Christmas 2015. WHERE was Nana's head???? Stockings for the babies were not EVEN on my radar!!!! And my daughter-in-law!!!! Don't forget my daughter-in-law!!!!
So, with not NEARLY enough time to get 3 stockings done for Christmas once my brain woke up and started functioning, I had to choose only one stocking to make for this year. I knew I could only get one done and done well. So the mommy it was!
I had forgotten that a couple years ago she had asked when she would get one, and apparently I smiled at her and promised her one as soon as she became "legally" a part of the family. And she understood that I responded that way not because I didn't want to make her one, but because I REALLY wanted her to be a permanent part of our family! She knew that I was going to be able to get only one done in time for Christmas, but apparently she thought it would be for one of the babies. When I handed it to her on Christmas Eve, backwards of course, and she turned it around and saw that it was hers ... gee whiz, two days later it still brings tears to my eyes ... I hadn't realized how important it was to her. I hadn't realized the significance she placed on the stockings. I didn't realize that, in her mind, she was now "officially" a true member of the family! THAT was the best Christmas gift that I got this year!
My get pushed challenge this week from Francoise was to "do a photo that epitomizes/displays one of the many crazy hustle-bustle aspects of the season, those aspects of Christmas that make people feel overwhelmed." This stocking was that aspect of the season for me. This is the explanation for my absence lately! I have been working on this for a month. Yes, I'm slow, because I don't do this very often!!! :-)
The gold cord that I used to make stockings 18 years ago is nowhere to be found. I burned a lot of time looking for it before settling on something that is just as good, just not the SAME. I began with a candle design for the "individual" design, but Brandi later unknowingly mentioned bells, so had to redesign. The bells took 2 different patterns and about 4 different prototypes to get right. The name went on twice. The first time I did it, it was too long and went too close to the edge, so I had to take it out and start over. The gold cord is a cross-hatch type metallic-material pattern that requires the needle to go BETWEEN each cross-hatch so you don't damage the gold. I didn't realize how bad my eyesight has gotten and never did find a way to actually SEE all those tiny cross-hatches, so every time I pulled the needle up or put it down thru, I did it by feel, not by sight. (Again, I did her name TWICE!) Her name, as well as the black outline of the bells, was done with cording laid down and stitched thru to secure it to the felt. This was completely hand sewn and each mistake redone until it was as perfect as I could make it, because that's just my way. :-) I laid awake at night working out details in my mind. I laid awake at night after going to bed much later than my bedtime. I laid awake at night worrying that she wouldn't like it - that she would be gracious and tell me it was beautiful when she was secretly disappointed ... and that broke my heart that she might be secretly disappointed because I know that feeling and I hate that feeling! But this labor of love was truly loved by her, and, just like the labor of giving birth and raising kids, it was not horrid labor. It was just love. And it was SO worth it!!!
What a labor of love. This is beautiful. How could you imagine for one second that Brandi wouldn't like it. I love your angel and I loved the story of waiting for Justin's stocking....
