16 January 2012

Cute Chore Gloves

From time to time I suffer from dermatitis. It could be anything that causes it, but it's usually when I've been spring cleaning or doing lots of gardening and not wearing gloves.  I don't like rubber gloves, eww, and the traditional garden glove is too stiff. I really like soft cotton gloves, although they are rather expensive to buy.  But they are very easy to make and if you use scraps of fabric or an old t-shirt they are virtually free!

To make one pair of cute chore gloves you will need:

1 sheet A4 paper
A marking pen
Dressmakers pins
25cm 100% cotton knit (see suggestions above)
Thread to match
Scissors
A sewing machine that does a zig zag stitch

Step 1. Wash your fabric according to the directions on the label. This is important; knit fabrics can shrink quite a lot so it is essential you wash and dry the fabric before cutting and sewing. You don't want to end up with ugly, puckered gloves that don't fit.

Step 2.  Place your left hand (right if you are left-handed) on the paper and trace around it, leaving a 6mm border.  Cut around the border. This will become your pattern.

Step 3.  Fold your fabric in half, right sides together, horizontally and then in half vertically.

Step 4.  Pin the pattern in place, being generous with the pins (you don't want the fabric to move during cutting, you'll end up with different sized gloves).  Carefully cut around the pattern, making sure the fabric doesn't stretch or move. You should have two fronts and two backs.

Step 5.  Place a front and back together, right sides together. Set your sewing machine to the widest zig zag and the shortest stitch length. Starting at one side of the wrist stitch right around each finger, finishing at the other wrist.   Repeat to make the other glove.

Step 6. To finish your gloves turn the raw edge of the wrist under 6mm. Press. Zig zag around the edge, catching the hem in the zig zag stitch. Repeat for the other glove. Turn right side out, using a point turner (or the top end of a pencil if you don't have one) to shape the fingers.

Then slip on your gloves and start gardening, dusting, scrubbing - or give your hands a treat - just slather your hands with hand cream, slip the gloves on and sit down with a cuppa for 15 minutes!

1 comment:

  1. I have a couple of pairs of "past their best" knit fabric pyjamas and was thinking of recycling them into dusters, but the home made gloves sound terrific - I always have the sewing machine out for something or other so making these will be next on my list after I've finished a few hems I have to do.

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