This shows some of the gloves stitched on the flannel inter-lining.
Perhaps your thickest coat is not nearly thick enough for the piercing east winds that come to us in the early part of the year, finding out our weak spots.
For an Under-coat or Waistcoat.
If you wish to avoid the cost of a new big coat, why not make a small sleeveless coat, or a waistcoat to wear under your outdoor coat? For this you will need about 1½ yards of silk for the outside, some thin flannel for the interlining, and some more silk, or other suitable material for the lining. I suggest silk, because this slips on so easily, and the outer coat, in turn, slips on easily over the silk waistcoat. It takes so little material that in all probability you can get enough out of the silk lining of some discarded coat or underskirt. Then of course there are the old gloves. Cut out the silk, outer and lining, and the flannel, by the same pattern. Deal with the flannel first. Onto this stitch the pieces of glove—they merely want pinning in place first of all, and then run the machine round each fragment. Put them on as they will best cover the flannel, it doesn’t matter how irregular it all is, so long as the flannel is completely covered. It doesn’t look elegant, as you are doing it; that again, is unimportant, as it is all hidden by the silk. If you have not enough gloves for your needs, a few bits of chamois leather will help you out.
Then make up the little undercoat, with the glove-covered flannel as interlining, the kid against the lining, and you will find you have something that keeps out the wind in a way a woollen hug-me-tight could never do. And the glove-lined garment takes up so little room that it does not add to one’s bulk; in addition, it is very light in weight—a great advantage.
The idea is capable of various developments. A velvet stole edged with a little fur could be interlined in the same way. It would be light and warm, and a real comfort on cold days. It is quite surprising how the kid interlining adds to the warmth of a garment.
A chest protector, like the one we illustrate, is invaluable for the girl who has a weak chest, and is out in all weathers. This again is quite easy to make.
In a garment like this, or any large surface, it is as well to run the machine down the material after the pieces are all joined up; this “quilts” it and holds it together.
The back portion is a little longer than the front.