Craig Conover's Holiday Nutcracker Fabric Collection + Nutcracker Stocking Tutorial with Misty
⚡ Quick Answer
- What it is: The Holiday Nutcracker Collection — a Christmas fabric line designed by Craig Conover of Sewing Down South for Robert Kaufman Fabrics
- The look: Drumming nutcrackers, twinkle lights, ribbons and bows, and text prints in soft red, evergreen, cranberry, pink and ecru
- What you can buy: 16 yardage prints, a nutcracker panel, a 10" square pack and a fat quarter bundle
- The project: Craig joins Misty to sew traditional quilted Christmas stockings with a border-stripe nutcracker cuff — watch the tutorial
- Pattern used: Simple HST Stockings Pattern by Missouri Star (also a digital download)
Some Christmas fabric shouts. This one hums. Craig Conover — founder of Sewing Down South and a sewist who talks about fabric the way most of us talk about family — has designed a holiday line for Robert Kaufman built around the one Christmas image everybody already loves: the nutcracker, standing at attention with his little painted moustache.
The Holiday Nutcracker Collection is now here, and Mistry visited Craig's studio to sew a set of quilted stockings for the mantel, and the trick they used — running the border stripe of nutcrackers around the cuff so the little soldiers march right across the top of the stocking — is the kind of thing that looks a great deal harder than it is.
Key Takeaways
- ➤Designed by Craig Conover for Robert Kaufman. Sewing Down South's holiday line features classical Christmas themes, from twinkle lights to drumming nutcrackers, and is printed with calming shades of soft red and green.
- ➤The border stripe is the star. Nutcrackers standing in a row along the selvage edge, made to be cut as a band for cuffs, borders and sashing.
- ➤Precuts do the coordinating for you. The 10" squares and the fat quarter bundle put the whole line at your fingertips, no matching required.
- ➤Stockings are a one-evening project. Two 10" squares, a strip of cuff fabric, and the Simple HST Stockings Pattern.
Who Is Craig Conover?
Craig Conover is the founder of Sewing Down South, the home and lifestyle brand he built out of a sewing habit he picked up as a hobby and never put down. He designs pillows and fabric, and Craig and Misty have been sewing together on At Home with Misty & Craig since 2024 — a first quilt block, a table runner, a whole quilt start to finish, and a sewing room setup.
What's in the Holiday Nutcracker Collection
Nineteen pieces in all: sixteen yardage prints, a panel, and two precuts. Here's how the prints break down.
| Print group | What it looks like | Best used for |
|---|---|---|
|
The nutcrackers Tossed Nutcrackers, Stripe Nutcrackers, Stamps Nutcrackers |
Detailed little soldiers, tossed, in rows, and framed like postage stamps | Large squares, cuffs, backings — anywhere the print stays whole |
|
The panel Nutcrackers Holiday Panel |
A ready-made nutcracker feature block | Wall hangings, pillow fronts, the center of a medallion quilt |
|
The drums Tossed Drums Holly, Tossed Drums Pink |
Little parade drums scattered on holly green or soft pink | Medium-scale blocks, borders, bags and pouches |
|
The text prints Merry & Bright Cranberry, Merry & Bright Holly |
Handwritten holiday words on cranberry and holly | Sashing, binding, small pieced blocks |
|
The blenders Lattice Evergreen, Lattice Pink, Dots Scarlet, Dots Ecru, Ovals Cranberry, Skinny Stripe Scarlet |
Lattice, dots, ovals and skinny stripes that read almost as solids | Backgrounds, binding, the quiet space around the busy prints |
|
The precuts 10" Squares, Fat Quarter Bundle |
The full collection, pre-cut and pre-coordinated | Stockings, quick quilts, gift sewing — the fastest way in |
💡 Pro Tip: Buy the border stripe by the yard, not by the fat quarter. A border stripe runs the length of the fabric, so a fat quarter can cut the row of nutcrackers in half — order continuous yardage and you get full, uninterrupted bands for cuffs and borders.
