Stocking Gallery

a quick charity fundraiser project

Where’s Waldo?  Where has www.janicefergusonsews.com  been?  According to my savvy son-in-law, the problem was with my server. Humphhhh, no tip for this server. But this blog is back and so am I and I have so much to share with you.

While the blog was down, I have been doing a lot of sewing.  Many of the Christmas projects are finally finished and ready for the big day. 

Do you all make a lot of stockings?  Have you made one for each member of the family?  Do you enjoy stitching these?  It seems everywhere I look in the sewing world, stockings are being cranked out in great numbers.  It seems some families like to purchase or make new stockings each year. 

It’s a one-time shot for the Fergusons.  In this family, you get one stocking and you darn well better like it.  Or you can get your own from Cracker Barrel or WalMart. No do-overs from me.

Because I make just one, well except for grandson  Alastair’s temporary stocking.  But that was a special situation.

It was followed the next year by what my Rebecca calls Alastair’s heirloom stocking.“  The stocking body is ultrasuede.

Then at last, I finished an ultrasuede stocking for Alastair’s father, Harvey.
He is an avid biker (He road RAGBRAI!!!), a gourmet chef and played in the Penn band until he graduated.  So his stocking reflects that.

Having finished granddaughter Vivian Roses’s stocking, I made two simple stockings for a charity project in which my daughter Rebecca is involved.  The stockings made for Gina and Gianna had to be delivered by Thanksgiving, so it’s likely  that they are hanging now.  I wonder if will these for future Christmases or replaced with newer ones that fit the fashion of the next season.  Whatever. These stockings sufficed for Rebecca’s commitment.

Gina and Gianna’s names were stitched with Grand Slam’s Candy Cane Alphabet.  Then the cuff edge was serged in green.  Gianna’s stocking cuff features one of my favorite designs which is from the very useful set, Baby Christmas Borders by Bit of Stitch.   Aside from the pretty borders, small elements can be extracted and used in combination with others.  On Vivian Rose’s stocking, the candy cane from this design was applied to the door frame of the gingerbread house.

Next I repaired my son’s stocking, knitted for him in 1979. The hanging loop was frayed, so at least it was a quick fix.   It’s pretty touching to know that he still hangs his childhood stocking along with those newly made for his wife and children.

my son’s stocking, made when he was 4

Next to his stocking are the rest of his family’s goodie holders, made a few years ago.

Shelly, our precious daughter-in-law,  is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator whose laundry room almost always doubles as a NICU for baby squirrels.    So the machine cross stitched squirrel included in her crazy patch stocking seemed appropriate.

Granddaughter  Laurel’s stocking also features squirrels, since she has handled and nurtured them since she was a toddler.  This pattern is from the
Woods Stocking collection by ABC Embroidery Designs.

Grandson Robert’s father is a pilot.  Naturally, when Robert was born, Ryan wanted the nursery decorated with an aviation  theme.  So was his stocking.

With all these stockings “hanging” around my sewing room, I can’t help but reminisce about Christmases past.

back of Ryan’s 1979 stocking

I’ll never forget rushing to get stockings knitted for both children before Christmas 1979 arrived.  One-year old Rebecca’s name had more letters than would fit on the stocking.  So I had  regraphed the duplicate stitch letters to make them more narrow. 

I knitted madly while my dear friend Rebecca, for whom my daughter is named, drove us to the mall in Daytona Beach to finish our Christmas shopping. 

At one point she looked over at the stocking and remarked, “I didn’t know you spelled her name with two b’s.”  WHAT?????  Rebbecca???!!!!   Can you tell I was stressed when I was working on that stocking?

So when we returned home, I went back to the graph paper, picked out the stitches and finished the stockings Christmas eve. Rebecca’s is much like Ryan’s but with a doll on the front in place of the train.  It hangs now at her home, along with those of her husband, son and little daughter.

I’ve always enjoy personalizing stockings for my children and grandchildren.  But I’m glad to be finished with them. 

Now, moving on to Laurel and Vivian Rose’s Christmas dresses.  Hurrah!  Now that’s fun.

What are you sewing? 

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Nana Fun

At our PlayGroup Mamas Christmas dinner this week, we dear friends, now all grandmothers, reminisced about the past.  After Gale told us how her granddaughter Alysha concluded that the Tooth Fairy must just “magic” herself in and out of the house, Judy retold one of our favorite tooth stories.

Her 5 year old son Bryan had a sleepover with his friend Matt who lost a tooth during their play time.  Matt eagerly put the newly freed tooth under his pillow and fell fast asleep.

Sometime later, Bryan awoke to see Joan, Matt’s mother, remove the tooth and place a quarter under his pillow.  Bryan said not a word.

When he returned home the next day, he rushed up to his mother.  “Mama, you are NOT going to believe this!  Joannie Falango is the tooth fairy!!!!”