Do you find yourself, year after year, wishing you had time to make Christmas stockings, a tree skirt, a wreath, and All The Things when the holidays are near?   I think my ability to deflect these sort of longings declines as holiday cheer mounts!  We expect this baby to arrive sometime during the week of Thanksgiving.  When I realized that the new baby and the holidays will descend at once, that set things in quick perspective.

Clearly, if anything is going to get done, it needs to happen before. Christmas shopping, holiday sewing, the works.

stockings for a friend, circa 2014

So here I am in June thinking stockings!  Luckily the fabric industry obliges with holiday collections releasing each summer.  (It's as if they know something about the holiday rush...)  A new collection from Riley Blake landed on my radar about a month ago, and I have not been able to get it out of my mind.  Have you seen Pixie Noel by Tasha Noel?  It's pure cuteness.  Pure elves, bunnies, carols and candy stripes cuteness.  I. cannot. resist.



Here are my seven picks: elves times two, one helping of light pink bunnies, striped stockings and some cheery basics.  There are lots more fun choices, but I don't need an army for stockings, right?  Right.



This morning I found some supporting fabrics from my stash.  I'm thinking of this set of patchwork stockings I made for a friend in 2014.  Each one must be unique, not all will be patchwork and mixing in non-holiday fabrics suits my style.



I'm starting off with XOXO from Cotton & Steel paired with that candy cane Pixie Noel stripe.


::Giveaway::  Would you like to get a jump start on the holidays too?  Fat Quarter Shop is offering a complete fat quarter set of Pixie Noel to one lucky reader.  International entries are welcome!  For your chance to win, just add your comment to this post now through noon EST on Wednesday.

Good luck!

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The random winner is comment #178.  I'll be in touch via email!