29 December 2010

The Stockings Were Hung

As I'm sure many of you do, I really debated over what to do about family Christmas stockings.

Here is one of my great goals in life:
























Have you ever seen so many stockings? This is at my Grandma B's house, where a stocking is added everytime a new family member is added, either by marriage or by birth. I love this tradition.

I wanted to be able to provide a simple, easy to duplicate stocking so that we could start this same tradition at our house. Last year I had no sewing machine so didn't know what to do. Glue stockings together? Buy 30 of the same stockings somewhere and hope we never need more? I can knit, but I don't know how to knit socks and I'm not sure I have the patience to learn.

Then there was the dilemma of the stockings David and I already had. I think his is from he was young, and mine was a gift when I was living in Thailand. Sentimental value attached to both of them.

So did I want David's and mine to match the rest of the family's? And then how do I choose a stocking pattern that I will like for the rest of my life? That's not too trendy so that in 20 years I'm wondering what on earth I was thinking? Do I buy enough fabric to make the exact same stocking for years to come?

Did you ever know stockings could cause such a dilemma?

Finally I just made a decision, and I think I'm rather happy with it. I made a very simple, easy to duplicate pattern. I chose to stick with the same color palette for the fabric of each stocking (dark red and beige) instead of using the exact same fabric, using classic colors that I'll like forever and that I'm sure fabric stores will never stop selling. We'll hang our official family stockings on the mantle in the living room and hang David's and my sentimental value stocking on the mantle in the family room just for decoration. (So handy having two fireplaces.)


















The stockings made it through their first Christmas. They can be stuffed to the brim with no seams breaking, but if you're Daphne and your stocking only had two books in it you don't really have to worry about that. Poor, deprived child.


















David shared a bite of his Reese's Peanut Butter tree, so she was fine with her deprivation.


















And I am more than fine with our family stockings.

2 comments:

Kelley said...

You did a great job on your stocking decision! So much easier than mine!

What I'm Liking... said...

I love your grandma's stockings! What an awesome way to celebrate family. I love your stockings too. It sounds like you put a lotttt of thought into it and made a very good decision! : ) Can't wait to see your mantle full of stockings!