"Christmas dog" felt stocking.

A customer had purchased three stockings for her children a while back and now was looking to have one more made to match this set for her youngest daughter.

I was granted creative freedom with only one instruction: since her daughter really loves animals, especially dogs, she asked that the new stocking have "some sort of a dog".

I had a lot of fun designing the dog character and ultimately decided on a light brown dog with dark brown spots, wearing a Santa hat, and holding a candy cane in its mouth.

I sewed the new stocking in exactly the same size and shape as the older stockings. The dog was cut to the same size and machine embroidered on, in the same manner as the other characters. In addition, I replicated some of the elements that all three stockings share, such as the snow along the bottom, the presents and tree in the toe area, the little pocket with "Letter to Santa", and the embroidered snowflakes throughout. I also used the same type of fabrics; the new stocking was sewn out of felt and the dog and other details were cut from felt. Finally, I personalized the stocking on the cuff with a hand embroidered name.

Just like all my stockings, this one is fully lined and double stitched to help retain its shape and prevent stretching. 

It's a pretty good match, wouldn't you say? I think that the only thing that differs is that the new stocking is just that - new! It's clean and bright, but as the years pass and it receives the same kind of love the other stockings have, I'm sure it will blend in to the set beautifully. 

While I was at it, the customer asked that I personalize the other three stockings too! I did so by embroidering the kids' names on the cuffs, just as I had done on the new stocking. 

Apparently not only the receiver of the new stocking was thrilled with it, but her siblings were very happy too! Everyone was excited to have matching stockings that Santa could fill.