8/1/10 UPDATE TO POST: Burlap stockings based on this design, are now available for sale in my Etsy Shop.
Christmas stockings have been a favorite tradition in our family since I was little. I remember Christmases past running to pick out which knee sock I would hang by the fireplace. My earliest memory is filling each other's stockings with tangerines, walnuts and coins. Later, we each had a special stocking made from crocheted granny squares.
Once I was married, I couldn't wait to carry on the tradition in our own home. During the year, when I come across the perfect stocking gift for one of my girls, I stash it away until Christmas. (Sometimes, I forget where I've hidden them which leads me on a panicked treasure hunt!)
These are pictures of our stockings, which I made a few years ago, and hung today. I made them from burlap, lined with muslin and fleece interfacing for structure. I like to place fresh cut boxwood in the stockings until Christmas Eve when we fill them with treats and unexpected surprises.
My husband built our beautiful floor to ceiling mantel with columns. Years ago I tore a picture out of a magazine and told him I would love to have one just like it in our living room. He did such a wonderful job. It's the focal point of the entire room.
