Last weekend we decorated the house for Christmas (a little early for us, actually). And as I took out our stockings, which the girls had been begging me all weekend to do, I got that feeling like I was seeing an old friend again.
My grandmother made my stocking. It’s a sequined tree with “presents” underneath, and my name at the bottom. Made from red felt (and maybe a little worse for the wear, after 37 years):
(My real name is Mary, and my middle initial is L, though I’ve always gone by Molly).
Here’s a closer look at the tree:
Each of my siblings had different baubles under our Christmas trees. I don’t know if you can tell in the picture below, but I’ve got a camera and a set of tools, a cookbook, a baby, a strawberry and Santa on a sled. I think those are the original presents.
Occasionally we’d ask my mom to add something under the tree—like the time I asked my mom to add a tiny Speak and Spell toy (remember the Speak and Spell?) – it came with an E.T. figurine. (It’s to the right of Santa – you can only see part of it in this photo):
My grandmother also personalized what was at the top of our tree (mine: an angel, some doves, a moon and stars), as well as what material she used to write out our names at the bottom of the stocking.
I was always jealous of my brother’s stocking. He has jingle bells dangling like pom poms from the bottom of his.
After my grandmother passed away, my mom took up the job of sewing stockings for each new family member.
Here’s Rolando’s:
We lived in Texas when we got married, hence the cowboy boots and Willie Nelson record. Rolando is also a good cook and a big soccer fan. I can’t explain the Cat in the Hat book or the American Express card.
And here are Elena’s and Rosa’s stockings:
And see how Rosa’s top of the tree is reminiscent of mine?
Look at the work my mom has put into the trees. Aren’t they beautiful?
The girls spent a good long time looking at their stockings after I hung them up, just like I used to. The stockings have always been my favorite part of Christmas.
Do you have special stockings too? I’d love to hear about them – or better yet, I would love to see them. Does anyone want to send me a snapshot of your stocking to charlottesfancy@gmail.com? If I get any, (GIGANTIC HINT), I will feature them in a little gallery.
What do you think? Sound good? Good.
On Monday, I’m going to share pics of some other fun, Christmas-y things from my childhood that you might want to turn into your own craft projects. But first, I have approximately 10,000 things on my To Do list this weekend, including running a 5K tomorrow morning. The entrance fee is an unwrapped new toy for local needy families. Yay for all the generous people who are participating!
Happy Weekend to you all!
charlottesfancy.wordpress.com 
gray.com said,
December 11, 2009 @ 12:21 pm
Your grandmother was a fantastic seamstress and this is a treasured tradition she began. All of your Wheeler first cousins have them, and lets hope their moms it kept.
lesley said,
December 11, 2009 @ 10:49 pm
i love these, what a fun tradition! we do have matching stockings as well, my mom made mine when i was about 10, along with my older brother + sister’s, and as we’ve added spouses and children to the family, they’ve each gotten a stocking too, made with similar fabrics, some new and some old. I’ll share pics when i unpack our stocking this weekend!
Karin said,
December 13, 2009 @ 4:40 pm
What an absolutely lovely tradition. We don’t have vintage stockings, just some sparkly ones from west elm. Because we traveled so often for christmas when I was a kid, stockings were really the afterthought at our house, some years we didnt even bother with them. But really what would have been fun was if they came with us everywhere and started to reflect our travels and adventures….you are inspiring me to start some kind of tradition like making some very personalized stockings for my family.
those are just really great stockings.
Christy said,
December 15, 2009 @ 7:09 am
This is the first time I’ve seen Christmas stockings made like these and they are magical!
[Friday - Ask the Experts] Special Thursday Holiday Edition « Good To Grow said,
December 24, 2009 @ 9:35 am
[…] I love. I really enjoyed our stockings (my sister did, too, you can see them here – Charlotte’s Fancy). I loved how Mom and Dad had to regulate us – we couldn’t go downstairs until everyone […]
Heather Hjortnaes said,
January 7, 2010 @ 12:13 pm
Molly,
What fun to see yours! My mom made stockings for Nils and Maren as well. As they are growing and developing new interests, they want additional baubles sewn onto their stockings to celebrate that interest. It’s been fun… almost a journal of their lives.
The best thing I ever did for Grandma was sew her a stocking! She used to spend Christmas morning with our family, and it didn’t seem right for everyone else to have stockings, made by her no less, and she to have nothing. So when I was in high school my mom helped me locate the sequins and baubles and trims, and I made a stocking for Grandma. It is one of the few times I remember seeing her cry! (Happy tears, of course.)
Thanks again for sharing the memories.
Heather
P.S. Dave also has a stocking that his mother sewed, with “Davey” written on the bottom. Somewhat similar to ours, but smaller and not nearly as 3-dimensional nor ornate.
Handmade Christmas Stockings « said,
December 1, 2010 @ 9:02 am
[…] · Tagged Christmas decorations, handmade Christmas stockings If I didn’t already have a special Christmas stocking that my grandmother made for me, then I think that any of these handmade stockings would be worthy […]
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July 23, 2013 @ 9:09 am
I love the rainbow striped fishy dress!