Faux Fur Trimmed Christmas Stockings Tutorial

I was inspired this year to make some new stockings.

Here is a tutorial on how I made mine and a template to make your own.

This year I love stockings trimmed with faux fur. 

I liked the stockings at Pottery Barn. I may have been swayed to just save time and purchase PB but alas they were sold out. Restoration Hardware also has a faux fur version that is fun and currently on sale. 

So it was imperative I made my own. And it's always fun to entertain a creative bent.

These are the tools & supplies I used:

• Wool Fabric in a heavier weight (you could also use velvet for a luxe feel)
• Faux fur
• Iron on Fusible Interfacing (to help with keeping a strong shape) 
• Sewing Machine, iron, pins, sewing needle, fabric scissors, hot glue gun
• Thread in colour of wool and faux fur
• Brown paper for pattern and for ironing (to prevent interfacing from sticking to iron) 
• Marker/pencil to draw pattern 
• Sequin Ribbon
• Lint roller (to clean up the loose faux fur bits on the wool) 

The template

My first time making something I like to think of it as a prototype- an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from. I didn't have a pattern so this was the trickiest step for me imagining/picturing and then drawing what a stocking looks like. I even pulled out one of L's socks and a previous year's stocking. However I think about elves when I think about stockings and so the typical bland shape of stockings you buy was not cutting it. If you love elves stockings you've come to the right place. I am saving you all of those steps with this template. You can thank your lucky stars. 

Template Stocking Toe
Template Bottom Foot
Template Top

Process

Here are twelve easy steps to make your own.
(Plus two optional decorative steps to add a little glitz.)

1.  Lay the wool fabric out with the inside facing up. Lay the fusible interfacing on top with the outside facing up. (Fusible side will stick then to inside of stocking.) 

2.  Fold the fabric with the fusible interfacing sandwiched between. The good side of the fabric should be on the outside.  

    3.   Pin the template on top. Remember to leave a seam allowance when cutting. (I used a marker to draw my seam allowance)

4.     Cut through all four layers. Remove Pins and paper template.

5.      Separate the two sides of the stocking. Iron on the fusible interfacing to both sides. (Remember to use brown paper between iron and fusible interfacing.) 

6.   Pin together with outside layers of wool fabric sandwiched together. 

7.   Sew. (If you wanted you could iron out the seams.) 

8.    Fold inside out.

9.   Measure the faux fur. (My faux fur proved a challenge because I could not find a wide enough piece at the fabric store. It came with a ribbon on either side so I was able to sew the ribbons together to make a wider cuff.) 

10.    Sew together ends with outside of faux fur together to make a loop. Fold out. 

11.   Pin the faux fur loop cuff to top with ribbon folded in to cover cut edges  Hand stitch the faux fur cuff on the top. 

12.    Add a ribbon loop to hang. You may sew this in or use a hot glue gun. 

Optional Steps: 

• Add an initial with sequin ribbon. (I played around with the shape of the letter first then I free handed it with a hot glue gun and layered the sequin ribbon on top. I had to reapply hot glue in parts because I was too slow in layering.) 
• Add trim around the edges. (I used a hot glue gun and went around starting at the top and slowly working my way around in 5-10 cm chunks.)

I think I will even make a few extras for future baby batiuks and guests that come for the holidays in future years. 

How much did it cost? $70.72 /5 stockings = $14.14 each 

• 1.5 meters of Kashmir Wool fabric @ $23.30 
• 2 spools of thread @ $2.27
• 1.5 meters Fusible Interfacing @ $5.40
• 3 meters of sequin ribbon @ $0.80
• 2.5 Meters of faux fur $23.69
• 2 meter of Chanel braid for hanging @ $4.16
• 7 meters of pompom trim for outer edging @ $11.20

I think if I remake this project I may try without the fusible interfacing and also make in other fun colours or with different colours of faux fur. 

A Hopeful December

This is hope right here. Our 5 day blastocyst was transferred Dec 4. It's textbook quality 4AA. And now I'm living the two week wait and I cannot be more hopeful.

November was a busy month of injections, internal ultrasounds, acupuncture and driving to Calgary.

My cycle is referred to as an antagonist cycle. First I was prescribed birth-control. That made me laugh as I haven't used that in 4 years. Essentially it was used to regulate my system. Then to wait for AF. Which I was convinced would never come and made me a little nervous. It set our cycle back a few days. Then I learned that my extra layer of insulation was just perfect to pinch for injections of gonal f and luveris. (Gonal F) or Follitropin alpha works by helping to stimulate the development of eggs in the ovaries. I was initially on a low dose of 112.5 iu which was later increased to 250 iu and then decreased to 75 iu. Luveris remained the same throughout at 75 iu. (Luveris) Lutropin alpha is a fertility medication that helps follicles (eggs) in the ovaries to develop and mature. It is used in combination with Gonal-f when a women's pituitary gland does not produce enough LH. Our doctor was surprised when my poly cystic ovaries produced 20 eggs. She had been aiming for 10 so as to not incur OHSS. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) happens when your ovaries overreact to the fertility drugs you’re taking. Your ovaries may quickly swell to several times their normal size. They may also leak fluid into your abdomen and chest cavity. My right ovary was very painful when we had our trigger shot. I also was having injections of Centotide. Centotide or Cetrorelix is used to prevent premature ovulation in women undergoing ovarian stimulation. It blocks the effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). GnRH controls the secretion of another hormone, called luteinizing hormone (LH), a hormone that starts ovulation (release of an egg) during the menstrual cycle. Cetrorelix allows the release of an egg to be controlled so it is released at the best time for pregnancy to occur.

After egg retrieval we learned that 15 eggs were mature. Only 14 eggs fertilized. We had elected to use Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI, pronounced ik-see) is an in vitro fertilization procedure in which a single sperm is injected directly into an egg. This was because there was a low concentration in the sample L gave and rather than thaw the sperm we has initially gave as a backup we elected to use the fresh and pay the $1500 fee.

In terms of cost this round of IVF did not break the bank. We paid $6150 for treatment plus $1500 for ICSI. And an additional $900 for freezing sperm, and $325 for freezing embryos (which we will have to pay each year if we elect to store). Drugs were surprisingly not as much as I had initially thought as our insurance was wonderful and I think I paid less than $300. This is a miracle as I saw the cost of the drugs and I am thankful for our health plans.

So 14 eggs became 7 and 6 were frozen and 1 implanted. I was not given the choice to implant more than 1. I am thankful of that as I know several people thought I should try for twins. While I love the idea of twins I watched some you-tube videos prior and followed one families journey with what they thought were going to be two ended up being three. Eeek! I was mostly not given two because they are really concerned about OHSS for me. I hope it does not get as bad as they warned it might. I was even given the option to cancel this cycle to let my body recover rather than risk OHSS.

Today I feel great so I am glad I did not elect to cancel.

In adoption news we were disheartened to learn that if we become pregnant then in all likelihood the adoption process is null. Seems very unfair.

But if it is a go and this little squeaker sticks and grows and we give birth and our adoption file is thrown out then we will know that was a closed door.