PB Inspired Stocking Pillow

My version of PB's stocking pillow. The ladies at knitting weren't sure what I was going to do with all those little socks I had been knitting for a few weeks. 

*edited 2/23/12 - link to cabled sock pattern over at Ravelry. Thank you, Corey, for reminding me to post it!

I played with them for a little bit. 

Strung them out on the laundry line. Took lots of photos.

Stacked them up.

Then decided I had pittered around long enough and got busy sewing.

Gather all your materials.

Some burlap, about a yard (mine was 48" wide and 26" long),

Twine, about two feet.

Six buttons.

Three knitted socks.

A pillow (mine was 16" wide by 10" tall).

Lay out your burlap and fold it in towards the middle, making sure the edges meet in the center.

Use your pillow to custom fit the burlap. If it's too wide, trim some off the edges. I have about three inches on each side of my pillow.

Now fold the burlap over your pillow. Don't cut the burlap right at the edge of the pillow. Leave about two inches for a generous seam allowance. 

Two inches was perfect. I did not want a tight fitting pillow case. My pillow slides in very easily, without lots of pushing and pulling. 

Make a small cut at the edge of one side and start pulling ONE thread out. This will ensure that you have a straight edge when you cut the burlap. 

Pull the thread, gathering and pulling it out further and further until you reach the other edge. 

Now you have a line of open weave to cut. It almost looks like a run in a stocking.

Cut along that line and your piece is ready to sew.

We are making a big tube to put the pillow in, if that helps you envision what you are doing.

First, sew your short edges together. I used a generous one inch seam allowance. Burlap scares me. It falls apart so easily.Threads everywhere. Weave totally out of distortion. Just trust me on this. Use a generous seam allowance. You will thank me later.

Flip the piece inside out.

This next step is key to a happy sewing experience.

PIN BOTH EDGES BEFORE FOLDING IN HALF AND PINNING THEM TOGETHER.

Seriously. This will keep your burlap from moving around a lot. And burlap likes to move. 

See that horrible gash in the fabric? My burlap moved. As I was cutting.

Luckily it did not ruin my pillow and I could hide it on the inside. But things might not turn out so well if you do not pin this horrible-i-love-to-move-around-and-mess-with-the-person-trying-to-sew-me burlap.

Fold the material in half and pin all the raw edges together, using the pins from the edges you just pinned. 

I know all this pinning seems redundant, but it is all worth it when you sew this seam.

After you have it pinned, sew the edge with a one inch seam allowance.

Open up the seam and sew the edges down, along the folded outside edge.

Flip inside out and your tube is finished. Insert your pillow form.

Time for the finishing touches.

I laid out everything where I wanted it  and pinned, pinned, pinned.

I started with the twine and, using the pillow form as a guide, pinned from one edge to the other making the twine meander along and throwing in a loop along the way.


Sew down the twine. This required a little bit of maneuvering with my machine. I ended up sewing halfway across and then going to the opposite edge and doing the same, meeting in the middle.


I tacked down the stockings at four points: the loop at the top of the stocking, the point of the toe, the heel and the front top edge of the stocking.

The last thing to do is sew on your buttons. 

Measure the pillow from top to bottom and space them evenly throughout. My tube ended up being 12" tall so I placed my buttons at 3", 6", and 9".

The finished pillow. 

Not exactly the same as PB.

But close enough for me.

Yup. That's what I feel when I look at this pillow.