canadiana stockings

Because we have a mantle in our apartment, I decided to make Geoff and I stockings this year. I waited until inspiration struck. I came close to hanging some fair isle socks or mittens, which I still think is a good idea.

I was at Fabricland this weekend when I came across a display of Canadian provincial tartans in cotton on sale. I had seen these fabrics before and thought they were funny, but this weekend, I decided that they were actually amazing! Maybe I was influenced by the trip I had made to the Drake General Store the night before; the General Store is full of flannel and Hudson's Bay point blankets and even Mountie cocktail napkins.

The stocking on the left is the Ontario tartan, and the stocking on the right is the Alberta tartan. The Ontario is mine, because I was born here, and because Geoff was born in Calgary, his stocking is the Alberta.

These are just the "rough drafts." I made these in a hurry in the midst of completing a flurry of necktie orders. I'm going to re-make them because they're not well made at the moment (there is no lining, and the faux fur is poorly stitched in place) -- I want them to be family heirlooms!

(Some fur fluff on the toes -- that stuff goes everywhere!)