Make Fleece Leg, Glove,Neck Warmers and Glove Liners by Hand or Machine

I walk my dogs 3 miles every morning before day break. I needed to find a way to keep warm when the temperature drops below 20 degrees and the wind makes it feel even colder.  I started making neck warmers.  They are very warm and you can pull the fleece up around your chin to protect you face. 

Next  I made leg warmers.  These are great for walking and they also keep my legs toasty warm when I'm inside. 

Finally, I could never keep my hands warm.  I use 2 retractable leashes, carry a cup of coffee, flashlight and tissues.  If I wore very thick gloves or 2 pairs of gloves,  I couldn't snap the dogs on the leash, clean up after my dogs or blow my nose without taking my gloves off.  I came up with the idea of glove liners that are made to cover the palm of my hand. They keep my hand warm and my fingers are still flexibile enough to handle the leashes, coffee and flashlight.

However,  my fingers were still cold.  I made the open ended glove warmers to fit OVER my gloves.  They have a plastic newspaper bag between the two layers of fleece to make them windproof.  They can hang down to fit over my hand while holding the leash or I can scrunch them up if I need to use my hands to pick up after the dogs.  I can remove the plastic bags when there is no wind or it's not that cold. 

All of these items are very easy to make from only 1 yard of polar fleece fabric using either a sewing machine or by hand sewing. They are washable and last forever.   

For this instructable I used bright pink fleece and black thread so that the stitching is easy to see.

1 yard, 60 inch wide polar fleece

scissors

measuring tape

sewing machine or needle and thread

1 1/4 yards (approximately 41 inches) of  1/2 inch wide elastic

paper for making patterns ( I like old wrapping paper)  or washable fabric marker

plastic bread wrapper or plastic newspaper bag

straight pins

winter gloves

large safety pin

1. Get measurements

1 a)for the neck warmer - take the tape measure, measure around your head over the eyebrows and write this measurement down.

1 b)for the glove warmer - put on the glove and measure around your hand at the widest point- around the base of the thumb and fingers and write this measurement down.

1 c) for the glove liner - measure the same area as 1b) with the glove off and write it down.

The leg warmers are going be 16" wide  and 22 " length and you will need 2 of these

The glove warmers are going to be the measurement you  wrote down in step 1b plus 2" for the width and   a 24 " length . 

Example: for a measurement of 10" you would need a piece 12" wide and 24" in length and you will need 2 of these

The neck warmer is going to be the measurement you wrote down in step 1a minus 1"  for the width and 14" long.

Example: for a measurement of 22" you would need a piece 21' wide and 14" in length and you need only 1 of this.

The glove liners are going to be the measurement you  wrote down in step 1c minus 1" for the width and  12 " length     

Example: for a measurement of 9" you would need a piece 8" wide and 12" in length and you will need 2 of these

3 a). Cut the pattern pieces from paper,  place the folded fabric on a flat surface and pin them to the fabric.  If you are use to working with fabric,  you can skip cutting the pattern pieces  and  mark the pattern directly on the fabric  with a washable fabric marker.

3 b) Cut all the pieces

3c).  Cut down the centerfold of the leg warmers to make 2 pieces.  DO NOT CUT CENTERFOLD of the NECK Warmer

4 a)  remove patterns and place a pin on each separate piece to mark the wrong side.

 4 b) fold all 7  pieces in half on the  length of fabric, right side of fabric facing in, and pin seams together

4c) Set sewing machine to zigzag with the widest and longest stitch possible. 
Stitch seams so that when the needle comes down on the right side, it does not stitch the fabric.  
Do this for all seams.

Repeat so that all seams are double stitched. 

Make sure beginning and end of seams have been stitched over several times to reinforce seams.

Note: If hand sewing, double thread the needle and stitch overedge.  Repeat making an 'X' pattern on the second stitching.

4 d) When done with the sewing, gently pull on each side of the seams so that the fabric lies flat.  This is especially important for the glove liners because a regular seam is very uncomfortable.  Fix any of the seams where you may have missed a stitch.

fold the neck warmer in half and you are done

 6 a)  Make casing for elastic: fold the bottom of each leg warmer up 3/4 inch and pin.  Stitch around edge with zigzag stitch (or  X stitch if hand sewing), leaving  a  1 inch opening for the elastic.

6 b) Cut 2 pieces of  elastic 12 inches long  for the  leg warmers.

6c) attach safety pin to end of elastic and insert elastic into casing. Secure ends of elastic together.

6 d)    Stitch  opening closed.

6 e) to prevent the elastic from rolling,  stitch  through casing and elastic at 2 points  opposite each other.

6 f)  repeat steps 6 a) through 6 e) for the other leg warmer

Your leg warmers are ready to wear.  Note:  I made these leg warmers very wide so they will scrunch up around your ankles and trap the heat.

7 a)  Follow all steps for leg warmers except use 8 1/2 inches of elastic for each casing.

7 b)  Take your bread wrapper or newspaper wrapper  and cut the end off.  Fold in half and cut so that you have 2 tubes.  These are going to be used to make your glove warmers windproof.

7 c) place one tube around the glover warmer about 4 " from the elastic casing.  Now fold the bottom of the glover warmer up, over the plastic bag  so that the plastic is layered in between the layers of fleece.

7 d) repeat for the other glove warmer

Optional buttons: Cut a small slit lengthwise for a button hole and sew on buttons.  You can use this pouch to hold keys, tissues, etc.  

Your glove warmers are done! 
 

8 a) for  the left hand -lay glove liner on a flat surface folded with stitching going down the center, stitched side facing down.

 8 b)On the right hand side fold , 1 " down from the edge cut a small  +  for your pinky to fit thru.

On the opposite  side fold ,  1 3/4 "  down from the edge and 3/4" in from the fold,  cut another  +  for your thumb.   Adjust the cuts so the holes are large enough to fit  your thumb and pinky comfortably.

 

8 c) for the right hand glove liner,  lay glove liner on a flat surface folded with stitching going down the center, stitched side facing down.

8 d) on the left hand side fold, 1 " down from the edge cut a small  +  for your pinky to fit thru On the opposite  side fold ,  1 3/4 "  down from the edge and 3/4" in from the fold,  cut another  +  for your thumb.   Adjust the cuts so the holes are large enough to fit  your thumb and pinky comfortably.

You have completed all 7 pieces and now you are ready for the cold weather.