How To: Alter Oven Mitts

Whoever invented some of the oven mitts out there clearly was not thinking of the average hand – especially the average cook’s hand, which I suspect is quite often female.  Considering that I am beyond a head taller than just about everyone in my German class, my hands are also longer.  Still.  My mitts are waaay too large.

My hands flop around in my oven mitts like fish.  And these little fish are getting burned all the time.  I can never manage.  So you know what that means…

My sewing machine was out on the dining table.  It was time to reshape my oven mitts.  Here’s how:

1.  Turn the oven mitt inside out

2.  Make the mitt narrower by bring in the side of the mitt along the length of your pinky finger and hand.  I sewed a line about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the top of the mitt to bottom.  Make sure you back stitch.  If the binding/trim along the opening of the mitt is a little thicker than the rest of the mitt, be warned.  That’s probably too thick for your machine, and the needle will break.

3.  Narrow the area below your thumb.  I just sewed a long, narrow letter “C”.

4.  Try on the mitt (still inside out) to see how it fits.  You may want to bring it in a little more.  Remember, it’s always easier to bring it in than rip your stitches and try again.

5.  Cut off the excess fabric about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) from your new seams.

6.  Turn the mitt right side out and test with something yummy coming from the oven.

I should have done this alteration months ago.  Even Martin’s hands fit better in our “new” mitts from IKEA.

How are your oven mitts looking?  Do you flop around in them, too? Or have you ever noticed?  I’m also curious – what do your oven mitts look like?  Anyone else out there have Basic Blue ala IKEA?  How about something a little cuter or baker tempting?