Three years ago our Christmas Stocking Saga began.  It was a week before the dancer was born.  My mom was in town after a false alarm, and was helping us prepare for the arrival.  In attempt to ‘tie up loose ends,’ she suggested we buy fabric for our family Christmas stockings. 

Growing up, the Christmas season was always exciting and special, mostly due to the hard work and attention to details by my parents, and their upholding traditions introduced and carried on by their parents, mostly my Grommie (my mother’s mom).  My Grommie made us each a Christmas stocking with our own elf/character depicted in felt.  Mine was a ballerina, my sister dez had a singing angel.  We love our stockings.  They’ve always been a treasure.

Well that September day, I was very prego, not really in the best capacity to go shopping and walking all over the Wal-Mart and making choices on something I have not prepared for or know how to do myself.  My mom decided that she would buy the fabric and that my Grommie would make the stockings for our lil’ family for Christmas.  That there was plenty of time for her to do this.  (no, she did not ask my Grommie first…:))

After struggling with the builder being bored in the Wal-Mart as I try to decide what I wanted on the spot, (not the best way for me to design) i made some decsions and we finally left.  My mother thought it would be a good idea to take the fabric to my aunt’s store 2 hours away to have it batted and quilted.  Then she would give the fabric to my Grommie to work her magic. 

As luck would have it, a new employee found the fabric and used it to practice her new skills.  The fabric was ruined and non-salvageable.  A new baby and trying to simplify, the designer and I decided that another year without stockings couldn’t be that bad right?

A year later, I hadn’t heard from my aunt about the fabric, and didn’t want to deal with the situation.  Besides, I found a stocking I really liked in a catalogue.  So a month before Christmas, I ordered some stockings.  A week before Christmas I received a note in the mail that the items had been discontinued.  Strike three with the stockings.

This year, Easter, was spent at my grandparents sheep ranch in Southern Utah.  I was prego again, in my last trimester and once again, trying to survive through the brain cell losing situation.  My mother had talked to my aunt and I was to pick out some fabric in the store to replace that which was damaged.  But we had to go right then because it was a holiday weekend and they were closing. 

Once again, forced to make a quick decision about a holiday decoration that will be displayed and used every Christmas Season for the rest of our lives…not an easy thing.  The White Hills Trading Company in Gunnision is an absolute jewel.  The building is much to talk about in itself.  A historic building beautifully restored, and simply amplifies the experience and setting.  Lots of beautiful fabric.  My aunt was sorry that their Christmas stuff wasn’t in yet.  Though this didn’t bother me, for I don’t want a typical Christmas design.

My mother was finding all sorts of beautiful fabric, mostly red toned, and very feminine and floral.  I wanted the fabric to be something classic that both the designer and I would enjoy forever.  Fabric after fabric was brought to me, and I was feeling bombarded and smothered.  Finally I asked to be left alone to think and find what I really wanted.  This was hard for my mom, she has a great design sense, and chooses lovely things, but just because it’s beautiful in her eyes, doesn’t mean it’s what the designer and I want.  All my life I have let her buy things that I don’t necessarily like, because she thinks it is great.   I just didn’t realize it till the last couple years.  It was hard to tell her that I wanted to do it on my own and that I felt like she was making the decision for me.  She took it hard at first, but I think there was progress as well.

With the fabric I had pictured, and a vision ready, I made my purchase and we were done.  Again.  The next day, on our way home, I realized that I had just taken on another project, and one that I can’t do alone.  I don’t know how to sew, don’t have a sewing machine, and felt overwhelmed again.  Why do I get talked into these things when I’m prego?  Wouldn’t it be easier to just buy some?  Deep down though, I knew it was a good design and that we would enjoy the Christmas Stockings…if they were ever completed.  With the grower’s arrival on the brink, I had much to think about before Christmas, and put it on the back burner.

Well, the designer and I were doing some more detox yesterday, and I came across the beautiful fabric.  With little time till our next Christmas Season, I expressed concern at accomplishing the task.  The designer suggested I call his mother, that she would love to help, and that if I would talk to her now, it would be less stressful for both of us.

Sweet lady that she it, she agreed to help me.  We looked at the fabric last night and have a plan.  I need to purchase a few more things, but I am excited to work with her and hopefully learn a few skills in the process.  I’ll post pictures of our progress as we go.  Wish me luck this round.  May this year be the debut of our family Christmas Stockings, and the end to this wild saga!