FullOfStitches.com blog.A good laugh leaves me in stitches!

Little Guy’s third Christmas is approaching and I have yet to make him a stocking. Friday (aka 2 days) before Christmas I went to the fabric store and found the brocades on sale – yay!

To make a fancy looking lined stocking, I cut out the 2 stocking (sock) shapes from the pretty material and the lining fabric – I only needed a fat quarter of each fabric (1/2 yard length) for the size stocking I made. I also had a pretty tassel to hang it with and matching decorator fabric for the cuff at top – about twice the width of the stocking body (the cuff has only one seam, the exact measurement will be twice the stocking width including only one seam allowance, but if it’s a thick fabric having a little wiggle room may be helpful). Also, I used a bit of decorator trim around the cuff.

My seams are sewn at 1/4″ and the basting or underlining at 1/8″

If the cuff fabric is thin making it hard to work with, line it with a scrap of fabric (the one I used here is thin and moves around easily, so I used a scrap of fabric that lined the top of it).

If using a dangly trim:
1. Fold cuff in half and mark the center. Unfold:

2. Pin the trim so it rests on this line, then baste/sew in place.

For lace or other trims that will be continuous, skip those first 2 steps and start here:
3. Fold cuff in half so the side seam meets (right sides together) and sew the side seam.

4. Fold cuff to enclose the raw seam, matching top edges, baste together. (If using a continuous trim, like lace, match the pattern to the folded bottom edge of the cuff now and see in place) Turn outside in, so trim is inside.

5. For the body of the stocking, pin the front and back of the stocking pieces right sides together and sew around, leaving the top open. Repeat with the lining pieces. (note: if you make a fancy-toe, trim the lining so it won’t end up wadded up in the toe)


6. Turn the lining right side out and insert the outer stocking piece inside it so the toes are on the same side, match seams, baste top together.

7. Place the hanging tassel or ribbon and pin or baste in place. (this photo isn’t the best way to pin the hanging ribbon: pin the knot at the basting line, then open the ribbon and pin, so when you sew the cuff to the stocking, the hanging ribbon is slightly open and is easier to hang, especially for children)

8. Slide stocking into cuff (right side of cuff to lining, with the main fabric to inside), baste/sew in place. Finish edge, if desired: I used a 3-step zigzag to reduce the fraying of the brocade.

9. If a line of stitching will show on the cuff: Turn cuff up, with the seam allowance toward the lining, sew through the lining and seam allowance (1/8″ from seam)

For a cuff that a line of stitching won’t be obvious, turn the cuff right side out and turn the stocking right side out inside it. Then sew about 1/4″ from top edge with a medium length stitch (on my machine: 2 is normal stitch length, 4 or 5 is basting length, so I used a 3 length stitch on this other stocking)

10. Turn the stocking right side out (if you haven’t yet) and admire! Hang it up for Christmas.

Another example, my daughter’s stocking:

We stopped by Target today and picked up some battery powered LED Christmas lights. I still need another strand or two to light up the back of the Bakfiets so I’m more visible. We have the Bak-end lit and it looked pretty good.

I handed a strand to the three oldest children and helped the littles put lights on their bikes.

Then we rode into the night to go look at the Christmas lights in our neighborhood!

I’m experimenting with taking the two littles’ bikes along to the park. I’d originally thought that I could rig a system in which I can attach the 7yo’s bike on the box and let her ride for short spurts on longer trips.. But it didn’t work with these hooks!

This bike is about 1-2″ off the ground and making turns like this is a no-go! If I can find some clamps with hooks raised 6-7″, then she may be able to get the occasional ride. For now, I’m starting on a mission to upgrade the children’s bikes for ease of riding and comfort (Copenhaganize, baby!).

Yum! I’m having so much good eats with these persimmons! For this dessert:

1 pie crust (I made a slightly sweetened one for this)

Mix together:
3/4 cup pecans, ground (I used the blender)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 egg yolk

Spread that mixture in the pie crust. Then slice 2-3 Fuyu Persimmons and fan them out to grace the pie, leaving about 1&1/2 inch border

Mix 1/2-1 tsp cinnamon with 3 Tbsp sugar and sprinkle onto the persimmons.

Fold up the edges of the pie crust and pinch together. Pop in the refrigerator to allow the crust to harden and the persimmons to release their juices while you heat the oven to 375F.

Bake for 45-50 minutes – the crust should be browning. Allow to sit 15-20 minutes, then enjoy while still warm!

We’re back online again! Yay! The techy let me see what to do if it stops working again, so maybe I’ll be able to post semi-regularly!

It’s been persimmon month here. Two of our neighbors have Fuyu persimmon trees (the fruit are ripe & edible when still firm) and we have made several yummy treats.

What of the first ones we didn’t eat out of hand were made into jam. The next ones made it into a pie. And of the last batch, a couple made this yummy tart:

I’ve also put some pulp in the freezer for a more traditional persimmon pie for Christmas, at MissA’s request. I kept a couple back to either eat or make the tart again – it was fantastic!