A Stocking is Worth a Thousand Words
While beginning to contemplate the possibility of maybe (someday) starting to take down the Christmas decorations (a process that will last until well after the Easter Bunny comes), I had the following revelation about the Christmas stockings I've made over the years. I invite you to gaze upon them while taking in the wisdom they impart:
Steve's Stocking
Notice: The design on this stocking is pretty complex. The stitches are small and pretty close to perfect, and there's no shortage of fine bead work and other adornments here.
What this stocking says: We've only been married for three years and I still like you and want to impress you with my diverse array domestic skills--is there no end to my talent? We obviously don't have any children yet.
My Stocking
Notice: Again, there's a lot of fine work going on here. The stitches might not be as perfect, but they're still pretty darned close. This stocking depicts multiple Christmas carols, and I have a vision of making each person in my soon-to-be growing family a stocking in a theme of each carol. Note Steve already has Oh, Christmas Tree.
What this stocking says: I'm pregnant but I don't have any kids yet so I still have time to put into such things. I'm also slightly delusional.
Ella's Stocking
Notice: I've abandoned my Christmas carol theme for something simpler involving less beads and ornamentation. Although the front was done before Ella was born, the back was pinned on for the first year and I didn't get around to stitching her name on until her second Christmas. The loop that holds it up is still just pinned on.
What this stocking says: I have a baby now and have less time and patience for frivolous shows of domesticity. Stocking sewing has become a chore, but there's still only one of you so I get it done.
Addison's Stocking
Notice: It's held together by binder clips and safety pins. For the first two years I just laid the front panel on top of the one or two things that were meant to go inside. The stocking didn't have a name on it at all until this year, when I finally put one on with scotch tape because Ella kept asking why Addison was the only one without a name on her stocking. She didn't notice the lack of a back. Addison's stocking doesn't have a loop from which to hang it, so I used a snow globe to anchor it down so it could join the others hanging from the mantle. We had to just lay it on the ground Christmas morning.
What this stocking says: You're the youngest.
That's too funny--I can't tell you how many projects I have started like that.
ReplyDeleteJust like the empty baby book I have for my 3rd, meanwhile my oldest's is totally filled in!
ReplyDeleteOkay, giving yourself a hard time over these is just silly, because those stockings (yes, even the unfinished one!) are absolutely GORGEOUS! I sew and knit quite well, but you are a freaking artist! Where on earth did you learn to do that?!
ReplyDeleteIt's a kit, baby cakes! As long as you know a few basic stitches, and you don't have any children and/or you have a full time nanny but don't work, you, too, can make your own progressively more and more half assed stockings!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment!
Yep, just one of the casualities of being the youngest. At least you made an attempt! It's also a sad day, when you find your baby book and it's nearly empty!! However, the up side to being the youngest is that as years go on, your parents put less stress on perfection and basically let you get away with murder. They're are just too tired to force you into doing things like take piano lessons-I love them for that:)
ReplyDeleteYep, just one of the casualties of being the youngest. At least you made an attempt! It's also a sad day, when you find your baby book and it's nearly empty!! However, the up side to being the youngest is that as years go on, your parents put less stress on perfection and basically let you get away with murder. They're are just too tired to force you into doing things like take piano lessons-I love them for that:)
ReplyDelete