Quick Christmas Stocking Ideas

A friend asked for some help with creating Christmas stockings for some young people in our community. It felt like something tangible that I could contribute too despite my hectic schedule. Here are a few of the small bags and purses that I have started putting together.

Don't they look great? They were all quite easy to make. Most used a simple pattern that I adapted from a small lined purse I had made in a Bernina Club meeting a year or two ago.

I started with a cardboard template and then cut a cover and a lining fabric, allowing for 1/4 inch seam allowances.

For some of the little purses, I used some upholstery samples that had been left on the 'Freebie' table at our last quilt guild meeting. I found the fabric made a sturdy purse that did not need any additional facing.

All that was needed was to sew right sides together around most of the form and then turn it inside out. I could then fold up the 'bottom' as I wished and stitch the sides of the purse. In some cases, I stitch all the way around to outline the top flap, in others I didn't. How simple is that!

For some of the other purses, I put assorted threads, ribbons on top of the cover fabric, covered them with netting and stitched over the entire arrangement to anchor it down. I then trimmed as needed around the piece, and continued as above to construct the actual purse.  I did find that I had to include a piece of facing along with the lining in this design purse to give it a little body.

There are as many variations as your imagination allows with this approach - in the basic size, design, embellishment.  I am amazed at how functional I find the little purses - I carry one in my purse all the time with a headset, etc.