The 'Bespoke' Verity Stockings...



The stocking I made & embellished for Isabelle should take her from
 being a Baby, to a little girl, & to a big girl. Hopefully it's something
she can treasure and use always.



I have had a number of friends ask me 'When are you posting pics of your stockings!'... Well here they are!

This year I decided to make our own Christmas Stockings for each of us - especially now that we are a family of three! Each one I have personalised & adorned with rosettes, buttons - from my mass of button collecting, some hessian, different ribbons that I have collected and names by free-machine embroidery. I have nearly finalised the embleshiment for Isabelle's Santa Sack - so stay tuned... I promise to post pics!

My stocking - embellished with French raw silk in 'oyster', with
small bird shell buttons & silver, mother of pearl buttons from
my button collection teamed withstriped grosgrain ribbon
& cherry red Bullion fringing; heeled by a little hessian with a
red satin rosette.



I was conscious to keep my husband, Matthew's, stocking somewhat
 masculine in the scheme of embellishment. The use of Wedgwood ticking
 stripe with reds, taupes and creams helps this, as does using a contrasting plain
gingham ribbon with  'plainer' buttons in the shape of a Christmas tree.
Using a plain taupe coloured small rosette as the 'star' was one way of getting
around itlooking potentially too feminine. Adding the hessian
[burlap] for the toe & heel helps it also to look like a 'boy's' sock!





Our Wall Mantle! One day we'll have the jetmaster fire & mantle
 I have always wished for [& designed]!



At the time -[Saturday when I took these pics] -
 it was 8 days to go!



images by Sarah Verity - Verandah Home & Garden Living Solutions

Hand-made Love: A Bit of Festive Sewing...

I'm steadily getting through a mini-production line of making personalised Christmas Stockings & Santa Sacks for our little family... I have gone with a red, white, eggshell & oyster/ taupe colour. That way if I inject anther colour one year they will all still coordinate! I played with the idea of buying online - but then checked out my fabric & trim stash and forgot how much I really had tucked away!

So I'm at the 'embellishment' stage now, then final construction will happen & then all to do is hang! And being a little ahead of myself [this breaks my auspicious tendencies] I have made 1 extra stocking and 1 extra Santa sack for someone [another baby] we hope to have in the future - not yet though, and will hold off embellishing until we know his or her personality & of course name!

Will post more pics with the finished goods are up & hanging too - not too far away now! Enjoy,

Images by Sarah Verity - Verandah Home & Garden Living Solutions

24 Sleeps to Go!



Our Christmas Count-Down Chalk Board.



Well it's fast approaching... there's only 24 sleeps to go till Christmas! Don't let it creep up on you... so make sure you get your shopping done now; get all your wrapping paper & ideas together; and start preparing the table settings if you're hosting Christmas lunch or dinner, or if you're having family & friends stay over the festive season and need to get into the dreaded guest-room for clean outs. Best advice - Do It Now! From my experience the best Palatial homes are often the most prepared &well-organised homes, simply because it allows you time to define the style you want, with out rushing it!

I have some embellishments left to do on some Christmas stockings [and Santa sacks for Isabelle and whoever else might come along in the near future!] that I have made for each of us this year - now that we have an extra family member, our little miss Isabelle this year, whose first Christmas will be all the more special - I really wanted to ensure that I made a hand-crafted, concerted & stylish effort all round! I will have pics to share with you very soon of the finished goods!

image by Sarah Verity - Verandah Home & Garden Living Solutions

Ohhh Christmas is a Creeping!

Serene - Christmas Dove Garland from
3 Girls & A Goat, from Brisbane Australia via Etsy

Vintage Christmas Bunting from AS Boutique via Esty

Fabulous - Sweet Paper Garland X-Mas Dream from
3 Girls & A Goat, from Brisbane Australia via Etsy

Perfect Present Tag - Snow Flake Paper Gift Cards from
3 Girls And A Goat, Brisbane Australia via Etsy

I am sooo excited about Christmas this year - especially since we've our had first baby - little Miss Isabelle, it really seems to make all the difference with Christmas being all about the children... that sense of magic seems to have crept back again and I love it!
I have inspired by a wonderful client of mine, the lovely M.Helm, from her display of hanging ornaments that were artfully suspended from her ceiling over her dining table last year - so that with a few other things that I have also gathered up will begin to hang & arrange festive decor over the next few weeks. Am thinking of a silver-peppermint theme this year [maybe a smattering of navy/ pale blue too] with a lean to an almost Nordic inspiration. I think the lead up to Christmas can be sooo exciting - so hedges are to be trimmed this weekend for pretty twinkling plain fairy lights to be strung up!

