There are a number of jokes starting to buzz around the internet about Spring and Summer Fashion in the Year 2020. According to these reports, the trendiest new accessory on the market is the COVID-19 Safety Mask. In times of gravitas, sometimes it’s nice to lighten the mood with a few jokes, and smile a bit.
However, the fact that people are currently finding themselves in need of a Safety Mask for protection is quite serious. According to the CDC, wearing a safety mask helps to stop the spread of the virus. It is for this reason that I have pulled together a variety of resources related to sewing Masks to help protect ourselves, our loved ones, and friends during this time.
Should anyone wish to gather via Zoom for a Sewing Circle, and/or consider taking up the project of Sewing Masks as a Social Action project, please do reach out to Lily Walker at dlre@uusalem.org. The project of sewing masks for our Spring and Summer 2020 fashion is serious, but there also might be some fun to be had in the doing of it!
With well-wishes, and Joy!
Lily Walker, DLRE
Resource 1:
The New York Times does a good job in this article at informing the public about the best materials to use in the construction of COVID-19 Safety Masks. HEPA filters; materials with heavy thread counts like high thread count sheets and pillowcases, and flannel all scored well. The article also mentions that the more layers of fabric included in the construction of the mask, the better the filtration.
Resource 2:
Homemade on our Homestead has crated a series of YouTube Videos related to the construction of COVID-19 Safety Masks. This channel has been created by a Nurse who is also gifted with creative sewing talents. My mom and I both really like this mask design. It is a wrap-around design with ties that appear to be really comfortable, and also create the snug-fit needed to properly filter out pathogens.
This follow-up video addresses adding a pipe-cleaner to the nose portion for a better fit.
Resource 3:
This article written by Diane Vuković of Primal Survivor teaches viewers how to make a COVID-19 Safety mask using a HEPA vacuum bag filter. This article provides good information on using HEPA filters as protection against a virus, and inculdes both sewing instructions and a pattern.
Resource 4:
This pattern and instructional video produced by Riley Blake Designs is for the Quilters in the group, or anyone looking to make really cute masks for themselves and their loved ones (read: grandchildren!). This pattern includes pleats, piping and a replaceable filter pocket. I love the option of adding contrasting fabric to create the piping, and plan on inserting quilter’s batting in my own production of this mask for added filtration.
instructional video:
pattern:
Resource 5:
This article by Polkadot Chair has pulled together Seven Mask Patterns with Tutorials for anyone who might be interested in seeing additional designs.
7 Mask Patterns with links to tutorials:
