Taking stock, making stockings

Here are the results of many hours of stocking making. I’d like to think that I have a talent for translating the essence of others into simple felt designs. They were really fun to make, and I got to use many crafty supplies, including what I consider to be the “holy trinity”--feathers, sequins and a bedazzler! I struggled for a long while over these stockings and finally decided to make the top part out of a lush feather boa!

My father is in the seafood (scrimpin’) business, so I made him an ocean scene and decided the ocean would be “realistic” in sequins.

I made my mom a simple candle and cranberry scene, meant to evoke peaceful reflection (she is very much like the still waters that run so deep)


Natan’s started out as a joke—mudflap girls serving as the base of a Christmas tree, and I feel like I’m going to have to redo it into something a bit less trashy for next year. Cutting mudflap girls out of felt is not an easy task, let me tell you.

My favorite is mine—a visualization of the universe—a felted “eye of god” nebula within a wavy, undefined framework that represents the unknown limits of our universe.


I made several smaller stockings for other family members: a football for Charlie, a dog and musical notes for Joe, and pretty baubles for Melinda.


At the end of this project I still had a lot of red felt, eyes and some ill-conceived fake fur that was nixed for the feathers. I'm thinking of making my students make miniature polar bears out of it on one of the days when half of them are absent due to various state mandated exams. Or better yet, a huge polar bear that can live in the classroom. It's either that or watch a movie....