I recently found this picture in my many files of pictures stored on my computer. I am a bit of a photo freak and take pictures and save pictures like a squirrel storing nuts for the winter.
This journey of stockings started about 10 years back when I was living with my boyfriend (now husband) in Cambridge and took some quilting classes. The quilt shop was owned by my cousins and I could walk there, so I would carry my little machine over the railroads tracks and attended class. It was fall time and Joe was ready to go out of town for bear (beer) camp. To hunt and hang out with all his buddies (no girls at beer camp), my plan was to sew! In our quiet small apartment I would stay up late and sew and work on projects. I was a little bit of a Christmas decorating spaz back then and I decided all our decorations would be gold, silver and white and that was it! So I worked on making these stockings and a matching tree skirt so they would be ready when he returned in a few days. We used these stockings for our first Christmas in our apartment. I love them, they are beautiful. We got married in 2008 and have used out stockings every year since I made them.
So when we decided to have children I knew that I would add to our collection, I added Campbell's in 2009 and Lennox's in 2012. This past Christmas I was asked by a family member if I could make some stockings for a family that was looking for personalized stockings. Sure thing! I love to make these pieced stockings! I posted them online and I got an overwhelming response to them! I started in fall and by Christmas I had made 36 stockings! During this time I had lost my position as a work at home stitcher for a local company. I knew I needed a way to be able to stay at home and be with our girls and still be able to make a little money to help my husband with finances. After the great response to my stockings, I decided that I could start my own business. And in the new year Tootie and Peach Stitchery was born. I love to think about the families that have ordered stockings having such a wonderful keepsake for many Christmases to come, bringing them out of their decorations tote and hanging them up. It makes my heart smile.
Every time I think of new ideas and new fabric and that our stockings aren't personalized (the embroidery machine came later on) I have thoughts of updating my family's stockings, but I just can't do it. I have my heart sewn in these stockings. All the time I sat up working on these special projects, thinking about starting our life together, meeting our babies and all the Christmas mornings when we would peek in our stocking and see what was inside. I do not have it in my heart to throw out the old and replace with new, even so early in our lives together, so many memories have been tied to these stockings.
Taking a class nearly ten years ago, has lead me to a set of four beautiful stockings (will there be more to be added?) a successful Christmas season of making stockings that gave me the confidence to open my home based sewing business. 25.00 very well spent :)
She thought she could, Sew she did ~ Jess
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