This piece honors both my family and my dear friend Christy, who adores all things Día de los Muertos. I’ve always been drawn to the way families — with all their quirks and tenderness — are deeply relatable. This stocking is a reflection of that connection.
Years ago, I loved scavenging upholstery samples — those small, richly textured fabric squares from stores like Hobby Lobby. I kept them in a shoebox, sifting through them often for inspiration.
One particular scrap reminded me of the shirt Eric wore on our wedding day. That’s where the story began: I made him first, then the rest of us.
At the time, I didn’t feel confident portraying actual faces, and I wanted to honor Christy, so I turned us into Día de los Muertos figures — a nod to the October traditions we’ve shared, like visiting the Longmont Museum together.
Each bone bead was handmade from Sculpey. The hot pink dress is the one I wore on our wedding day. Ruth appears here as a baby, with a little heart. Maggie, as always, is joy in motion. And Li Zhi wears a suit — just right.