry Christmas week!