To conclude this year’s super cosy Moda Bakeshop Countdown to Christmas I’m revisiting a tutorial I first shared five years ago and tweaking it to work with a the 6½” quilt blocks (that's 6" when sewn into your project) the Bakeshop chefs have designed for you this season. Or any 6½” block you have sitting in your scrap basket for that matter!
I used Andrea Arledge’s lovely Ribbon Candy block - from day 12 of the sewalong - to make my sample.
You will need...
1 6½” Countdown to Christmas block
½ yd fabric for the outer
½ yd lining fabric
2 8½" x 18½" pieces of fusible batting
4½" piece of ribbon (for the hanger)
Washable pen/chalk pencil to draw around the template
To prepare the template (download above) you will need to add the 'leg' of the stocking to the 'foot’ - as shown on the template - by cutting a 6½" x 11" rectangle from A4 paper, then sticky-taping the two pieces together. Then fold over the top of the template by ½" when cutting the outer back piece.
Cutting...
1. From the outer fabric cut as shown, below:-
{Note the 2½” x 6½” piece added to the ‘foot’}
2. From the lining fabric cut as shown, below:-
Please read through the pattern before you begin. Fabric is always placed right-sides-together and joined with a ¼” seam allowance unless otherwise noted.
Preparing the front of the stocking...
3. Join the 2½" x 6½" outer piece to the top and the outer 'foot' to the bottom of the 6½” Countdown to Christmas block, pressing away from the block.
4. Trim your fusible batting to size and fuse to the wrong side of the stocking front and quilt as desired. I chose to use a simple crosshatch design. Quilt the stocking back in the same way.
Assembling the Stocking...
5. Lay the quilted back outer, right sides up, and position the piece of ribbon - folded in half - ½" away from the edge, as shown. Pin or glue baste in place.
6. Join the lining pieces to the top of the matching outer pieces, pressing towards the lining.
7. Lay out the front and back pieces, right sides together, and pin together, marking a 6" opening in the lining.
8. Sew around the edge, starting and finishing at the opening with a few back-stitches. Clip the corners and make little cuts in to the seam allowance around any curves - taking care not to snip through your stitching - then turn right sides out.
9. Press lightly and slip-stitch or machine-stitch the opening closed and gently push the lining into the outer stocking.
10. Press around the top - your lining should be peeking above the edge - then top-stitch.
11. And you’re done: time to make a celebratory hot chocolate!
I hope you've had a truly wonderful Christmas this year. If you’ve been busy and haven't had much time to sew, all of the Countdown to Christmas posts from this year (and the past four years) are waiting on the Moda Bakeshop website for you to make when you have time. January can be a bit slow, can't it?...
Nicola xx
Comments