side by side, they look like “hers” and “his” stockings. don’t they?

as you can see from the above photo, i forgot to make the cuff a little longer when i enlarged the pattern. it should fold over a bit more but, other than that, i’m happier with the shape and size of the new one. i especially like the pointy toe.

stay tuned for round three of my versions of a shabby christmas stocking!

what have you been working on lately??

i love working with used and salvaged materials. upcycling the old into fun and fabulous new is so fun.  i absolutely adore how old neckties look all mismatched together so i took a handful of necktie scraps and used a wide zig zag stitch to sew them together into a panel.

then i cut out my stocking. 1 piece from the necktie panel, 1 piece from a black twill for the back, 2 pieces from a thin cotton for the lining. i also cut the cuff from the black twill.

i did this all quick and dirty because i wasn’t sure if i was going to like the style and really, this was just a test piece. i laid the front and back together with right sides facing. then i sandwiched them with the lining pieces on the outside, wrong sides facing. i serged it all together in a stack with one seam all the way around but leaving the top open. i turned the stocking and then attached the vintage lace to the cuff, sewed the cuff to the stocking, hemmed it and turned it down. last, i sewed on a piece of vintage black ribbon to hang the stocking from the fireplace. done!

i think it turned out pretty cute for a test stocking. it’s still hanging above my fireplace, waiting for christmas to arrive! i like the cute pointy toe style but i think i’m going to try a rounder toe. you know, so more gifts will fit in them! it will be fun to make these for the whole family as keepsakes and reuse them every year. they can be personalized by using glitter glue to write names on the cuffs.

things i will do different next time: since this was a test piece, i only used the neckties for one side. when i make them for my family, i will use ties for the front and back. i’ll also insert the ribbon into the seam of the cuff so that it’s sturdier. i think i will make them with round toes or make the whole stocking BIGGER to fit more goodies in them. i’ll post again when i make round two!

what have you been working on?

i wanted my balls to be different so i used three pieces of felted wool sewn together to make a football shape. i stuffed them with wool scraps and sewed them closed and then begun using them.

i have to say, THEY TOTALLY SUCKED!!

i definitely made some major misteaks the first time around but it taught me how to make them better, my way. and that’s pretty much how i do everything: trial and error. i’m a big fan of that.

anyway, the first set weren’t hard enough to get the job done. just stuffing the scraps inside the mini wool football wasn’t enough. i should have wrapped wool yarn around the scraps making a super tight ball before stuffing it in the cover. see how soft it is:

so, to fix them i wrapped wool yarn around the old football until it was hard as a rock.

then i made a new cover, shoved the hard ball inside and hand sewed it closed.

now they’re shaped more like  mango seeds but they work great! see, hard as a rock:

the only problem i have now is that because they are made of wool, my dog thinks they are for him!

here’s another size M ladies fedora i made out of upholstery scraps, a necktie, and a reclaimed buckle.

i made this hat out of necktie scraps and shaped it after a victorian riding hat. it has a wonderful, natural structure and stands up tall with a shapeable brim. it is a size M. it looks like a shorter top hat and can be worn by men or women.

here is another victorian riding hat i made out of neckties. the crown is about an inch shorter than the other one and this one is a size small.







and last but not least, here is a top hat i made out of upholstery scraps. i’m calling it a “soft top” because it has no structure and can be smooshed completely flat. when you put it on your head, it regains partial shape with some scrunching at the top. i kind of like the “just fell off an art car” look it lends.

all of these hats can be found at Trunk 544 Haight St. SF CA 94117

as always, you can email me to purchase one of these boleros or to place a custom order!

i made this wrap around skirt out of 5 burgundy neckties and added a handmade, super sparkly ruffle. i used purple thread that matches the purple sheen on the ruffle. it fits up to size 40″ hips. want it? you can buy it at Trunk, SF or email me to request a custom skirt.

i made this vest by upcycling several neckties. it is mostly green with blues, purples, and other colors. the back is a sexy racerback style and the front has five shiny, green snaps to close it. it is a size S/M and fits a variety of shapes. want it? you can buy it here!