50 Year Old Stocking

I've posted photos of Christmases from my past over on the Inkwell Inspirations blog in a post titled Big Christmas Trees From Logging Country. The photos begin in 1960 and progress up to 1969 although not all years are presented. One thing I wanted to show here however, was the stocking my mom made just after I was born.

She made it using felt sandwiched over a plastic liner which was to stop the candies and Christmas oranges from sticking or staining.

I used this stocking until 2 years ago. That's when I realized it was 50 yrs old - give or take a year or two - and if I wanted it to last another 50 years, I'd better stop using it. Although I hadn't used it for candy and fruit since I'd left home, the wear and tear on the flat opening would soon stretch the felt and allow it to sag.
 
I made stockings for my husband after our marriage and then our children but the felt and plastic  Mom used was far superior to anything I could buy in the fabric stores.

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Christmas 1967, Johnny 7, Anita 10, Bonnie 11, Thunder Bay, ON

Christmas 1968, Johnny 8, Anita 11, Bonnie 12. Thunder Bay, ON

Both the above photos show our stockings with a box of
Pink Elephant Popcorn sticking out the top.

Our handmade stockings now hang on one side of the hall as reminders of Christmases past. On the opposite side are our new store-bought stockings - bigger than the old ones, ready for another 50 years of giving.

Look at your own photo of a past Christmas. What do you remember about it? The gifts? The location? The people? Do you remember how you felt as you waited for the 'click' of the camera?

Join us for the discussion at Inkwell Inspirations.