Merry Mittens

Velvet Embossed Mittens

It's easy to emboss a swirl or other design onto the fabric before making these elegant mittens.

These mittens add sparkle to a wintry day.

• Tracing paper and pencil
• Fusible web paper; scissors
• 1/2 yard velvet mitten fabric
• 1/2 yard lining fabric
• Two 6-1/2x6-1/2-inch pieces of fleece (for cuffs)
• 20 inches of 1/4-inch-wide elastic
• Stamp for fabric embossing
• Press cloth
• Iron and ironing board
• 60 small rhinestones for mittens
• 32 large rhinestones for cuffs
• Fabric/jewel glue

1. Download the pattern. Download requries free Adobe Acrobat software. Enlarge the pattern if necessary so that 1 square equals 1 inch, and trace onto fusible web paper. Cut out pattern.

2. Cut shapes from mitten and lining fabrics (reversing the shapes for the opposite mitten).

3. Emboss velvet. Work on a hard, protected surface. Turn the stamp upside down. Place the mitten front right side down on the stamp. Place slightly damp press cloth on fabric and press with medium hot iron (no steam) for 20 seconds. DO NOT slide the iron or rock it as this may distort the embossing. Test the fabric before beginning with mitten pieces.

4. Stitch mitten seams with right sides together, using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Stitch the thumb gusset around the curved edge from A to B. Stitch the inner seam of thumb and palm, tapering to a point at A. Cut the elastic in half. Machine-zigzag over the elastic stretched on the wrong side of the palm/thumb, 3 inches down from the top edge. Trim the excess elastic. Stitch mitten palm to back, along side and finger curve. Turn right side out.

5. Stitch lining. Repeat step 3 for the lining, leaving an opening for turning in side seam.

6. Stitch cuffs. Stitch ends of each cuff together. Press seams open. Fold cuff in half with wrong sides facing and matching raw edges.

7. Attach mitten and cuff. Ease-stitch along the top edge of the cuff and baste to the mitten.

8. Assemble mitten. Slip mitten into lining, matching side seams and thumb. Stitch top edge. Slip-stitch opening in lining closed. Tuck the lining into mitten and turn cuff down.

9. Add rhinestones. Decorate mittens with rhinestone details as desired.