The Story Behind This Year’s Patchwork Stockings
There’s something grounding for me about sitting down with a pile of fabrics and an idea that isn’t quite formed yet. This is how almost all of my designs begin: with a definite plan, but always the knowledge that things will evolve organically throughout the process. I like to have fabrics laid out in front of me - seeing the different colours and textures and waiting for combos to jump out at me and turning the results into something that feels right.
Making these Christmas stockings has been no different. It’s been a slow, intuitive process that has been as satisfying as it has been time consuming. It took me weeks to get to the point of nailing down the final five designs. It was important that I loved every one but that they worked together tonally as well, and could be mixed and matched when people wanted to hang more than one.
Choosing the Fabrics (the most important part)
Before anything else, I pull out the fabrics - prints, soft muslins, French and Irish linen in various weights, and some scraps and offcuts I’ve saved for years because they were simply too beautiful to throw away. This part always takes me the longest, but in the best possible way. I hold things against one another, swap pieces in and out, and search for colours that work together. The range of colour ways is always wide to begin with and gradually narrows as the right pairings reveal themselves. And then there are the lining fabrics! Another really important part of the process is choosing the colours and prints that contrast perfectly with the outer design. It’s these small details that I think are so important.
Designing: From first thoughts to first stitches
I start with very loose sketches, just enough to guide me, but not enough to feel fixed. fabric swatches. I tend not to draw very much - I find it comes together with the fabrics in my hands. I like to keep the design open so I can respond to how things take shape in my hands - the same, organic way I’ve always worked. It means a lot of time trying different fabrics together and sometimes unpicking and re-sewing and trying again, but that’s where the magic lies for me.
Making the diamond harlequin stockings
Once the fabrics are chosen, the diamond stockings begin with long strips of cloth. I sew these together, press them flat, and then cut them into precise 60-degree strips. These are reassembled into the rhythmic, harlequin pattern that gives these stockings their character. I did this by hand using the paper piecing method first but it’s very time consuming, so much so that it’s just not viable. To be honest, it’s much easier to manipulate the shapes by hand, but I found it’s not workable.
From this freshly created patchwork, I cut the two stocking shapes, along with their lining pieces. The ribbon loop is chosen - a tiny detail, but one that’s really important.Then everything is stitched together and “bagged out”, which is still one of my favourite moments in the entire making process: turning something inside out and seeing the final shape reveal itself.
Making the patchwork star stockings
These begin with hand-pieced diamonds - quiet, meditative work (my favourite!). Hand sewing these is one of the parts I enjoy the most. Each small diamond is stitched together to form the star motif, and once it’s pressed, I sew tiny brass bells onto each point. That soft little jingle as I work is one of the unexpected pleasures of the process. The stars are appliquéd onto the stocking fronts, then paired with their linings and sewn together just as the diamond stockings are.
christmas stockings 2025
If you’ve enjoyed this little glimpse behind the scenes, you can take a closer look at the finished stockings here. I hope they can become part of your story of Christmas too.