Mitt patterning

This took some time to do as I've never made anything like it before - I got my original pattern from here.

For my first pattern attempt (left), I measured around my (bent) arm just below the elbow, then the wrist and then around the knuckles and drew the pattern from these measurements adding an inch for the seam allowance and a bit extra for the point at the top. From this pattern, I made a toile (cutting on the bias) and found that it was quite tight and so I made the seam alowance smaller and it fitted better, but was a bit loose in some places. It was just a case of pinning and tacking and trying on to get it to fit perfectly.

Once I was satisfied with the first toile, I drew around it onto a new piece of paper to make another pattern (right). To be on the safe side, I made a new toile from this second pattern to make sure it would fit - it did, but had to have a few minor adjustments made.

I also made a pattern and toile for the thumb piece. For this, I measured the front, back and two sides of my thumb up until the point it bends and also around the hole I had cut in my first toile. I converted these measurements to some form of strange looking pattern, but like with the first mitt toile, it just required some pinning and tacking to get it to fit right. When I was satisfied, I drew around it on a new piece of paper for the final pattern and then sewed it to the second mitt toile.

The second toile fitted really well so I un-did the mitt seam to draw around to make a FINAL pattern! (left) I made the necessory adjustments and added a 1/2" seam allowance all the way round.

In fact, making mitts aren't hard at all, you just need a bit of patience as the constant pinning and tacking can take a while, but (obviously) worth it in the end!

The toiles, the first one on the left, the second on the right.

The finished patterns pinned and ready to cut from the silk. You can just see the thumb pattern in the bottom left corner!

I am now in the middle of actually making them, at last!

Lucy Locket lost her pocket...

...but hopefully I won't be losing mine! I've just made one (of two) C18th pockets, huzzah!

I made the pattern after looking at extant pockets and reproduction pockets - they were very large! The size of my pattern was the same height as a sheet of A4 paper, but slightly wider with the pocket opening being half the length, as you should be able to see in the picture below:

I then cut this pattern out on white cotton and some brocade silk adding a small seam allowance according to the width of my binding I was to use and cutting the pocket slit in the silk only.

After this, I then pinned and sewed the binding (just a quick note: the binding and thread was bought online and I was amazed to find that the brocade pattern, binding and thread all matched exactly!) around the opening of the pocket. I sewed it to the front first before sewing it to the back.

I then pinned some binding to the outer edge of both the silk and cotton together (and in my case, pattern side up) and, as before, sewn front first. I used a back stitch when sewing the front as this will form the seam of the pocket. I used a whip stitch (?) for the back.

Hey presto! It's done! All I have to do now is make the other in exactly the same way! After that then I will wait until my stays are made before attaching a long piece of binding to the top as both pockets were tied around the waist on one piece of ribbon/tape.