Tips for the Diamond Stocking
Wow! I am seeing some amazing stockings on Instagram!
You all are awesome!
I know the Diamond Stocking can be a bit challenging, so I wanted to add a few more tips to my previously published post - Sunny Stocking (scroll through and you will find it with the link to the templates)
For those machine piecing the diamonds:
When you are ready to stitch your diamonds into rows, place the right sides of the diamond together with the tips offset.
Your sewing machine needle should fall right in that valley marked by the arrow. You should have a quarter inch seam allowance (check to be sure you are really using a quarter inch or use a quarter inch foot) on the raw edge. Your needle should start in that valley and finish the seam exiting the valley on the other end. KEEP A QUARTER INCH SEAM ALLOWANCE!
Now you should be able to press it open and have a nice straight line of diamonds. If you don't, check that you have traced and cut out your diamond and template correctly, and check your seam allowance. Wiggle the top diamond up or down until you find the spot where the needle is positioned correctly. Once you do a few, you will easily find that spot...it is most likely going to be just a hair larger than a 1/4 inch down from the tip.
To add the rows together:
The tricky part in adding the rows together is getting the seams of the diamonds to line up where they should. They are not going to nest like a straight seam. So to help, you can place a 1/4 inch mark at the seams. Then fold back on that mark to see where the top diamond row seam intersects with the row under.
Pin it in place. Once stitched if you need to move your row up or down slightly...just take out the stitching where they aren't quite meeting, a few stitches in front and after that point as well. Then just wiggle it into place. Pin and stitch again.
If your seams are just a little off....don't sweat it! Its the overall effect that counts!
Hand Stitching the diamonds:
Last year my neighbor made our diamond stocking and hand stitched the entire diamond panel together.
If you want to hand piece, mark all the stitch lines for your 1/4 inch seam allowance. I use a Frixion pen, but use the marking tool you are most comfortable using.
Simply hand piece the diamonds together. I pin through the points of both diamonds (right sides together) to find where they should match and then pin in place. Do the same at the end of your seam.
Stitch. Press open.
You will add the rows together in the same way. This may be a bit more time consuming, but you also might feel you have more control hand stitching.
English Paper Piecing the diamonds:
For my dear friend Clare @selfsewn, this is definitely the way she would go.
If you EPP, you already know how to stitch basted shapes together. If not, there are many fabulous videos you can search or look at Clare's blog for wonderful instructions in English Paper Piecing.
I easily made my EPP template by copying the original two times. My first copy is for tracing my fabric to cut (if I want to avoid waste), and the second copy I trimmed a quarter inch off of each side.
Simply cut your fabric using the original shape and baste it around the trimmed shape. Glue baste or hand baste with thread.
Stitch the diamonds together using a whip stitch or a ladder stitch. And if you want to hide your stitches, use a thread that matches the color of your fabric or you may want to use a light grey. Personally, I feel grey blends better to hid stitches if you are piecing scrappy. It might also be good to look at the type of thread you are using. A thinner thread will sink in more to hide stitches, as will a silk thread. And I alway recommend Richard Hemming Milliner needles for EPP and applique.
One last tip!
If you are to the point where you are using the stocking template to cut out your front and back.....REMEMBER to flip your stocking template over after cutting out the front to cut out the back! I don't want you to end up with two fronts! Especially if you have pieced both sides. Just a friendly reminder :)