Naughty or Nice Christmas Stocking

Create this fun, whimsical holiday stocking using the Baby Lock Applaud Creative Top Cover Stitch. Pick your favorite holiday fabric and thread colors to show off all the amazing stitches the Applaud can create. 

Click HERE to download printable instructions with additional photos and click HERE to download the stocking template. 

• Baby Lock Applaud Creative Top Cover Stitch Machine
• Baby Lock Sewing Machine - Optional
• Baby Lock Triumph Serger - Optional
• SF101 Fusible Stabilizer – ¾ yard
• Fusible Fleece – ¾ yard
• Steam a Seam 2 Lite – 1 yard
• 1 ½” belt loop binder attachment for the Applaud for stocking holder
• ¾ yard fabric for main body of stocking (stocking is red silk dupioni – your choice)
• 1/3-yard contrasting fabric for heel, toe and cuff (cotton black and white checkered fabric)
• 2 yards black wide (3/4”) Ric Rac (or your choice of size)
• 5 decorative beads or buttons (optional)
• Purchased decorative flowers (Hair Bow Center)
• Wonderfil Dazzzle thread, 1 color contrasting color of your stocking
• Wonderfil Eleganza thread, 1 color either matching or contrasting the Dazzle thread
• Madeira Serger thread – 4 spools 
• Basic sewing and embroidery supplies including embroidery 40 weight thread, bobbins, needles, regular sewing thread, pins, rulers, water-soluble pen chaco liner, ironing board 

Prepare fabric for embellishing with Applaud creative machine

• With right sides together, cut out main stocking, front and back.  Stocking fabric is approximately 29” long by 21” high. 
• Press SF101 fusible stabilizer to wrong side of both stocking pieces, front and back.
• After cutting out heel, toe, and cuff from contrasting fabric, apply Steam a Seam 2 Lite to the back side.
• Transfer the placement for the heel and toe onto the stocking.
• Iron heel, toe, and cuff on to main stocking pieces, aligning along marks.  Trim up edges, if any are hanging outside main stocking piece. 
• Transfer the decorative stitching lines onto the stocking for the Applaud stitching.
• Apply Ric Rac to the inside edge of heel and toe.  We will apply the cuff Ric Rac once the fringe is stitched and applied.

Getting Creative using the Applaud

Set-up the Applaud for the decorative stitching on the stocking:

• Thread for triple-wide cover stitch (C1, C2, and C3 needles) and lower looper using regular serger thread.
• In left wiper, thread with Dazzle.
• In right wiper, thread with Eleganza, contrasting color.

Using the decorative stitching lines as guides, stitch your stocking using the Applaud.  The wide designs are using a stitch length (SL) of 4.0 and 3.5, interchangeably.  This is your stocking so experiment and play with various widths and lengths.  Do not use less than a 2.0 SL when using the Dazzle or heavier threads.  

For the narrow decorative stitching, take out the C3 needle and stitch a narrow cover stitch with the same threads in the wipers.  (You must also remove the C3 thread from the machine.)  Refer to the photo to see various widths of stitches used – but again, be creative and stitch the width you like.  It’s always best to practice on the same fabric as your stocking to get the “look” you want.  

When stitching the toe area, you may need to stop and release your threads so you don’t sew over the toe area twice.  To “release threads”:

• Stop sewing. 
• Turn the flywheel towards you so the needles are down all the way.
• Rotate the flywheel away from you just until the needles are out of the fabric and raised.
• Lift the pressure foot.
• Grab the decorative threads just above the needles and pull gently towards you to pull slack in the threads. 
• Pull the fabric and threads straight back.
• This should completely release all your threads.
• Cut the decorative and needle threads.
• Cut the bottom chain thread as well.
• Using a crewel or large eyed needle, pull your threads to the back and tie off into a knot. It’s a good idea to apply a dab of Fray Check on the ends of my cut threads. 

By releasing the threads, you can now start in the middle of the curled-up toe and get the fabric underneath the presser foot.  

Set up for a Chain Stitch

• Take out the C1 needle, so you only have the C2 needle remaining in the machine.  
• Remove the C1 needle thread also.
• Set Stitch length – between 1.5 and 3.0.
• Remove the Eleganza thread so you only have the Dazzle in the left wiper.
• With a water-soluble pen, draw a swirl on your stocking in between the wide and narrow decorative cover stitching. 
• Practice doing swirls on some scrap fabric before doing this on your stocking.  Then using the chain stitch, stitch a decorative swirl to accent your stocking.  

Secure your decorative threads around the edges of the stocking once all the stitching is complete.  Using a sewing machine, run a straight stitch in the seam allowance around the stocking to secure the threads.  

Repeat the same process as above to complete the back of your stocking. If you’d like a different look on the back of your stocking, you can switch out your threads to different colors, or use different widths.  

