This is another of those stockings I started two, possibly even three years ago.^[1] Frances made a series of three spectacular drawings with ruler and compass very reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright windows that she colored with red, yellow and turquoise blue, filling some of the negative areas with pink-shaded Maxwell Parrish(ish) clouds whose organic shape and highly tinted colour beautifully and subtly set off the bold design and palette of the foreground. Of course, I wasn't able to keep my appliques very round, and I simplified even my considerably simplified design even further, including only few circles and handly any lines, which I satin-stitched over yellow cotton yarn with yellow and red colour changing thread.

stocking—felt, machine embroidery, sequins.

Since Frances likes octopods, I thought to have one spelling out her name with its tentacles, but that proved too difficult to fit into the space, so I simplified the design (and allowed myself to use sequins;) for the flap, to which I added the yellow to make it big enough to fit the octopus.

New for this year, I started using scraps of tigertail—plastic coated twisted wire—to attach the bells, which have a habit of cutting thread, and decided I might as well use it to attach the cording as well.

Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.