Fill your stockings

“The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there”. In 1822 Clement Moore’s rhyme was fine unless you lived in France, Holland, Hungary or Italy where children placed their shoes by the fire side to receive a small gift, or Puerto Rico where children put vegetables and flowers in small boxes and placed them under their beds for the camels of the Three Kings. The stocking tradition is traced to Germany and commonly attributed to the tale of a poor nobleman who had no money to provide a dowry for his three daughters. One Christmas Eve the girls hung their stockings over the fireplace to dry where they caught the eye of Saint Nicholas. He slipped a bag of gold into each one, ending their troubles and ensuring a very merry Christmas. – From Beth Smith's article in the Gold issue of Selvedge. If you're putting together the stockings this Christmas why not try beautiful textiles, sweet felt animals and luxurious additions to your wash bag or bathroom... The Selvedge Christmas Shop