MASKS OF CONVENIENCE

 

One of the first things I started sewing this year were masks. This project took me out of the paralysis of confinement at home and cancellation of trips, concerts and get-togethers. I was fortunately provisioned at home, being one step ahead of shortages in toilet paper, isopropyl alcohol, aloe vera, flour, face masks and nitrile gloves. However, my husband and I were going through face masks at an alarming rate and they were uncomfortable to wear. I decided to sew a batch of masks that we could wash and wear daily. 

In March, several articles came out on how to make masks. I watched a few YouTube tutorials and they seemed easy enough to make. I found printable templates online and had plenty of fabric remnants from past sewing projects so all I needed was elastic. That was the hard part, since narrow flat elastic bands were sold out in all of the online fabric stores and on Amazon. I finally found a black roll on Etsy, the only one that hadn't sold out. Once all the parts were on hand, I started the assembly line of cutting, marking, and sewing. The first sets of masks were pleated. I had a hard time determining the appropriate length of the elastic to go around the ears. Too short, and the mask popped off. Too long, and the masks drooped. The thin elastic was also uncomfortable when worn too long. 

As I was casting about for a solution to the elastic, I remembered that I had a stretchy roll of black stretch bias tape that I had picked up from SCRAP, our local art material recycling store. I tried it on the masks and it was perfect! Soft, comfortable, fits the ears just right. Another change I made was to the type of mask. Instead of the pleated style, I tried making a single seamed mask. It took slightly less time to make and I liked the feel of it better. Soon I had enough masks and thought I could go on to more interesting projects. I was wrong. One of the consequences of Facebooking about the masks was that people started asking me if they could buy my masks. That was a difficult question to answer. These requests came from readers who didn't own a sewing machine, didn't know friends who could make them masks, and were more or less confined at home because of health risks. By April, my schedule had picked up and I would have to find a way to fit mask-making in with other work. It was impossible to name an affordable  price for the masks since it wasn't money I needed, but time. I have tried to accommodate these requests as best as I could. I recently had to turn a friend down, and felt very guilty for doing so. But Fall is my busy period with gallery work, open studio and other events. My mask-making days are over for now, until at least next year in late January.

MASK RESOURCES FOR THOSE WHO SEW

Simple Mask (I use a stretch bias tape for the ears instead of ties):   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4USPU1Trz4&t=430s

Pleated Mask https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgHrnS6n4iA&t=223s

     

Stretch Bias Tape https://www.etsy.com/listing/816379579/125-black-knit-bias-tape-25-yds-1-14?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=Black+Knit+Bias+Tape&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1&bes=1