Christmas Stockings

[Caution: An extremely detailed (and possibly boring) exposition on a craft project is about to commence. Feel free to look at the pictures and just skim. This is a post for my records, not necessarily to entertain. ;) ]

So, one of the projects I wanted to do this month was to make new stockings to add to the Taylor mantle, one for Ferret's betrothed and one for myself. And they had to match the lovely set that an old friend of the family had made for them some fifteen years ago. Each stocking is different, with varied cross stitch designs and fabric, but all with the same Gingerbread theme. The parents' have the same cross stitch - a Mama and Papa gingerbread holding hands. The boys' all have three large, plain gingerbread silhouettes spaced with smaller hearts between. The girls' have a more intricate design, Arwen's with a full cookie sheet (seen below) and Mary's with a cookie cutter, both surrounded by decorated cookies, and a vertical bar of hearts. Here is an original (Arwen's):

So, I set about copying it. I had been working on the cross stitch for the last month of watching movies up at the Big House, and had completed the second one (mine) this week. (I worked out the kinks with Anna's first.... hehe >:) That, and I knew I wouldn't be as motivated to finish both if I started with mine. ;) )

I am incredibly proud of myself for figuring out this article of someone else's creativity. I turned it inside out, figured up the lengths of such and such and how this was done, etc. It was the best sort of challenge, and one I had great pleasure in meeting.

 Ta-da!

 Mine was patterned on Arwen's, but varied - the heart-bar is on the right.

 Anna's was patterned on Mary's. Again, the heart-bar is opposite of where Mary's is, but still different from Arwen's and mine. See how Anna's cookie men both have hearts? That is how Mary's is, but Arwen and I have one with a heart, one with buttons and "icing cuffs."

Also, Anna's cookies are darker than mine because I couldn't find a good match in any of the (some 200!) colors of DMC floss Arwen and I own - so I pick out three browns that were a suitable set unto themselves. But I didn't like how dark they turned out, so I picked a lighter group for mine. The end result was a stocking that was burnt compared to the originals and one that was underbaked. C'est la vie. I did try. :P

Seriously, though, I am very pleased with the end result.

Next, to see if I can make one for Monkey Boy by next Christmas!