How to Make a Go-Go Boot Christmas Stocking

Are you a '60s babe who harbors fond memories of dancing in a cage above a dry-ice fog? A go-go boot stocking can tell Santa who you really are - and remind your kids that you were young and funky once, too.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 1 Yard Black Or White Shiny Fabrics
• Black Or White Threads
• Irons
• Sewing Machine
• Straight Pins
• Scissors
• Paper And Pencils
• 1 15-inch chunky zippers

Preparing Your Materials

1. Buy 1 yard of shiny black or white fabric and a chunky plastic or metal 15-inch zipper.

2. Make a pattern by drawing a go-go boot on a piece of paper. The bootleg should be about 15 inches high, 6 inches wide at the ankle increasing to about 8 inches wide at the top. The foot of the boot should be 10 inches long, 2 inches high at the toe increasing to about 4 inches high at the ankle.

3. Draw a second line 5/8 inch outside the perimeter of the first line.

4. Cut out the pattern on the outer line.

5. Pin the pattern to a single layer of fabric right side up and cut out one side of your boot.

6. Carefully cut your paper pattern in half down the length of the calf where the boot zipper will go.

7. Separate the two halves of the pattern so there's a 1 1/4-inch gap down the length of the boot.

8. Pin the cut pattern onto the wrong side of your fabric and cut around the pattern.

9. Cut the piece of fabric in half down the middle of the 1 1/4-inch gap.

Sewing In the Zipper

1. Working on the fabric boot that has been cut in half, fold the two cut edges under 5/8 inch and iron in place.

2. Pin one edge to the zipper.

3. Sew the zipper and fabric together using a zipper foot. Repeat with the other edge.

Assembling the Stocking

1. Pin the two boot pieces together with right sides facing in.

2. Stitch along the circumference of the stocking, 1/2 inch from the edges, beginning at the top of the boot.

3. Sew another seam 1/8 inch outside the first seam.

4. Fold the top edge down 1/4 inch and then fold it over 1/4 inch again. Stitch in place.

5. Cut a piece of fabric 4 inches long and 2 inches wide. Fold one long edge over 1/4 inch and iron into place.

6. Fold in thirds lengthwise, tucking the raw edge inside.

7. Iron and sew into place along the length of the fabric.

8. Fold the fabric strip in half to make a loop and pin to the top rear edge of the boot. This will be the loop for hanging the stocking.

9. Sew the loop onto the wrong side of the boot fabric.

10. Ease the curves of the boot by cutting the seam allowance fabric perpendicularly toward the seam.

11. Turn the boot right side out.

Tips & Warnings

• If you or a friend has an actual go-go boot, lay it on the paper and draw around it to make your basic pattern.

• Play with the pattern until you're satisfied. Remember, a chunky toe and a crisp square heel are the defining characteristics of a go-go boot.

• The boot should look fairly large when you cut it out. Otherwise, once it's assembled it will be too narrow for any stocking stuffers.

• When stitching the zipper, it should be zipped up, with the pull positioned 1 inch below the top of the boot fabric.

• When using the zipper foot sewing-machine atttachment, position the needle on the side of the attachment closest to the zipper.

• Fabric edges are usually designed to hide a zipper. To show off the decorative zipper on this stocking, pull the fabric back a bit before stitching.

• When clipping the seam at the curves, be careful not to cut through the stitching.