Once all decorative threads have been stitched onto your stocking, cut a piece of Fusible Fleece and apply to the entire back of each stocking, being sure to keep the fleece out of the stitching line – especially in the toe.  The fleece will be secured in place when attaching the fringe in the next step.  

Putting it all together

With right sides together and using a 3/8” seam allowance, pin back to front and stitch around all edges leaving upper edge open.  Turn right side out; press.  (You can either chain stitch or use your sewing machine.)  Trim the seam allowances closely in the tip of the toe and clip all curves.  

Making the Fringe

You will now make 10 yards of “fringe” using your Applaud for the front of your stocking.  The machine should still be set up for a chain stitch, but if it’s not, be sure to start on fabric and then chain off when beginning your stitching.  When you chain off, you are going to put some light tension on the thread behind the needle.  Just keep stitching (in the air basically), and stitching and stitching, keeping a slight tension on the thread behind the needle.  It really doesn’t take that long to chain off 10 yards!

• Then, once you have stitched approximately 10 yards, by hand, twist the thread into loops and once there are 5 – 7 loops.
• Using the free-arm on your sewing machine, “tack” the loops, using a straight stitch (or you could also chain stitch over the edges with the Applaud).  
• Keep doing this until you have the entire width of the lower cuff attached with fringe.
• Using a zig zag stitch, apply Ric Rac to cover the edges of the fringe (and the raw edge of the cuff).
• Apply a second layer of Ric Rac over the first one, offset slightly and a bit higher (or lower if you have raw edges that still need to be covered).
• Be sure to stitch ends of the Ric Rac as it tends to fray quite easily – or just use Fray check. 

Making and Attaching the Loop or Stocking Holder

You will now make 10 yards of “fringe” using your Applaud for the front of your stocking.  The machine should still be set up for a chain stitch, but if it’s not, be sure to start on fabric and then chain off when beginning your stitching.  When you chain off, you are going to put some light tension on the thread behind the needle.  Just keep stitching (in the air basically), and stitching and stitching, keeping a slight tension on the thread behind the needle.  It really doesn’t take that long to chain off 10 yards!

• Then, once you have stitched approximately 10 yards, by hand, twist the thread into loops and once there are 5 – 7 loops.
• Using the free-arm on your sewing machine, “tack” the loops, using a straight stitch (or you could also chain stitch over the edges with the Applaud).
• Keep doing this until you have the entire width of the lower cuff attached with fringe.
• Using a zig zag stitch, apply Ric Rac to cover the edges of the fringe (and the raw edge of the cuff).
• Apply a second layer of Ric Rac over the first one, offset slightly and a bit higher (or lower if you have raw edges that still need to be covered).
• Be sure to stitch ends of the Ric Rac as it tends to fray quite easily – or just use Fray check. 

Making and Attaching the Loop or Stocking Holder

• Set up for a triple wide cover stitch.
• Attach the 1 ½” belt loop binder to the Applaud, aligning center stitches.
• Using the Dazzle in the left wiper only, stitch a length of fabric that is cut 1 5/8” wide x 10” and pass through the belt loop binder.
• Fold in half.
• Attach about 1 – 1 ½” from left seam allowance with loop facing outside of stocking.  

Making and Attaching the Lining

• Cut out lining from desired fabric from main body piece to line indicated on pattern.
• This pattern only lines the stocking half way down the leg.
• Serge both side edges of the lining, leaving the top and bottom edges open (or you can chain stitch this seam as well.  Since the original pattern was done in silk dupioni, I used the serger for this seam using a 4-thread overlock).  
• Serge the perimeter edge of the bottom of the lining as well.
• With right sides together align the top raw edges of the stocking and lining.  Serge this edge with a 4 -thread overlock stitch.  You will also be catching the stocking loop holder in this stitching.  (Be sure the loop lays on the outside back of the stocking and is sandwiched between the lining and the stocking, that are right sides together).
• Turn the lining to the inside and press well. 
• Press the stocking hanger with the loop now facing upwards.
• Topstitch the outside upper edge of the stocking, which will also give the holder another layer of stitching for stability.
• Attach wide Ric Rac to the top edge of the stocking, overlapping the edges at the side seam, if desired.  

Stuff the toe with Polyfill

You can stitch the bottom edge of the lining together at this point and tuck it back inside the stocking.   Or you can simply leave it open if you ever want to adjust the amount of polyfill. 

Add Some Pizazz

• Attach 5 decorative beads or buttons to the top of the cuff, just above the fringe.
• Attach 4 decorative flowers, if desired.
• Attach a fun bead or bell at the toe of the stocking.  

ADDENDUM:

If you’d prefer to add a decorative background fill to your stocking for a different look, click here for instructions.