FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rachel, you were right - STOCKINGS!!  ;)

So,  here's what I've been working on for the past 2 weeks:  Project #1

All 23 of them!!  Okay...now that you've seen the picture, I'll explain the whole story.

My grandmother had a tradition many years ago, which may have been  before I was born, I'm not sure.  All the family would go to her house on Dec. 25th,  Christmas night for dinner and gift giving.  She had stockings for all of us, which she made.  My grandmother was a sewing queen, she did every kind of craft known to woman, she was a "crafty" wonder!  There wasn't a craft this woman couldn't do! So each year we'd gather at my Me Maw's house on Christmas evening.  I can remember as a child, that was my favorite part of Christmas (besides Christmas morning of course!) was going to my grandparents house with all of the family  for Christmas dinner and of course - those stockings!

Last year my cousin Deb had the idea of starting the tradition of "stockings as gift giving" at our house for our "Cousins Christmas".  We made due with what stockings we could find last year, so now it's December of this year.  Since we missed the quota for the EP's, which meant Aiden couldn't come home this year.  I had the whole month of December to do nothing but watch the clock  click.....one....... number .......at........ a........ time!  Oh my, I've got  to come up with something to do!   Yeah......I'll make new stockings for everyone!

I thought, great idea! (enter happy dance!)  So I sent an email to my two cousins that help with coordinating our "Cousins Christmas" every year.  They thought it was a good idea.  Yah,  now.... how on earth am I gonna make new stockings without it being expensive?!  I needed to make 22 stockings!!  That's a lot of fabric, so I asked my cousins what I should make them out of.  My cousin sent a reply back - "Use quilts". OMGOODNESS, that was an awesome idea!   And, what's ironic about these stockings is two of the quilts I used,  my Me Maw made many many years ago.  Plus, one other quilt was made by my other grandmother, many many years ago.

I started out with a quilt, traced a stocking, then cut it out.

   

I bought some fabric at Hobby Lobby (love me some Hobby Lobby!!).  Cut it into strips and took it to Monogramming by Sherri,  local retailer who does monogramming - who gave me a great deal, thanks! ;)

Then I attached the fabric with the names on them to one side, then the blank one to the other side.  Inverted them and sewed them together with my sewing machine.

Everyone in my family will have new stockings for Christmas at my house this year!  :)

Another thing that's great about this,  every year I get those stockings out, I'll remember what I did to pass the time....waiting for Aiden to come home.  Sweet!

Oh btw,  there is one extra one without a name.  That's for whoever ends up at our house for Christmas, so no one is left out!  Everybody gets something at our house on Christmas!