Red Work Stockings (Our Christmas Stockings)

After 7 years of marriage we finally have Christmas stockings!  Once kids started coming forth from the womb I knew I had to finally get on this project.  What we wanted them to look like was actually a big deal.... I mean, stockings have important jobs for 20ish days out of the year.  I think the bigger deal was if I was going to spend the time hand making something I really wanted to like it.  Plus, I didn't want them to be too trendy since patterns and styles come and go.  So you see my dilemma?  Maybe not.  Anyway....  Pinterest and Etsy provided much needed ideas to get started-

So, not sure what style this is, Redwork or Folk or Nordic?  Whatever it is I would say its classic.  If interested, tutorials I used are below.
First though, prepare yourself for lots of pictures from different angles of the same thing.

Red lining and backing for me, green for hubby.  I guess this makes it more Folk style like.

How to-
So, I got my patterns and inspiration for the cross stitch design from here and here.  I purchased a full pattern for $8.  You receive the pattern in .pdf form instantly.  Since I did my cross stitching by hand I don't know how this works with an embroidery sewing machine.  If you have never cross stitched it is very easy, HERE is an overview to get started for just google counted cross on you tube.  The last time I cross stitched was when I was a young child... if that tells you anything.

The front facing fabric is an off white linen/cotton blend from Jo-Anns Fabric.  Not a perfect grid like cross stitching fabric but we preferred the linen look.... I stumbled through it somehow.  Also I used brand DMC, color 817 embroidery floss/thread.

After cross stitching was done I made a template and cut out my fabric.  Make sure you leave enough seem allowance on both side of your front design.
Since the linen fabric is so flopsy I needed something to firm it up to help it hold its shape when hung.  I lined the front and back of the stocking with a medium weight interfacing.  Seen below is the front pieces for the stocking, with the interfacing sandwiched between the linen and the inner lining.

To sew the stocking I followed THIS lovely tutorial (starting at step 7 for just the sewing part) for a cuffless stocking.  I am NOT super skilled at sewing, but this is very easy.  I completed the sewing in less than an hour.
Only modification was I had interfacing, so at Step 10 mine looked like this-

Continue as the sewing tutorial instructs.

If you had an embroidery machine you could pump these out in no time.  Me on the other hand.... I have 3 more to go (for the kids) before Christmas comes this year.  If the kids stockings are not done, guess mommy and daddy with get all the stocking candy.  Hmmmm.