Creativity--Newlywed Style

About a week before Jefferson and I got married, I was going through all of my things (mostly fabric), trying to decide what to keep, and what to throw out. I've always been a crafter and had been collecting fabric almost since the day I knew what it was! So needless to say, there was a lot to go through, literally shelves and drawers of the stuff (I know, I know, I'm such a pack-rat).

While going about this great feat, I stumbled across some black pin-striped fabric, the kind a man's suit would be made out of, and some glossy white fabric, wedding-dress-type material, and an idea was born!

The winter before, I had seen these stockings in the BYU bookstore that looked like little missionaries, with ties and collars, pockets, and a little name tag. I thought they were adorable, and that my big brother, who's on a mission right now (and comes home in less than four months!), wouldn't mind one for Christmas! ...and then I saw the price tag! $20.00! No way! I was determined to go home and make one, and I did! It turned out so cute that I made one for his companion, too!

Anyway, when I saw the glossy and pin-striped fabrics, I thought to myself, "Why buy Christmas stockings for Jefferson and I, when I have all the materials to make some myself?" I set that fabric aside in the "keeps" pile, and soon forgot all about it...until a couple months ago.

It was in October when Jefferson took a two week business trip. What in the heck am I supposed to do for two whole weeks? I thought. I went to our spare room, (which is kind of a craft, but more of a junk room where we put everything that doesn't really have a place...most people call that "the garage") and started digging through my crafting to-do list (It's a mental to-do list that I have whereon I keep tabs of all the cute ideas that I have/want to try). I stumbled across that same fabric, the pin-striped black and glossy white yards that I had laid away almost half a year before! And then the idea came back with a flood: Newlywed Christmas Stockings! But these aren't your usual, run-of-the-mill, Christmas Stockings. Uh-uh. I took our wedding day and captured it in fabric form. Just look at the following pictures and you'll see what I mean:



(Yea, they're sideways...still figuring out my camera)



Note the collar, pearl necklace, and belt on the bridal stocking, how the skirt stops short and gathers under the belt, flaring out to the bottom; the corsage and lapel, buttoned vest and shirt on the groom. These were all things I took directly from our wedding pics, all except the bow-tie. (I didn't have wedding pics on me when I was staying with my parents and making these stockings, so I was going off memory...I think...)

The other thing is, had I known I was going to make a blog two months later, I so would've taken pictures and kept notes on how I made what, but as it is I just winged it and I'm not even sure how I did that!

While Jefferson was on his business trip, we were in constant contact (thank you cell phones!) and I told him about the stockings I was making. I was super excited about how they were turning out, but Jefferson didn't quite share my enthusiasm. Up until this point, he hadn't really seen my sewing skills. I'd reinforced some buttons on one of his coats and I'd been the one behind sewing matching pj bottoms on one of our dates, but other than that, he had no idea how creative I can be.

When he came home and actually saw them, he was so impressed! If I hadn't've told him I was making them, he would've thought they were store-bought and very pricy! Instead, they cost almost nothing! The only things I went out and bought were the shiny black buttons and button covering kits. Everything else was stuff that I already had on hand!

Don't you just love it when projects work out?