Sunny Stocking!
As the temperatures drop, we start feeling the excitement of decorating, sewing and crafting for the holiday season! Over the next few weeks we will share with you some festive ideas to help make your days Merry and Bright!
My Sunny Day Stocking is perfect for hanging on the mantel, window or farm house door. The first installment of the stocking tutorial is ‘Making the Diamonds’. I love scrappy quilting, so my Sunny Day Stocking is also scrappy. You should be able to find plenty of tutorials online if you prefer to use the strip method for making the diamonds.
Making the Diamond Fabric….
To make the scrappy diamond fabric, you will need to piece 7 strips with 8 diamonds in each strip. This will yield enough diamond fabric for one side of the stocking. I pieced only one side of my stocking and the reverse side of the stocking is a single piece of fabric. Therefore, if you would prefer both sides to be pieced you will need to make two diamond fabric panels.
materials needed-
quilters template plastic or card stock or freezer paper
pen or pencil
rotary
acrylic ruler
scissors
fabric scraps
1. Copy the diamond template. Be sure the printer is set to copy at 100%.
2. Make a template of the diamond using quilters template plastic or card stock. You could also use freezer paper for your template. Using freezer paper would allow you to press the template onto your fabric (remember to place the waxy side down. Do not iron the waxy side). The freezer paper template can be used multiple times.
3.Place the diamond template on the fabric so the outside edges are on the straight of grain. Keeping the outside edges on the straight of grain will help keep the diamond strip straight.
4. Cut 56 diamonds either by tracing around the template and cutting with scissors or by placing the acrylic ruler edge on top of the template and cutting with the rotary. You will piece 7 strips with 8 diamonds in each strip.
5. Take two diamonds, and, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, stitch with right sides facing. Because we are keeping the straight of grain on the outside edge, that means you are stitching on the bias to piece the diamonds together. Just take care not to stretch your fabric as you stitch. Also note, that the diamonds will be offset on each end by about 1/4 inch. Your needle will hit at the ‘V’, where the two seams will intersect, if you have correct placement and a true 1/4 inch seam allowance. Similarly, your stitching will end at the other end of the diamond pieces at the ‘V’.
6. Repeat step 5, until you have pieced 8 diamonds into a strip. Make 7 strips with 8 diamonds in each strip.
7 .Carefully press the strips with all of the seams pointing toward the top diamond in the strip.
Once you have 7 strips pieced together, you are ready to join the strips.
This is where it gets a bit tricky! When joining the strips ‘nesting’ seams is not possible because the seams are at angles. Rather the diamond seams in the strips will intersect at the 1/4 inch seam allowance.
8. Place two strips right sides facing. The top diamond point for each strip will be placed in a straight line. So when the strips are all sewn together, your pieced fabric will look like a series of peaks and valleys.
9. Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance stitch two strips together making sure you have the angled seams meet at the 1/4 inch seam allowance. I found that if I made sure the diamond seam, on the strip facing me, met with the dog ear on the strip underneath, this would result in a correct placement. Just be patient, it is a bit fiddly!
In the next step, I will share with you my stocking template, cutting out the stocking and quilting with perle cotton! In addition, we have been brain-storming Christmas stocking ideas! You are sure to find just the right ‘fit’!
We are so excited to see your Sunny Day Stocking! Please, add our tags as you sew and post pictures to Instagram. We can’t wait to see your progress pictures, as well as finished stocking pictures!
Use the hashtags, #sunnydaystocking #sunnydaysupply
Ho, Ho, Ho!!!
STEP 2
Now that your diamond fabric is pieced, it’s time to finish your Sunny Day Stocking!
Materials needed:
1/2 yard lining fabric (2/3 yard if using directional fabric)
(2)16″ x 21″ pieces of thin cotton batting (this just needs to be slightly larger than the stocking)
Pattern ease or tissue paper or freezer paper to transfer the stocking template
acrylic ruler and rotary cutter
fabric scissors and paper scissors
Valdani Perle Cotton (size 8) or Embroidery Floss (optional)
100% Cotton Thread or Sew-All Thread
Yarn for tassel or pom-pom (optional)
Putting the Stocking Together:
- Print out the Sunny Day Stocking Template. Be sure to print at 100%.
- Tape the sections of the stocking together with lines meeting to create the stocking template. To make pinning and placement of the pattern easier, you may want to transfer the stocking template to Pattern Ease, tissue paper or freezer paper. If not, once the template sections are pieced together, cut the template on the heavy black line.
- Place the stocking template on your cutting mat so the top edge is lined up with a horizontal line. Using your acrylic ruler draw a vertical straight line in the middle of the template going from top to bottom. This line is helpful in making sure the diamonds are placed properly. Using Pattern Ease or tissue paper it is easier to see the diamonds under the template.
4. Place the Sunny Day Stocking template on the diamond fabric. Notice the diamond fabric piece is angled, but the stocking template is placed so the line drawn on the template meets the top point and the bottom point of the center diamond. This line is a reference mark to keep the diamonds running straight up and down on the stocking. Pin in place.
5. Using the rotary cutter or scissors, cut out the stocking. If you are using the diamond fabric on only one side be sure the stocking is facing the correct direction.
6. FLIP THE SUNNY DAY STOCKING TEMPLATE OVER!!! This is very important to remember to do before cutting out the other side of the stocking! Flip the template over and place it on the single piece of fabric or the diamond fabric intended for the opposite side of the stocking. Cut out the other side of the stocking.
7. Place both sides of the stocking on a piece of cotton batting. Spray baste or pin in place.
8. Quilt the stocking, front and back as desired. My stocking is stitched along both sides of the seams using black perle cotton.
9. Once the stocking front and back are quilted, trim the batting even with the stocking.
10. Fold the lining fabric in half width wise and place the stocking template on the folded lining fabric. Pin the template to the lining and cut. This will yield a front and back lining for the stocking.
11. Place the front stocking and the lining right sides together. Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance stitch along the top edge of the stocking only. Repeat with the other side of the stocking. Press the seam toward the lining.
12. Place one stocking/ lining unit on top of the other stocking/lining unit, with right sides facing. Pin together all around making sure to match the seams.
13. Stitch all around the stocking/lining units leaving a 3″ opening in the foot of the lining for turning right side out. Take care to match the top seams and push the seam toward the lining.
14. Turn the stocking right side out through the opening in the lining. Smooth out the curves in the stocking and straighten out the lining. Stitch the opening in the lining closed.
15. Top stitch around the top of the stocking close to the edge. I like to leave just a little bit of the lining peeking out above the stocking exterior.
16. Add a fun loop with yarn or ribbon and some tassels or pom-poms! You have finished your Sunny Day Stocking! Be sure to share it on Instagram and remember to tag #sunnystockingsal #sunnydaysupply. We can’t wait to see your stockings!
And if you love our Sunny Day Stocking template (we do!!!), but you are looking for inspiration to create your own one of a kind stocking, we would like to offer a little additional stocking inspiration.
How about a clamshell stocking!
You could even add a scalloped cuff and some pom-poms!
Or you could re-purpose that old well-loved quilt. Add a Dresden plate or two and some stitching! Fabulous!
There are so many ways to put your own personal stamp on this year’s stocking!
Make this a Merry Makers Christmas!