Mom Doesn't Sew....Really

This tale actually goes back many years to when my own mother was alive. She made a stocking for every member of our family, all the sons and daughters-in-law, and all the grandchildren. Then cancer claimed her life before the last two grandchildren were born. So, Grandma never did get to meet the two we call "Thing 1 and Thing 2". When Thing 1's first Christmas came, I dug through Mom's bags and baskets of knitting, crochet, and needlepoint and found an "extra" stocking she had made. Yes! Then, Thing 2 arrived. Bless her, she is nine now and has never had a stocking to speak of. Let's just say we made do.

Fast forward nine years. Thing 2, also known as Annie, needs a stocking. Now, I love to knit, but since I've been knitting the same sock (just one, not the pair...yet) for over a year, I have no false hopes that I can get one knitted in time. I balk at purchasing a "store bought" stocking, wanting her to have one with similar sentimental value that the rest of us share. So, we were on a decoration shopping spree last week and we decided it was TIME. She picked out the materials. We got excited. After we got home, it seemed those materials in the bag mocked me every time I walked by. They knew I have a history of getting the materials and never doing the project. They knew I was really really busy and didn't feel it was a good day to sew. They knew I hadn't sewn in years; indeed, I hadn't retrieved my sewing machine from the piles in our shop of items moved two years ago that still had not found a place inside the house. So, on Friday, I decided I was not going to put those materials in a corner. No, this time would be different. Several hours later (it wasn't pretty) we have this:

It still needs a lot of work. I need to attach the rather pathetic loop. Of course, her name will be added to the top. Can you guess what color the letters will be? I need to hand sew the edges of the toe and heel trim down, and I need to give an attempt to repair a botched spot on the trim where it is all lopsided. I am, again, NOT a seamstress. But this was fun. Did you notice the pretty beads that dangle down from the white trim? You sure won't find anything like this at your local discount store! I hope my sweet Annie can remember the day Mom made her stocking. It is very far from perfect, but it is already filled with a lot of love.