More Folk Art Christmas Stockings

Merry Christmas, everyone! The cookies are baked, the decorations are up and the stockings have been hung by the chimney with care...

Family arrives tomorrow, and we'll have a house full of grandchildren, dogs, and grownups, along with all the joy and craziness that comes with large family gatherings, so I thought I'd take a moment to catch up with you.

In addition to the cooking, shopping, and baking, I've been busy making a Christmas stocking for my granddaughter, Isabelle, who is 19 months old now.

She needed one to match everyone else's. (Click here and here to see those.)

I've been making these folk art stockings since the 1990s and, as the family has grown, so has the collection on the mantel. They're made of homespun cotton plaids and checks decorated with blanket-stitched wool applique.

Each one is different. Isabelle's features a little elf, since she's a spunky, mischievous little girl. That's a "belle" she's ringing.

Last year I made one for Callista, who's now four.

Callista and Isabelle

She loves playing in the snow, so she got a plump snowgirl on her stocking. And since she's very much a princess-y kind of girl, I gave her a crown.

Fitting those long names on the stocking cuffs was challenging. I'm glad there wasn't one more letter - I would have had to continue it on the back!

Christmas is going to be a lot of fun at our house this year. I hope it will be a joy-filled day at your home, too.

Thank you for following me on my journey through 2016. We're all in this together, and it's good to have friends to help you along the way. Wishing you the happiest of holidays and a wonderful new year!