November | 2014 | Sarah Quilts

I posted this mini-tutorial on Instagram and I thought you guys might want to see it here too. If you make any stockings with it, be sure to send me a photo!

Step 1: supplies

stocking template (the one I used for this tutorial is from Diary of a Quilter, but I enlarged it when I made them for my family)
2 quilted panels 9.5 by 16
45 inches of single fold bias binding
2 nine-inch pieces of double fold binding
1 hanging loop (I made mine using a 3 x 6 inch piece of fabric folded multiple times and then stitched closed)

Step 2: use the template to mark and cut a front and back for your stocking (be sure to reverse the template for the back)

Step 3: sew the double fold binding to the tops

Step 4: place the front and back wrong sides together and sew with a 1/4 inch seam

Step 5: attach the single fold binding, leaving 2-3 extra inches at the top

Step 6: hand sew the binding down, folding and flipping the extra at the top into the stocking

Step 7: attach the loop (very securely if you tend to overstuff your stockings like I do) and you’re done!

A few weeks ago I made some little stuffed toys for the baby’s room… and then somehow a quilt sprung out of the same fabrics. Spontaneous combustion?

It was more of a challenge than I initially expected! The pattern came from an older Fons & Porter publication (Fat Quarter Friendly). It suggested needle turn appliqué as an alternative to the curved piecing typically required for a classic winding ways quilt. Sounded good to me since I have needle turn experience but I haven’t tackled curved piecing yet.

Trouble is, the points really need to line up in order to create the “winding ways” effect. After my first block I realized it definitely wasn’t going to happen by luck. After a restless night’s sleep I came up with the idea to piece the background blocks first and then sort of manipulate the appliqué points to approximately come together enough to create the design. It worked! But it was definitely challenging and a little backbreaking. I quickly decided to reduce the overall size of the quilt and add a border! That cut the number of blocks I needed from 20 to 9.

Here it is before quilting.