Sewing Gloves with Stretchy Fabric

Sewing gloves can be a real pain. I hated doing it (still do actually, but not so much anymore). Gloves need to have a very narrow seam allowance; otherwise you're glove will be lumpy due to the extra fabric. Gloves are typically sewn with a 1/8th seam allowance. It's a nightmare to try to sew that close to the edge without the fabric getting stuck in your machine. So, I'm going to go over a simple way to make a pair of gloves using stretchy fabric. I suggest you use a 4 way stretch fabric when doing gloves but if you have the absolute perfect color fabric and it's only a two way (or even one way) stretch, it'll still work. You might just have to adjust your pattern a bit.

Step one:
Make the pattern! Lay your hand/arm down on paper and spread your fingers slightly (but not to much). Trace an outline of your hand and arm (to your desired length).

Step two:
Transfer to your fabric. Cut a general shape of the whole glove out of your fabric. Instead of cutting each finger and attempting to do a narrow seam, you're going to mark your fabric with chalk, pen, or whatever you use to mark your fabric with (I personally use the disappearing ink pens). Sorry, I forgot to get a picture of this step but you can see my lines in the photos for the next step!

Step three:
Sew!! Sew the glove together by sewing directly on your markings (adjusting where needed). Make sure you leave a very small gap between each finger so you can cut it safely. I also use a smaller stitch length for this. You're fingers will have much nicer curves this way. Take your time and stitch slowly! You want to make sure your stitches are straight and smooth since gloves are form fitting. Otherwise you'll see any imperfections on the outside.

 

 

Step Four:

Try it on! I always put the glove on and wiggle my fingers as much as I can to see if I need to adjust any seams at all.

 

Step Five:

Cut the glove out! Trim the extra fabric down as closely (and safely) to the seam as possible.



Step Six:
Depending on the type of fabric you used, you can choose to hem the end of your glove. Most knits/stretchy fabrics don't fray so its not necessary but it does give it a more professional touch. All that's left is to turn it inside out and have fun!

 

 

I hope this helps some of you with making gloves for your cosplays! I know how hard it is to find the right colored gloves to match your outfit. Thanks for stopping by!

 

~Serenity