Thursday, December 20, 2007

Birth Plaid

I had to go dig our kid's Christmas stockings out of storage yesterday.
We'll be celebrating Christmas at Jeff's place, and Laura will be there too.
We'll take their stocking with us for Santa to fill up there.


I needlepointed Laura's stocking for her when she was a newborn.
Back in 1978, pink, yellow, lavender and white and moss green seemed like just perfect colors for a little girl named Laura.
I also wove her a matching blanket on my 42" four harness loom.
And I made a star with similar yarn for the Christmas tree, with her name and birthdate and "First Christmas" engraved on a color foil center.


I lined the stocking with pink satin, and added a white rabbit fur cuff, then beaded her name on the front.
There was an antique beaded tassle too... couldn't find it this year.
Wonder what happened to it?
Why plaid? The plaid is actually her birth date: 7-22-78
Seven rows of pink, two yellow, two lavender, seven white, eight green.
Both vertically and horizonally.
I thought it was a sweet way to commemorate her birthday.
I also planned to make stocking for each of my babies eventually.
And a pillow with our anniversary date plaid.
Isn't that just the cutest idea?


But then Jeff came along on 3-7-80.
80 rows of something kind of doesn't work in a plaid.
No way to stitch a zero...
Maybe I should have just done 3 and 7 as a simple plaid.
~~~
But by then Laura was a very active two year old and I had my hands full just keeping up with her.
So my mom knitted a sock for Jeff.
~~~
Family life...sometimes you just go with the flow and it all works out fine in the end.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the idea of designing the plaid using the birthdate. You wove Laura's blanket? Wow. Guess I shouldn't expect anything less from a lady who creates fabulous hats!

I cross-stitched and creweled my kids' stockings when they were small. Last year, I finally completed a stocking for my SIL - cross-stitched, beaded, and with little stuffed Santa, Mrs. Santa, and elf and a reindeer.

A Lady said...

Thank you for taking the time and the energy to both dig them out of storage, and also for making them in the first place. I appreciate it to no end. This Christmas, I hear Santa is pretty excited and eager to fill those stockings. How long has it been since those stockings were full? 4 years? Maybe more?

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

What a unique idea, to weave a date into a plaid. I guess it's something weavers know about that the rest of us would never think of...but I see now how it works (or doesn't work, in the case of Jeff's birthdate). I think the colors are very pretty together. It would also make a nice Easter stocking, should anyone want to begin such a tradition...

Aren't mom's the greatest - they know we need a helping hand sometimes. The knit stocking for Jeff is very darling; love the rockinghorse.

gail said...

Once again I am amazed by your descriptive narrative and great pictures! Happy 31st anniversary! Love Gail

Lovella ♥ said...

Jill, what wonderful stockings. I smiled as I just imagined you figuring out the plaid to match her birthday and then again rationalizing why Jeff couldn't have a plaid. I just love your way.

Enjoy filling those socks.

Stephanie said...

I think that is the most creative stocking I have ever seen. I love it.

Julie said...

Memories...what better time of year to dig them out of storage. I am still amazed how quickly those 'babies' we had went and got all growed up !!

I too loved the idea of you designing the plaid to represent her birtdate. I smiled at Jeff's date being too difficult. Laura's stocking is beautiful!!

I wish you the most blessed Christmas season, Jill... and may you have a wonderful time celebrating at Jeff's house!!