Advent Calendar: Christmas Stockings

Did you have one? Where did you hang it? What did you get in it? Do you have any Christmas stockings used by your ancestors?



Mary's 1990



I grew up having a stocking, as of today I had no idea what it looked like.  I think it was red but who knows.  I cannot remember how we hung them, we did not have a fire place. We use to receive oranges and nuts in our stockings plus little toys.

I know when I left home I made myself a stocking, one of those quilted cut and sew type and you sew a binding around the edges and I embroidered Mary on the top.  I even took it with me on my mission.  Not that I thought anyone would fill it but because I thought I needed a Christmas decoration with me and it was flat.  

                                                                                                                         



Richard's Stocking 1993

In about 1988 I decided to make a nice stocking for myself out of counter cross stitch on linen.  It was lined with satin and backed with velvet, I didn't finish it until 1990.  What a difference those reading glasses made.                                                          

Of course when I and Richard married I made one for him and them one for each of the kids and then one for each of the spouse of the kids.  So I have made a total of seven of these stockings. 



Kierra's 1995



When the kids where young I thought I would give it to them when they had their own homes, but I have since decided they can stay here until I die. 

I made Kierra's first and was going to make one each year.  Kinsen the youngest didn't want to wait for his stocking so I made his and Klint's in the same year.   



Klint 1996

Why did I made such fancy stockings for the kids.  I wanted to give the kids something they could cherish and give them traditions.  Something long lasting and stable. 

 

Kinsen's 1996

Each person could pick out their design.  When I took Klint and Kinsen to the cross stitch store to pick out their patterns I was very tickled by the patterns they picked out because they so fit each boy's personality.   Klint picked the pattern with the lion, and he was an active, loud boy.  Kinsen picked the one with the angel and he was a very calm and helpful boy. 

Will's Stocking 2010

Kierra wanted one with not a lot of flowers and yet I think hers has the most.  I won't tell if you don't.  Kierra picked out Will's stocking, her husband's. I gave him the stuff to make the stocking last Christmas all wrapped in a box and this Christmas I will wrap it in a box with all the stuff in it for him to open.  

Krystal 2006

The other stocking I made was for Krystal, Klint's wife.  I gave it too her when she left our home and family.  I for some strange reason cannot find a picture of it completed into stocking shape.   I wish I had known that so I could have taken a picture of it before she left.  I told it it had been made with love.

So how do we hang all these stockings with out a mantel? 

 My friend Heidi made this for me. 

And the stockings were hung

Christmas 2008, I had placed everything in the stockings and all of a sudden I heard a big crash dowel for the arms had broken. 

Have a Merry Christmas and make some great memories.