My new "vintage" stocking

About a week ago my daughter Liz announced that we were going to have new Christmas Stockings. Now, I don't know about your traditions, but at our house Christmas Stockings are a big deal. It probably started when I was a little girl and my mom & dad let us open up our stockings while they got up and got ready to open gifts (of course my brothers and I got up at Oh dark thirty!). No gifts went under the tree until we were fast asleep and so there was a huge surprise Christmas morning. Pat, Denny and I would pull out oranges, chocolate, a balsa wood airplane, paper money, Chinese finger puzzles, kazoos and the like from our stockings (oh, and a new penny...always). We'd be fingering the loot, candy canes stuck firmly inside our cheeks and pointing out our pepperminty, drooling mouths. Finally, FINALLY Mom and Dad appeared to ooh and ahh over the tree before we could dig into the tree and all it's wonders.

We followed this tradition when my own children were born and stockings were filled with treats and fun trinkets. Stockings were first, presents were second. I remember the year the girls noticed that I rarely had anything in my stocking (I was the one who filled theirs and their father's). They have made sure every year since that my sock was full. When the girls were born I bought some pre-printed quilted fabric and made the family stockings. Then made some more when the girls were teens. When the sons-in-laws joined the family they each got a stocking too.

Fast forward to last week when Liz announced we were all going to have new stockings. She wanted to make them for the entire family so that when we had a Christmas together at Grammy's house everyone had a matching stocking. They were all to be out of red and green 1930's reproduction fabrics. They will all have the names embroidered on them. And she was just starting them. Well, actually just her family this year. By next year everyone else would have them. She gave me some pieces of her 1930's fabric collection and I made one for me. I finished it tonight.


What could be more 1930's Vintage that that? Several of the fabrics have Scottie Dogs on them. I'm all set! Now if only someone fills my sock!