1 X-mas Item a Month - May 2016

In April I did not manage a lot of stitching or crafting; so, I did not share a post for the 1 X-mas Item a Month blog. 

This month, I am happy to say I finally stopped procrastinating and finished the embroidery on the crazy quilted Christmas stocking I am making for my husband. 

Last year, I pieced this Santa cross-stitch into a Christmas stocking to be crazy quilted. 

I finished the cross-stitch section over ten years ago.  (Procrastinate? Who? Me?) I no longer have the book, but am fairly certain it was stitched from a pattern in Alma Lynne's Country Cross-Stitch.

I had tried making it into a wall quilt for my husband, but did not know what I was doing and needed to frog the whole piece before I could continue. I like it better in a stocking, so I think the time spent in a drawer paid off in the end.

Here is a close-up of the top. You may recognize some of the seams from various TAST (Take a Stitch Tuesday) stitches I have shared over the past year.

I did worry the bells and the star "Believe" button made the top of the stocking a bit off balance, but I think they are growing on me. My husband likes the bells. I like the way they will make the stocking jingle.

Here is a close-up of the bottom. The trees were another TAST stitch.

That row of gifts beneath Santa started out as fun, but after the 3rd one, I am afraid I set the project aside. I did not want to finish the last 2.

I was also having a really hard time with the way I pieced the block. I could not figure out how to best fill in the big blank area to the left of Santa. Yesterday, I discovered the star-shaped "Believe" button in my stash and knew it was perfect for that spot.

My goal for June will be to sew this into a finished stocking and to complete one more Christmas item.

Thanks so much for stopping by! 
Renee