Nordic Inspiration from John Lewis

We just placed our order for our fresh Christmas tree with Elf Help, we have had them delivered for the past few years - nothing beats the smell of a fresh tree - it's a real tradition of ours. And I am getting cracking with a few fun 'Palatial' projects - I'm making a special personalised Stocking & Santa sack [pillowcase] for Miss Isabelle; and actually making stockings for Matthew [my husband] & I. Even though we have had one each before this year I want to make family ones for all of us with more design & colour cohesion... I have also come up with a sweet idea for all the babies - Isabelle's friends - from my lovely mother's group too! So stay tuned  I will post pics once all finished! I don't want to give anything away just yet!

Here's a few images that have got me excited - especially with all my fabulous home & interior December issue mags arriving in the mail the past week or so... Enjoy!

Just received my 'JOY' Christmas Shopping invitaion from CR
I love their graphic packagind & instore VM design this year,
centred around core colours Ruby Red, Sunny Yellow,
Navy Blue & Kelly Green - with silver & white!



Rustic Handmade red mixed berry wreath from
Silk N Light Designs via Etsy



Make Sure You're Stockings Are Hung...

Spell out your name with hand embroidered knit socks to be filled up with small treats.
Knit up a storm with them soft mohair blends & ribbon

Fine Linen and Lace Snowflakes

A forest of Pine Trees using a tree template cut out with pinking sheers for the Christmas tree look and attach with pearl buttons that make for baubles!

Christmas is for Children - of all ages - use ric rac or zig zag ribbon and felt cut outs to decorate plain coloured stockings, placed at the end of the bed, on the mantle or (as in my childhood) on the door knob!

Baby Socks - an advent calendar or a miniature way for your baby to have their own stocking/s. Using baby socks in similar colours attach/ [with wooden pegs] onto ribbon to create a bunting effect... so cute.

A simple quilted-stippled soft stocking in pale Christmas hues for baby filled with things that parents & baby can use.

If you've haven't hung your stockings yet - now's the time to do it, or St. Nicholas will not be able to leave you any treats!! If you're super organised and you still have time to decorate & sew here's a few stockings that caught my eye, and are inspiring me for the New Year & sewing projects especially the baby & children's ones... This year we know that Christmas [for us] will be a quieter one, although spent with family & friends, it will be very different than to what we expect for next year, when the two of us become three - in May 2010!

Images [and projects can be found] from Martha Stewart

The Perfect Stocking...

With Only 4 weeks to go - today - here's how to make the Perfect Stocking...

Images 1 & 2 - Stockings from Cherryland, through Etsy.com
Step 1: Using the stocking illustration as a guide (save it and blow it up 200% on a photocopier - check how big you want it), use dressmaker's pattern paper to make a stocking pattern to your chosen size, adding 2.5cm seam allowances all round. Cut out two stocking pieces in red fabric.
Step 2: Cut a piece of gingham to match the toe section of your cut-out stocking, adding 2.5cm along the straight edge for turning under. For the gingham trim at the top of the stocking, take one cut-out stocking piece and measure across the top edge. Cut a 10cm strip of gingham to twice this measurement minus 5cm.
Step 3: Use tailor's chalk to mark all 2.5cm seam lines on the right side of one stocking piece. Take your gingham toe piece, turn under 2.5cm along the straight edge and press. Pin, right side up on the right side of your marked stocking. Top stitch 5mm from the folded edge and then tack along curved edges.
Step 4: Using the templates as a guide, and checking the sizes against your chalked stocking, draw an icicle trim and three holly leaf shapes on the paper side of a piece of iron-on fusing. Following manufacturer's instructions, place the iron-on-fusing, paper side up, on to your felt and press. Cut out the shapes and check the sizes again against your stocking, making sure that the icicle trim in particular fits neatly between the three chalked seam lines at the top of the stocking. Trim a little if necessary. Remove the backing paper and iron the motifs in place on the stocking. Using a contrasting thread, top stitch all round each leaf, 5mm from the edges, and then stitch in the 'veins' of each leaf (use the picture as a guide).

Step 5: Right sides facing and matching raw edges all round, pin the two stocking pieces together. Machine stitch, taking a 2.5cm seam, leaving the top edge open. Trim seams and snip into the seam allowances around the curved edges to ease the fit. Press open seam allowances and turn through.
Step 6: Fold the gingham strip in half width ways and stitch a 2.5cm seam along the short edges to form a ring. Press seam open and turn through. Fold in half along the length, matching raw edges and press. Then turn under 2.5cm along one long edge and press again. Repeat along the remaining long raw edge. Right sides facing and matching raw edges, pin the gingham trim to the top of the stocking, matching the trim seam with one of the stocking seams. Turn the trim over the raw edge of the stocking and slip stitch in place on the reverse.

To finish, stitch miniature bells or baubles in place on the holly leaves.

Finally have fun, enjoy & hang your stocking in a place that 'Santa' can find it & fill it in!

Instructions & Images from Coastal Living, Images 1 & 2 Stockings from Cherryland, through Etsy.com