Sew Along With Craig and Misty: The Nutcracker Stocking
In the tutorial, Craig and Misty make traditional quilted stockings using the Holiday Nutcracker 10" squares for the body and the border stripe for the cuff, so a row of nutcrackers marches around the top of every stocking. They use the Simple HST Stockings Pattern by Missouri Star — half square triangles, which means the whole thing is built from a shape you already know how to sew.
What you'll need
- •Holiday Nutcracker 10" Squares — one pack makes several stockings
- •Border stripe or a coordinating print for the cuff, plus lining and batting
- •Simple HST Stockings Pattern (or the digital download)
- •45mm rotary cutter, 8" scissors and a good iron
- •Missouri Star 50 WT cotton thread
Three things that make a stocking look finished
- •Quilt the body before you shape it. Layer, quilt, then cut the stocking shape from the quilted panel. You get crisp edges and no shifting.
- •Cut the cuff on the stripe. Line the row of nutcrackers up with the top edge and give yourself seam allowance below their feet so nobody loses a boot.
- •Sew the hanging loop in with the cuff seam. Fold a strip, catch it in the seam at the back edge, and it will hold a full stocking without pulling out.
More Holiday Projects for This Fabric
Once the stockings are done, the same 10" squares will carry you through the rest of the mantel.
The tutorial
Nutcracker Stocking
Craig and Misty sew traditional quilted stockings with a nutcracker border-stripe cuff. Watch it
The pattern, step by step
Simple HST Stockings
The half square triangle stocking walked through slowly, start to finish. See the tutorial
Brand new to stockings
How to Make a Christmas Stocking
Sizing, lining, cuffs and loops explained for a first stocking. Read the guide
Matching the mantel
Quilt an Adorable Christmas Tree Skirt
Make the tree skirt from the same collection and the room ties together. See the tutorial
Short on time
Christmas Sewing Projects to Make in a Weekend
Fast gifts and decorations when December is already moving. Browse them
How to Build a Palette From This Collection
- •Let the nutcrackers lead. Pick one nutcracker print as your feature, then choose blenders that pull a color out of it — Lattice Evergreen or Dots Scarlet will do it.
- •Use the ecru as your background. Dots Ecru keeps the whole quilt from going heavy, which is what usually goes wrong with Christmas fabric.
- •Add pink on purpose. Lattice Pink and Tossed Drums Pink are what make this line feel like Craig's and not like every other red-and-green.
- •Need more ground? A Kona Cotton solid in cream or evergreen stretches the collection a long way.
Related Reading
- Top 12 Christmas Fabric Collections for 2026
- Nutcracker Stocking tutorial with Craig and Misty
- Christmas sewing projects to make in a weekend
- All 10" square packs and fabric by the yard
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed the Holiday Nutcracker Collection?
Craig Conover, founder of Sewing Down South, designed it for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. It's his holiday line — classic Christmas motifs in a softer, more grown-up palette than most holiday prints.
What precuts are available?
Two: a pack of 10" squares and a fat quarter bundle. There is also a nutcracker panel, plus all sixteen prints available by the yard.
What pattern do Craig and Misty use in the stocking tutorial?
The Simple HST Stockings Pattern by Missouri Star, available printed or as an instant digital download.
How much fabric does one stocking take?
Not much — a handful of 10" squares for the body, about a quarter yard for the cuff, and the same again for lining and batting. One 10" square pack will make a whole mantel's worth.
Is this fabric good for beginners?
Yes. Robert Kaufman quilting cotton presses beautifully and holds a crease, which is exactly what you want while you're still learning to hit a quarter inch seam. Start with the precuts so you can skip the cutting.
Will the Holiday Nutcracker Collection restock?
Holiday collections tend to sell through and not come back, and a few prints in this one are already out. If a print is on your list, don't wait on it — check the collection page for what's in stock today.