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Foundation pieced Christmas stocking project

This scrap friendly foundation pieced Christmas stocking project can be made with Christmas fabrics or looks great in rainbow colours like we've chosen to do. The finished stocking is 18 inches tall and 15 inches wide. There's also a panel on the top where you can add a name to personalise the stocking.

Materials:

An assortment of scraps for paper piecing

A fat quarter of fabric for the back of the stocking

1/2m of fabric for the lining

Fusible fleece or interfacing (optional)

8 inches of ribbon to make a hanging loop (optional)

Foundation paper

Add a quarter ruler (optional but very handy)

Glue pen

Sewing clips (optional but handy)

Seam allowance 1/4 an inch

Foundation templates (designed with EQ8): one, two, three

Curve-template 

Download the 3 block templates (above in materials list) and print them onto foundation paper.

Piece the blocks using your scraps, if you are new to foundation paper piecing use our beginner's guide. Cut a fabric strip 4.5 by 8 inches to add to the top from one of your scraps. You could embroider or applique a name onto this piece if you want.

Lay your blocks out with 2 on top of each other, and the fabric strip on top of them, plus one block to the left of the bottom block. Move the blocks around until you find the order you like best. Sew them together, remove the foundation papers and press the seams. If you want to add some body to your stocking you can add fusible fleece or interfacing to the back. I used H360 on mine.

I used a plate to cut the curves for the toe and heel on my stocking, you can do the same or use the curve template I drew from my plate (in the materials list above).  Place the stocking front face down on top of the backing fabric (right side up), trace around it and cut it out. Do the same for the 2 lining pieces but fold your lining fabric in half right sides together first.

Place the backing panel on top of the front panel, right sides together. Use pins or sewing clips to hold them together and sew right around the outside but not across the top.

Do the same for the lining fabric but on the long back edge leave a 5 inch gap.

Clip the curves around the heel and toes, where there is a right angle on the top of the foot make a cut inwards which stops just before the stitching. These will all make it easier to turn through and keep it's shape.

Turn the outside of the stocking the right way out, place it inside of the lining with the right sides together. Sew around the top joining the 2 pieces, see below if you want to add a hanging loop.

Hanging loop: If you want to add a hanging loop cut an 8 inch piece of ribbon. Align the raw edges with the top edge of the stocking, on the back seam (the long straight edge). Stitch into place, sew over it 2 or 3 times to reinforce it. Make sure you tuck the ribbon loop down between the right side of the exterior and the right side of the lining fabric before you sew around the top of the stocking.

Pull the stocking through the gap in the lining to turn it the right way around. Sew the lining gap closed, then push the lining into the inside of the stocking. Press the stocking, you can top stitch around the top if desired. Now your stocking is ready to hang up for santa!  Why not make one for all the family? 

 

Foundation pieced Christmas stocking project

General tips and points to remember…

  • The terms jersey, knitted and stretchy fabric can get used interchangeably, not just here but generally as you look around online you’ll see these terms being used to refer to similar things.
  • This fabric can be made from a variety of fibres such as cotton, viscose, modal, polyester, wool and bamboo. Usually they will also have a percentage of a stretchy fibre such as elastane or spandex.
  • The thickness or weight of them can be described in grams per square meter but as this number is hard to put into context and isn’t always available more subjective terms can be used to describe them such as light weight, medium weight etc
  • They can also be referred to with special more technical names such as ponte roma, double knit, single knit, sweatshirting and loop back. I’ll cover the most common ones below in more detail
  • I've tried to keep things are relevant as possible for the home dressmaker. These is lots of other more detailed and technical information out there but I hope this summery helps you understand more about this great fabric and how to sew it into your handmade wardrobe.

How to work out the amount and type of stretch

They stretch in different ways by different amounts. Some fabrics have a two way stretch and will stretch between the selvedges. Some have a 4 way stretch and will stretch lengthwise as well as between the selvedges. Use a swimsuit as a way to remember - it’s a 4 way stretch as it must stretch the length of your body as well as the width of your body.

The percentage of stretch refers to how much the fabric physically stretches, NOT the percentage of stretchy fibre (spandex or elastase) that is in them. Sewing patterns will typically as for a minimum percentage of stretch the fabric must have.

Why is percentage stretch important?

Sewing patterns designed for this type of fabric are typically designed with negative ease. This means that the garment you make will be smaller than your actual body measurement so that it stretches and fits around you. That’s why it's really important to use the right amount of stretch, otherwise you won’t be able to get the garment on/off or move in it!

How to use your Stretch Percentage Measurer

If you’re using a pattern which is designed for jersey fabrics then it will probably tell you the stretch percentage that the fabric you use needs to have. This is different from the stretch content, which is how much elastane or lycra is in the fabric.

Step One

Hold a 10cm section of your fabric, stretch it as far as it will comfortably stretch, without over stretching

Step Two

Every centimetre over 10 will correspond to 10% of stretching. So if your test piece stretches to 14cm, then the fabric has 40% stretch.