Embroidery Library - Machine Embroidery Designs Inspired Project Page

Mardi Gras Stocking

Celebrate the colorful excitement of Mardi Gras with a jolly holiday stocking. Feathers and beads adorn this jester-style stocking for a festive look that's truly unique.

This stocking project appeared in the November/December 2008, Volume 53 of Designs in Machine Embroidery magazine, and they are graciously allowing us to reprint the project instructions, just for you. If you've never seen or read the magazine, be sure to check it out! It's fantastic and full of tips and projects especially for machine embroiderers.

We also submitted a golf stocking that appeared in the same issue. And cuddle up with a snowy sweater stocking that was also submitted to the magazine.

Read below for these free project instructions!

Supplies Needed:

**3/4 yard quilted cotton fabric
(for outer shell)

**3/4 yard cotton fabric (for inner
lining)

**1/4 yard print cotton (for crown
top)

**Medium-weight cutaway
stabilizer

**Temporary spray adhesive

Supplies Continued:

**Air-erase pen

**Fabric glue

**10 inch decorative trim (we used pom-pom trim)

**String of beads

**Feathers

**Pom-poms

**Heat-set crystals and heat tool

**Needle and thread for some hand sewing

**Stocking Pattern - click here to download

Designs used:
Court Jester Mask - Lg
Princess Mask - Lg
Feathered Mask - Lg

Party up your stocking with festive Mardi Gras embroidery designs. We also recommend the Mardi Gras - Temps Rouler design, which will look great on this stocking.

Finished Size:
12 inches wide by 19 inches high

To begin, click here to open a PDF of the stocking pattern. Then print the pattern pieces. There are four pieces of the stocking that will print on four separate pieces of paper. Cut out each shape around the outer lines.

Align the pieces of the stocking together and tape in place.

Prepare the front of the stocking for the embroidery. Lay the stocking pattern on the right side of the quilted cotton, pin in place, and trace the shape. Leave one inch of excess fabric around the entire outer edge of the shape.

Create paper templates of the designs by printing them at full size using embroidery software (trim around the designs for easy placement). If you don't have embroidery software, you can cut a piece of paper the shape and dimensions of the designs to help with placement and centering. Position the designs within the shape in the desired locations. Leave at least one inch of space between the outer edges of the designs and the edges of the shape.

Once the designs are placed, using an air-erase pen (or other marking tool), poke a hole in the center of the templates and mark the fabric. Also, mark the horizontal and vertical axis points. Remove the templates and draw lines connecting the axis points.

Spray a piece of cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive and smooth the fabric on top. Hoop the first design by aligning the marks on the hoop with the lines on the fabric.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the design. Move the hoop so that the needle is directly over the center point on the fabric. Embroider the design. After the design has finished, re-hoop the fabric for the next design, load the design, align the needle and begin embroidering. Repeat this process for all the designs.

After all the designs have finished embroidering, trim away the excess stabilizer on the back of the embroidery.

Cut out the stocking front.

Place the stocking pattern (flipped over for a mirror image) on the fabric to cut out the stocking back.

Trace the shape and cut on the traced line.

Use the stocking crown pattern to cut two crown pieces from the cotton print.

Cut a 10 inch piece of decorative trim and align it with the top edge of the front embroidered stocking piece. Spray the top edge of the stocking piece with a bit of adhesive to help hold the trim in place.

With right sides together, align the bottom edge of one of the crown pieces, with the top edge of the stocking piece. Pin in place and sew 1/2 inch seam along the pinned edge only. Repeat for the process for the stocking back.

Flip the crown pieces up on both the front and back and press them flat at the seam.

Sew 1/4 inch top seams along the fold at the bottom edge of the crown on both the front and back stocking pieces.

Align the front and back stocking pieces right sides together and pin in place.

Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the sides and bottom, starting at the top point on one side of the crown and stopping at the top point on the opposite side of the crown. Do not sew the top edges of the crown - they need to stay open for turning.

Clip the curves every 1/2 inch in the seam allowance on the sides and bottom. Be careful to not cut any of the seam stitches. Turn the stocking right side out.

Now we will prepare the pattern for the inner lining. Trim off the bottom seam allowance from the crown pattern and trim the top seam allowance from the stocking pattern. Align the pattern pieces together and tape in place.

Lay the inner lining pattern on top of two layers of the cotton fabric (fabric should lay with the right sides together) and pin in place. Trace the shape.

Remove the pattern and pin the layers together inside the shape, then cut out the shape (cut through both layers of fabric). Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the side edges starting at the top points of the crown and stopping when you reach the bottom. Leave about a 7 inch opening along the top edge. Cut slits every 1/2 inch along the side and bottom seam allowance just as you did earlier.

Insert the outer shell inside of the inner lining (leave the inner lining turned wrong side out) and align the top edges together. Pin in place.

Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the entire top edge.

Cut slits every 1/2 inch along the seam allowance on the top edge.

Pull the outer shell out through the opening in the inner lining.

Then, turn the opening of the inner lining in 1/2 inch and press. Press the side seams as well.

Stitch the opening closed by sewing a 1/8 inch seam along the edge of the opening.

Insert the inner lining inside the outer shell. Align the seams at the top opening and press.

Top stitch a 1/4 inch seam along the top edge.

To create a loop, cut an 8 inch length of the beads, align the ends together and hand stitch them in place at the top right side seam.

Now it's time to add some pizzazz to the stocking! Add feathers by applying a few drops of fabric glue and pressing the feathers in place.

Add pom-poms and more beads by hand sewing them to the side seams of the stocking.

Add heat-set crystals by gluing them in place with a heat tool.

The stocking is complete! Hang your jolly stocking on the mantle for you and all your holiday guests to enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of these project instructions.

You'll need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. If you don't have it, you can download a free copy by clicking on the icon above.