My shirt was a cotton woven plaid like the kind my husband wears to hunt camp. I had that on over top of a pair of bib overalls and a turtleneck under the bib overalls. The oversized plaid shirt had singed edges of where the glass burned through. I too have heard that cotton is better than polyester as polyester just melts, but honestly neither fabric would have protected me at that time.
Neither my husband nor I could believe that I could have gotten that serious of a burn without knowing it. The plastic surgeon said that I didn't feel the burn or the pain that you would have expected because it immediately singed the nerve endings. But no kidding, when it started to heal, I felt it!!! At the time of the burn, I had had more pain from the small burns you get when the glass pops.
I too have heard that cotton is better than polyester as polyester just melts, but honestly neither fabric would have protected me at that time. I was astonished when I saw how the molten glass just rolled off the leather like a bead of water would off an oiled surface. There are many sources for leather. I had purchased a full cow sized leather piece for the purpose of making some purses. I purchased it from craigslist, but there are many other sources of leather. If you know someone who hunts, a farmer, a taxidermist, a butcher, classified ads, etc., where you can inquire about purchasing leather and/or a hide. If you cannot find any, let me know as I might be able to help find leather enough for an apron. I know some lampworking supply sources sell leather aprons. A lot of professions use them such as carpenters, cobblers, etc.
I wish (??? maybe) that I had taken pictures so you could see that I'm not just exaggerating the amount of damage that happened in just a split second. But then again, I would have to post a warning so no one got sick looking at them.
I only posted this to remind us all how important it is to protect every part of our bodies at all times. God bless you all.
Marge
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