The Use and Abuse of Gloves.
Never be tempted to throw away a pair of gloves, however old. That is, until you have decided on their utter uselessness. Because a glove has holey fingers, or a badly torn thumb, or a split palm, it does not signify that it is of no use except for house-work.
Our illustration will show what can be done with gloves that are “nearly hopeless” to most people.
To Mend a Glove worn Between the Fingers.
The first part to go is, as a rule, between the fingers. This more especially is the case with washing gloves, which have a tendency to shrink, and wash-leathers, unless splice-seamed, will always do this.
As the fingers shrink, the space between splits, and it cannot be sewn up because it would make the hand too tight and the fingers too short.
To remedy this, take a reel of strong thread and a small fur needle (three-sided needle) and make a fine net-work between the two fingers.
SHOWING THE LATTICE-WORK BETWEEN THE FINGERS, AND ALSO HOW TO APPLY A NEW THUMB
Button-hole the edge of the split as you form the lattice. Insert your needle in the edge of the hole and make one button-hole stitch; then take your needle into the other side of the hole with another button-hole stitch. Then two button-hole stitches, and take your needle up to the top edge of the hole, near where you began.
This forms bars about 1/16-inch apart, and with two button-hole stitches in between.
This completed, turn the glove and do the same thing across from side to side, knotting the thread each time it crosses the under-threads. By this means, a tiny net-work is made.
This net-work is elastic, and will wear and wash into shape and last as long as the glove itself.
Making a Neat Patch.
Next to the fingers, the thumb is the worst problem.
I find that opening carriage doors has an unfortunate knack of splitting a glove, where the thumb joins the palm.
If there is plenty of room, this split I can be neatly joined up, but the better plan is to patch it with a tiny piece of an old glove.
Taking Care of Your Gloves.
Tack the patch in, and then with fine silk the colour of the glove, button-hole around the edge of the tear, taking up the under-skin as well. This keeps it firm and neat, and the patch may be cut away underneath, just leaving a small margin for stretch.
Adding a New Thumb.
If the top of the thumb wears out, and is unpatchable, an entirely new one can be put in with very little trouble. I have an old piece of chamois leather, which I keep for this very thing, and it answers the purpose beautifully.
Cut out the torn thumb carefully, retaining the shape as much as possible. Split up the seam and lay it flat on the piece of leather or kid which you are using to mend the glove.
Cut around the pattern, leaving a tiny margin, as your sewing is not as fine as that done by an expert.
Then tack the new thumb into the glove around the base.
Button-hole this carefully in, and lastly button-hole the seam up the thumb and across the top. This will be found quite easy.
For coloured kid gloves, I buy scraps of kid from the boot maker, and you can procure quite a nice sized piece for a small sum, large enough to cut any size thumb and to leave a good few scraps for patching.
Always remember in putting on gloves to proceed slowly, pulling on the fingers first and half the palm next, and the thumb last.
Be as careful in taking off as in putting on, and pull each finger and thumb into shape.
A Patchwork Cloth made with “pieces” machined together and finished with some narrow insertion.