On New Years Day I went to the studio. I thought I’d start the new year by making something.
{A precedent to set for the year.}
{A need to get my hands working with fiber after being up to my elbows in holiday food and wrapping paper for a few weeks.}
The pile of felted sweaters caught my eye and it was time to cut and play with all those rich wool colors. A striped Scottish scarf is what really firmed up my plans that day, and I set about tracing my hand on a paper bag, digging into the stash of tshirts for seam tags and lining, and hitting the cutting mat and sewing machine without a backward glance.
This is the first of three sets of mittens I’ve made. The design possibilities are endless. The freehand embellishment alone can make my head spin. I love freehand sewing on most anything, but the cut mitten shape allows for a worthy canvas upon which to watch the thread spin and whirl into imagined fiddlehead fern shapes or lightning bolt zig zags. I think I’ll do some raw edge applique or soutache designs next.
A few tips:
PATTERN: lay your hand on paper and trace it leaving an extra 1/2″ or more all around, BUT leave less at the top of your thumb and fingers. You want comfortable width for your mittens, but if they are much longer than your finger and thumb they’ll feel uncomfortable. I modified my pattern after sewing this pair, and also modified this pair to fit more snugly. They are downright perfect. THUMB: do be sure to have enough width for the thumb because you don’t want it to fit too tightly side to side.
SEAMS: I stitched 1/4″ seams but them trimmed the curves and cut straight into the seam between thumb and main part of mitten so the final mitten lays flat. When I sewed the inner thumb I back-stitched a little for extra strength at that seam knowing I’d need to trim close to it.
STITCH LENGTH: I used a short stitch (length of 2) for these mittens to assure that they are warm and don’t let too much draft through the seams. The tshirt lining adds a great deal of extra draft-proofing and warm and is worth the additional steps.
LINING: When putting lining inside the finished mitten, the mitten will be turned right side out. I put the lining on my hand (wrong side out) and then put my hand right into the mitten, making sure that the lining and the seams are comfortably lined up (especially the thumb) before doing the final pinning and sewing of the wrist area.
IDEAS: For the next two pairs I mixed sweaters to have two different fronts and backs on each mitten. The possibilities are endless.
Jan 29, 2013 @ 17:06:20
Inspired by YOU, I cut out four pairs of these this afternoon! It was fun to choose contrasting colors of tees and sweaters. Four young nieces and nephews will enjoy the coziness of your good idea. Thank you!
Jan 30, 2013 @ 08:54:58
Sorry to miss you yesterday! Can’t wait to see your mitt creations. xox
Jan 29, 2013 @ 18:05:46
Is there nothing you can’t do? It’s so fun to see your process.
Jan 30, 2013 @ 08:54:35
Ha. Still trying to make chocolate magically appear from thin air. Hasn’t worked yet.
Jan 30, 2013 @ 08:01:28
What a great idea, I will definetly do with my niece.
Jan 30, 2013 @ 08:54:06
It’s a great sewing project for that. Have fun!
Jan 30, 2013 @ 10:27:45
Fab idea! May have to have a go myself!
xx
Jan 30, 2013 @ 13:31:27
Wonderful! They look so warm.
Jan 30, 2013 @ 14:23:01
These are so unbelievably sweet – love!! (fun with felting!)
Jan 31, 2013 @ 09:51:39
Sue these look so cozy! I wish I was a better sewer b/c I would love to try this. Right now I am still trying to master straight line stitching. Maybe I’ll try the toque version of this and work my way up til these amazing mittens.
Jan 31, 2013 @ 16:48:42
Lovely idea – simple but so attractive. Thank you for sharing.
Feb 01, 2013 @ 06:47:18
Love those! I have a few knackered old jumpers I feel the need to upcycle and this might be perfect – better get on with it before the weather warms up!
Feb 08, 2013 @ 12:04:52
I keep felting all the tired wool around here. I have quite a stack. Oh the possibilities…they are endless. Can’t have too many mittens, can you?
Feb 02, 2013 @ 12:36:50
They are just beautiful, Sue – what a wonderful idea ! Happy weekend to you !!!
Feb 08, 2013 @ 12:04:02
Thanks, sweet Brit. I wish you were here! We are having a huge snowstorm. It would be fun to share tea and biscuits with you. xox
Feb 10, 2013 @ 05:42:43
Wow. I do admire ‘handy’ people, as I am so NOT! These mittens look lovely, so cosy and curl-uppy and everything one wants at this time of year. BTW, I love it that even your pins are prettily embellished, with butterflies!
Feb 11, 2013 @ 08:34:28
Well, dear Rachael, I’d say you are plenty handy behind the lens
. My mother gave me the sweet butterfly pins. I love them, and since they are flat they don’t get caught on the sewing machine pressure foot like the round ones sometimes do. Happy Monday.