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In the category of doing small acts of good in the world:

I’m taking a break from other quilting-related work tonight and tomorrow to prepare for Tuesday’s holiday party at East Side Quilters. We make quilts during the year to give away to organizations, usually shelters and other social service groups in need of either quilts for their clients or for fundraising. But this time of year we do something smaller. For a few years it was making placemats for meals on wheels. This year, a member brought to our attention a need for empty christmas stockings. Somehow, this local thrift shop/pantry had in the past come up annually with about 700 stockings, but this year there was no supplier. We’re a small group so 700 isn’t likely to happen but we can do our best and supply some.

I have a dozen stockings that are at the last stage of sewing and then need pressing. They’re simple – printed green and red fabrics, with a green or red loop to hang from. Front and back fabrics are different. I think they look quite ok actually. And they’re big enough to hold more than an orange! The assorted fabrics are holiday colors but no santas etc.

[Here I have to say that our own childhood christmas stockings were pretty big. And they were made, by my mother of an interesting early 60’s fabric – pale blue background with white and touches of pink puppies and kitties. The edges were finished in blue or pink bias binding. Mine is the pink one. Yes we still use them! They have carefully crafted loops at each side so they hang very nicely from my folks’ coffee table handles. Hey – what can I say – at our house, Santa used the front door!]

Getting back to my quilt guild, we also collect hats and mittens for this same place to distribute, so I hope that some folks will have some nice things in their stockings this year.