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Gloves and mittens

Men and women of importance wore (or carried) gloves for outdoor occasions. Fine gloves were a sign of wealth and rank, while heavy-duty gloves or mittens were for outdoor workers.

Modern glove patterns are supplied by some leather merchants, but require a high standard of cutting and sewing. With ready madę gloves look for a light natural colour rather than brown, or get them dyed to match your outfit.

Working mittens are not difficult to make (Fig 3). Use hide or sheepskin in a natural colour.

3. Mittens

Mittens were worn for warmth and protection throughout the period. They were madę of hide, or of sheepskin with the fur inside. These materials are cut without seam allowances and joined by oversewing.

a.    Measuring. Draw an outline round the hand laid fiat, then measure round the palm as shown to find the conventional glove size.

b.    Basic mitten pattern. Using the outline drawing of your hand, draw a large, simple pattern as shown, checking that it is larger than the palm measurement, above. Back and front outline are identical either side of the broken fold linę; the thumb hole is off-centre. This figurę shows the left-hand pattern: turn it over to cut the right hand.

The thumb part itself is symmetrical along its fold linę. Its curved base (B-B) must fit the curve of the thumb hole exactly, excluding the triangular extension which runs into the thumb seam at A. Always set the thumb in first. First stitch the thumb seam from the tip to A, then set the thumb into its hole, working round A-B-B-A. Ease it in if it is slightly larger than the hole, and stitch the mitten closed from the top of the fold round to the wrist.

c. Split mitten pattern. Adapt the basie pattern (b) as shown, following the shape of the hand. Cut a straight gusset, 1 -2 cm wide, tapered at the ends to finish before the finger tips. Set in the thumb as in b. Stitch the gusset to the back of the mitten, from C to each finger tip. Stitch the mitten closed from the top of the fold round to the wrist, including the gusset.