Christmas Stocking

A quickie tutorial to use up all those little scraps of fabric to make a Christmas Stocking.  There are loads of tutorials for Christmas Stockings but I thought I would share how I did it.

Decide how big to make your stocking, the leg part needs to be wide enough to reach inside for all those goodies! You can either free hand draw a boot shaped stocking or draw around a sock!

I did mine by drawing around a sock with plenty of room around it, then cut it into patchwork pieces. You could leave it all in one piece if you have fabric large enough.

Then use any Christmassy fabric you have to cut out your pieces, don't forget to flip them over so you have a back and a front to sew together later.  I also used up my scraps of iron on stabiliser to stiffen the fabric.

It may be a good idea to number all the pieces so that its easier to fit them back together again like a jigsaw.

One side all done.

Two sides all cut out and stitched back together. You need a left and a right foot so that you can sew them together to make a whole sock. But you knew that already, right?

I used a scrap of white cotton fabric, that I had left over from lining a dress, to make a lining for the stocking. Place one completed patchwork side on top of the white cotton and cut around it. The white fabric didn't have a right or wrong side so I just cut 2 straight off. If your lining fabric is patterned then you need to cut 2 sides as before.

Place your patchwork stockings right sides together and stich the sides, across the bottom and up the other side. Turn right sides out and press.  Sew your lining fabric with right sides together but leave a gap along the bottom.

I hope you can see that I left a 3 to 4 inch gap along the "sole". Also, I used orange thread to show better on here but you can use matching thread lol.

Place the patchwork stocking inside the liner with right sides together. I used a wooden spoon to push it down so that I could match the side seams up.  Stitch all around the top.

You can see from this photo that the right sides of the fabrics are placed together, with my very useful old wooden spoon doing the smoothing.

Pull the patchwork stocking through the gap in the bottom of the lining until they are both the right sides out.


It will look like you have a very long stocking with a foot at either end.  Sew up the gap in the lining of the sole of the stocking then push the lining into the patchwork one and give a final press. Take a piece of ribbon and attach to the open end of the stocking for hanging. Don't foget to fill with yummy things before Christmas morn.

Hang up your stocking and admire with pride : )  Of course you don't HAVE to make your own stockings, you can get them from pound (£1) shop stores in the UK BUT there's such a good feeling about making your own. AND its washable and storeable for next Christmas unlike the cheap felt store bought ones!

Kids Fairytale Messenger Bag Tutorial

To make the messenger bag that was offered in the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day is really simple, just follow the steps below (no pattern needed).

You will need a main fabric, a lining fabric, heavyweight fusible interfacing, 2 x D Rings, 2 x Trigger Clasps and a magnetic clasp.

Cut Your Fabric

From Main Fabric

Cut  3 panels measuring 10 1/2" x 8 1/2"  (one is for flap) front/back panel

2 panels measuring 8 1/2" x 3" (sides)

1 panel measuring 10 1/2" (bottom)

1 strip measuring 29" x 4" (handle)

2 strips of main fabric for attaching D Rings 3"x 3"

Cut the same from lining fabric apart from the long strip for the handle.

Fuse interfacing to the wrong side of the main fabric (not the handle).

Stitch the side panels (right sides together) to either end of the bottom panel to make a long strip.

Attach the magnetic stud to the front panel 2" from the top of the panel and centred, following the manufacturers instructions.

With right sides together stitch the main fabric front flap to the lining front flap around 3 sides leaving the top of the flap open for turning. Turn and press.

Attach other half of the clasp to the front flap, placed 2 1/2" from bottom of flap and centred.

With right sides together stitch the sides and bottom to front panel, pivot at corners. Attach back panel.

Repeat with lining fabric for main bag body but leave a gap along the bottom seam measuring approx 4 - 5 inches for turning.. You should have 1 flap and 2 main bag bodies as of pic on right.

Line up the raw edges of the flap with the back of the back (right sides together) and tack in place.

Take the 2 small strips to make D ring holders. Fold each one in half and press, open out then fold each edge towards centre crease (wrong sides together) and press, fold in half and press again. Stitch down long edge to make 2 strips. Slip a D ring on each one and tack to each side panel with raw edges matching.

Turn main bag body right side out and place it inside the lining main bag body which is still wrong side out. Line up side seams and around the top. The flap is now sandwiched between the main bag bodies.  Like the flap, the D ring strips will be sandwiched between the main fabric and the lining fabric.

Tack all around top edge then machine stitch together.

Pull bag through gap in lining G E N T L E Y until bag is right sides out.

Press and top stitch all around the top edge, hand stitch gap in lining fabric closed.

Looking inside bag showing raw edges matching.








Showing D Rings tucked inside raw edges lined up.

Finished Bag!!


Unfortunately I forgot to photo the process of making the bag handle but its basically a really long version of the D Ring strips.

Fold handle in half wrong sides together and press. Open out and fold each long edge towards the centre and press again. Keeping the edges folded in, fold entire strip in half length ways and press. Stitch down each long edge, folding in raw edges at each end. Slip trigger clasp on strap, fold fabric over D Ring of trigger clasp and machine stitch firmly in place, repeat with other end of strap.

If you have any problems leave a message in the comments box and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Good luck and please post photos of your finished creations!!

Free Pattern & Tutorial

Go to the pattern tab to download the pattern, follow sew along on tutorial tab. Stand back and admire work.

Please note this free pattern is for personal use only, the pattern is not to be sold by any purpose. Please feel free to sell any finished leggings made from this pattern.