A new heirloom...

Over the years the Christmas stocking has been not only a holder for all things fabulous come Chrismas morning....but it has also been a handy prop for our annual Christmas cards.

(Please excuse the quality of the following shots,I took pictures of pictures)

We stuffed our sweet little babe in it when he was 2 months old.

Then he wore it as a hat at 14 months.

And once Eben turned two and he could no longer wear his original stocking, his grandfather bought him The Ultimate.

The be-all and end-all of stocking.

Honestly, it is H-U-G-E....he literally hopped around in it like he was a participant in a potato sack contest while I tried to capture a shot for the 2006 Christmas card.

But for the past 2 years, it has become an absolute nightmare to fill.  I ended up buying out the toy isle at the dollar store just to fill it half way.

I was almost relieved when it got a tear in the hook from all the weight of it's fillings.  Needing a replacement, I was unable to find one that I liked.  On Monday, I decided to make my boy his own hand made stocking.

***********************************************************************************

I had some stacks of felt from which I cut a tree and trunk.

I used some really soft corduroy for the actual stocking part.  Along with some of my Gram's 1950's rick rack and some ribbon to embellish it with.  I stitched them into place with a simple straight stitch.

 I stitch-witched the felt tree and truck onto the corduroy before that I stitched the two halves of the stocking together.

And then I seamed the top and added a ribbon for hanging it by.

My sequine stash is enormous... even though I've only used them a handful of times in my crafting.

So, to use up a bit of them, I added ornaments to the tree.  Using super-duty-super-glue. 

You know the kind, don't you?

And now it hangs off of Eben's bedroom door where it will wait for Santa to fill with just a few goodies (not an entire tree's worth of gifts unlike the past 2 years.)

One that he can use year after year and bring to his own house when he grows and leaves our nest.  A simple heirloom to share with his own family.....made by his Mama with love.