Twelve Steps to a Stocking

I have been working with some women at my mother's hostel, back on the old favourite of sewing with ties. They love unpicking them and seeing them turn into something useful.

Then, purely by coincidence, I came up with a sort of "pro-forma" to quickly piece stockings. The process is:

1. Draw the stocking on the backing fabric.

2. Put on a light box, or up to a window, and draw the design on the other side.

3. Cut a four-sided centrepiece (not five, as in the usual flip-and-sew).

4. Place it so the shortest side is pointed to the toe, and piece around the next three sides (as above).

Note - in the example above, the shortest side should be slightly less parallel to the third side. Experiment. There are currently two parallel lines.

5. Take a section of white tie lining, and finish the top with a white cuff.

6. Tack (Baste?) the current work. (That is why you drew it on the reverse as well)

7. Then fan with three to five pieces, across most of the foot.

(You can solve the parallel lines here too, by just getting the first fan, the paisley, to take more off the bottom of the centre block.)

  

8. Fan the toe with a white piece of the tie lining, preferably the same fabric as the cuff.

9. Machine or tack/baste

10. Cut a shape for the heel, and applique down with lace.

11. Embellish.

12. Make up. (This one still needs a bit of massaging!)

This was a quick work to sell by silent auction - so not much embellishment - just some lace coloured by being boiled with dark blue crepe paper, and the same stitch treatment for all seams, in a silver metallic.

Now, all I want it some to make another.