Leather gloves can cost a lot but if you are good at cutting and sewing you can save money by making them yourself. By preparing a model of your size you can also be sure that the new gloves fit beautifully.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Pattern
Step 1. Draw the outline of the hand on a sheet of paper
Place the palm of your non-dominant hand on a sheet of paper, keeping your fingers closed. The thumb, on the other hand, will be moved outwards in a natural way. Now trace the outline of the hand from one side of the wrist to the other.
- The hand should be placed in the middle of the paper with thumb and forefinger towards the center.
- Once you have created the basic shape, mark a point at the base of each finger. Open your fingers two by two (a couple at a time) and mark the center point at their base.
- Close your fingers and insert a ruler between one finger and the other. Draw a straight line from the point you marked to your fingertips.
- Remove the ruler and make sure the lines are parallel to each other.
- Add another 5cm of length on each side of the pattern. Draw the line in such a way that it falls slightly near the wrist along the outside of the hand, or on the side opposite the thumb.
- You should now have an accurate hand shape. But don't cut anything for now.
Step 2. Prepare the double template
Fold the paper in half along the outer edge of your index finger. Cut the outline of the hand while keeping the double sheet.
- At this point the thumb will have disappeared from the model.
- After cutting the outer profile, now cut the cracks between the fingers following the parallel lines you drew earlier. The slots on the front of the model should be 6mm shorter than those on the back.
Step 3. Make a thumb hole
Open the pattern and in the center mark the points where the thumb joins. You will need to draw and cut out an oval in which to insert your thumb.
- With dots, mark the base and knuckle of the thumb and draw a fourth dot in front of the knuckle.
- Connect the four points by drawing an oval shape.
- Now draw an inverted triangle whose base coincides with the upper side of the oval and the vertex with its center. If the marked points are correct, the sides of the triangle will have the same length.
- Cut the oval leaving the upper triangular portion intact.
Step 4. Draw a pattern for the thumb
Fold a sheet of paper in half and insert your thumb with the outer side along the fold of the paper. The crease should run parallel to the index and wrist. Draw the outer shape of the thumb.
- When you're done with the template, unfold the sheet and draw a mirror image on the other side.
- Cut out the thumb model and check that the base coincides with the hole you made in the shape of the hand. If necessary, fix it or do it again.
Step 5. Create the fourchette shapes
These are pieces to be inserted between the fingers lengthwise.
- Fold a sheet of paper and insert it between the index and middle fingers of the non-dominant hand. The sheet must lay directly on the surface between the fingers.
- Draw the outline of the index finger stretching it slightly to make it coincide with the length of the middle finger.
- Cut the pattern.
- Repeat the process two more times to draw the necessary fourchettes between the middle and ring fingers and between the ring and little fingers.
Part 2 of 3: Prepare the Skin
Step 1. Look for suitable skin
To make gloves, the best leather to work is smooth, thin and regular grain.
- Full grain is the outer part of the leather and offers a greater guarantee of durability and flexibility.
- Thin skin will allow you to create more comfortable gloves. If it were thick it would be too bulky.
Step 2. Check its elasticity
Pull the skin and check its elasticity. If when you release it it returns to its original position, you don't need to do anything else. If, on the other hand, it is a little too elastic, it would be better to harden it to control it better.
It is fine to have the skin supple, but if you don't take some measure to limit it, after a few uses the gloves will take on a limp and worn look
Step 3. Wet and pull the skin
Wet the leather and then pull it to the maximum in the direction of the grain. Let it dry.
Now wet it again and pull it but this time in the opposite direction of the flower and without forcing it. Let it dry
Step 4. Cut the pieces
With pins attach the pattern to the skin and use a sharp scissor to cut along the contours of the template. This means that you will also need to cut the thumb hole and the spaces between the fingers.
- Make sure the flower runs parallel to your fingers. The leather has its maximum extension in the counter-grain and you will need this elasticity to move your fingers and knuckles.
- Check the edges of the skin, if they do not flake you will not need to apply adhesive reinforcements.
- Cut two pieces for each shape so that you have two identical sets and make two identical gloves. Since the front and back of the gloves will be the same, you won't have to worry about reversing the shapes for the opposite hand.
Part 3 of 3: Sew the Gloves
Step 1. Sew the side of the thumb
Fold the thumb in the center and sew the tip going down and joining the two parts. Stop just before the bend.
- If you want to hide the seams, sew on the wrong side making sure that the outside of the surfaces are placed face to face and once they are sewn together turn the parts inside out.
- Alternatively, you can sew on the right side letting the seams show. In this case, sew all the pieces with the right sides facing out.
- When it comes to leather, the seams can be both internal and external, it's just a matter of personal taste.
Step 2. Attach the thumb using tailor pins and sew it
Insert the outline of the thumb into the hole in the pattern, pin the edges together and sew all the way around.
- When you insert your thumb into the hole, make sure the tip is pointing upwards.
- The edges of the thumb and the edges of the hole should coincide smoothly.
- You can fold the edge of the hole inward so that the thumb and hole surfaces are face to face and sew on the wrong side, or you can pin and sew on the right side. Both are valid options and the choice depends on personal taste.
Step 3. Insert the first fourchette between the first fingers
You will need to attach it to the front and back sides of the model. Sew-on brooch.
- Attach the fourchette starting on the palm side and ending on the back side.
- Sew starting from the tip of the index finger towards the palm and then work up towards the tip of the middle finger.
- When you sew the fourchette to the back, start from the tip of the middle finger and go down to the base of the finger and then go up to the tip of the index finger.
Step 4. Repeat the same operation with the other two fourchettes
When you have finished applying the fourchette between index and middle finger, move on to the middle-ring and then ring-little finger fourchette. The sewing modes are always the same as those already used for index-middle.
- Sew the middle-annular fourchette and then move on to the annular-little finger fourchette.
- Proceed in the same way by sewing each fourchette along the palm side and then turning on the back side of the glove.
Step 5. Sew the side of the glove
If necessary, pin the glove so that the outer edges of both sides meet. Sew the sides of the glove and close any holes left in the finger area.
- At this point the only opening that remains is that of the wrist which obviously remains open.
- If you want to hide the side seams, sew them inside out with the surfaces face to face and when done, turn the glove over on the right side. If you opt for visible seams, sew on the right side keeping the inner sides face to face.
- Once this step is complete, your glove is ready.
Step 6. Repeat the procedure for the second glove
Follow the exact same steps.
- Sew the thumb part and then attach it to the hole.
- Sew the fourchettes working first the index-middle, then middle-ring finger combination and finish with the ring finger-little finger. Remember that the palm side of this glove is the opposite of that of the first glove.
- Sew the side edges and any open stitches, leaving only the side of the wrist free.
Step 7. Try on the gloves
At this point your gloves are finished and ready for use.
