I have not heard of doing that...not sure how it would work. Is the top of the stocking needlepoint, too, or made out of fabric? If the top is fabric it should be okay to embroider on it. If not, how about doing the embroidery on a piece of coordinating fabric and appliqueing it onto the stocking?

The top of the stocking is also needlepoint. I tried stitching on it today and before the first letter was finished I could tell it wasn't going to work. So I stopped and took out the stitches that I had made.
Thanks for the response, msmeow.

Mary Ann,

I do needlepoint finishing, and have also put machine embroidered names on needlepointed stockings. It is possible, but it helps if the needlepoint is very neatly done - no hanging threads, and absolutely no knots on the back. If the backside doesn't look almost as neat and tidy and the front, you'll have problems.

The stocking must be blocked *before* any embroidery.

Use a sticky stablizer in your hoop and lay the stocking on this. Do not attempt to hoop the stocking. Baste a heavy water soluble over the embroidery area. Reduce your speed to about 1/2 if possible. Use a metalfil needle, (larger eye) no matter what type of embroidery thread you use.

Mary, thanks for the info. The stocking did have knots or something on the back where I was attempting to embroider. I felt sure that was a cause of my uneven stitches. Also it had not been blocked and I was worried about how straight it would be. Someone suggested doing the embroidery before doing the needlepoint and then needlepointing around the name. I wonder how that would work.

Mary Ann,

Most stockings I get have the name drawn on and needlepointed onto the cuff.

If this one has a separate, plain cuff, it was intended to have the name needlepointed. And if this is the case, you can make a separate embroidered cuff to attach. Whether this is possible or desirable depends on how the stocking is to be finished.

Mary