Everybody’s Talking Sewing

Since I had some of the illusion netting left over from making the body loofah - and I do so hate wasting perfectly good materials - I added a mitten loofah to the collection.

Your Mitten

Trace around your hand on tissue or tracing paper. Add at least an extra 1″ all the way around your hand when you do this. I use paper when need to trace or transfer markings. You can get it on a roll very cheaply and it lasts forever.

Pin your pattern to at least 8-layers of illusion netting. This will give you 4-layers per side for your mitten.

Set your sewing machine for a 2.5 straight stitch, and sew along your traced pattern line through the netting. Take a couple of extra stitches at the junction of the thumb so that it’s not a V - more like a U-shape; it will lay nicer this way when you turn it.

Tear off all the tracing paper; the close straight-stitches will make it easy to remove.

Trim your edge to 1/4″ to 3/8″ wide - trim carefully at the V/U of the thumb area.

Clip the V/U at the thumb junction, and turn the mitten right side out. Pin all round to hold the mitten flat.

Sew about 1/8″ all round the outside edge of the mitten.  (Yes that is one of those Plexiglas sewing tables. They’re from DreamWorld - I’ve had four custom tables for my different sewing machines; I can’t imagine not using one, they’re that terrific).

After you’ve clipped threads and removed all the pins, we’ll finish the bottom edge. Turn up the open end about 1/2″, and pin securely. I used a 3.5 width x 1.5 length zig-zag stitch to sew this turned-under edge into place. You might want to run a simple straight stitch along this open end before turning it under if you’re having problems with the different layers of illusion netting behaving themselves.

TA-DA!  One handy-dandy mitten loofah custom made just for you - by you.  Just like the body loofah, the mitten is gentle, dries fast and is fully washable. You might want to add a loop to it for hanging…. you’re bound to have a little netting left over!

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“I’m trying to sew balls for my son to juggle with, and have tried using stretch fabric - the seams hold, but the fabric begins to shred at the seams, and the birdseed falls out. What needle should I try? Would denim work better? Any other fabric suggestions?”  — Thanks

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Hi there - about 7-years ago I too, made juggling balls!

The fabric I ended up using was a heavy weight cotton-blend; think of a very heavy  muslin fabric. I made the shape a 4″ x 3″ rectangle, though in hindsight I should have made it 5-inches to allow a bit more room for filling.

My seams were all straight stitched with a very small straight stitch, and zig-zag stitched. I figured over-kill would be better then skimping on those seams as they were going to take a lot of abuse.

To fill the juggling balls I used split peas. The cats has great fun chasing the mess I made all over the kitchen floor. The open-end I filled from was hand slip-stitched closed - and then machine straight stitched too.  I just pinched the seam area and sewed an 1/8″ edge.

You might consider making an inner pouch to fill with your birdseed or split peas out of  tulle - closed securely, and then put into the larger pouch. This way if some of the outside seams do give, the inside should still be okay.

Good luck to your son and his new juggling career.

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