There are still some large quilters pins holding it together till the blanket stitching is completed. I'm also going to make a lining for the stocking and have bought some white snowflake patterned fabric for this.
Here's a close up of one of the little snowmen...
....so cute!
Luckily for me, last years kits came with an excess of beads and sequins which I had, in true stitcher's stash hoarding instinct, kept in a little glass jar. This year, I was three sequins short....yes THREE sequins short! THREE!!!!
As I was stitching this stocking I kept thinking that it wasn't as sparkly as the ones I did last year, but thought that it was probably my memory playing tricks on me....you know the old looking back with rose tinted spectacles and all that. Anyway, when I opened the jar with the old sequins....I was right, they were far more sparkly!The old ones had an iridescent sheen which sparkled more. I guess it was the manufacturer cutting costs, but it makes a huge difference to the finished project. For the next two stockings on my list I think I'll just buy a packet of sequins rather than use the plain white ones supplied.
So my fingers survived the beads and sequins. I did buy a thimble but found it rather cumbersome and decided that I could work quicker without it. And the reason that I will never complain again about beading a simple Christmas stocking is this......
....can you imagine the hours of work that this costume took? ...and the weight of it all?!!! Hats of to the this stitcher (and to all those involved in the making of Downton Abbey!)
Until next time...happy stitching!
Rhona