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| Fabric Face Masks: My First Two Attempts |
On Friday, I tried my hand at making fabric face masks. We have been asked to cover our faces (or, at least, our nose and mouth) whenever we go out, even if it is with a folded up bandana. These face coverings will NOT keep out any Covid-19 viruses, however, they will keep our own saliva and mucus droplets from being projected out and we are going by the idea of something being better than nothing. There are several tutorials online; I made these after watching a couple of them, using two pieces of cotton fabric, that are 6 inches by 9 inches, sewn together (top) or using a single 6 inch by 18 inch piece of fabric, folded (bottom). I initially used two 7 inches long pieces of elastic, which turned out to be too loose for me. Then, I cut them down to 5 inches and that was a bit too tight. Eventually, 6 inches turned out to be just right for me. Rather than waste elastic (I only have a remnant piece of the 1/4 inch wide elastic), I pieced and patched the ones that I cut for the navy blue mask. These are my prototypes, I guess, and I will use them for when I do gardening, etc., due to allergies and asthma, as I am trying not to go out in public.
However, this morning, friend S (who works at the grocery store) called me to ask me a question about her sewing machine (sounded like her tension was set too tightly) and I found out that she was trying to sew some masks. So, I told her that I will sew her some masks. Friend R has requested some for herself, too. I'll make as many as I can for the amount of elastic I have. Once I run out of the 1/4 inch elastic, I shall try cutting a wider elastic in strips to see if that will work.
In other news, M came to tend to the garden, yesterday, and he brought me a container of raspberries he had bought earlier in the day. I gave him $5 and asked him to buy me some bananas the next time he went to the grocery store. At first he refused to take the money, but, I insisted. He said he will bring me the bananas in the morning.
Later in the evening, however, there was a knock at my front door and I thought it might be M with the bananas! Instead, it was cousin P with a bunch of bananas for me! Apparently, I had mentioned to her, during one of our phone calls, that I was out of bananas and she remembered that when she and her daughter went grocery shopping, yesterday! So, she bought me a bunch of bananas! I have been telling her she shouldn't grocery shop, but, nevertheless, I was very grateful that she brought me bananas! Of course, I immediately texted M and told him not to bring me any bananas because I have been given some by my cousin. He offered to bring the $5 back in the morning, but, I told him to keep it, that I might ask him to buy me something else next week. Maybe more bananas, later on! I am supposed to eat bananas regularly due to a need for more potassium.
On Friday, I was grateful for:
- Cousin P blessing me with bananas
- M blessing me with raspberries
- Being able to walk around the garden and do some weeding
- My fabric stash and online tutorials
- Being able to sew
Plans for today (Saturday) includes sewing a few more masks!
How was your Friday? What are your plans for Saturday? Have you sewn any fabric masks?
I still have masks bought during home renovations.
ReplyDeleteIt’s so nice of you to make masks for your friends.
Nil, I am glad you have some masks from earlier. I have about 4 left from the box bought during chemo treatments! There were 6, but, I gave 2 to my daughter when she went back.
DeleteI made 6 masks for S and washed them. I wanted to take them to her, but, she said she'll come and pick them up; she didn't want me driving around.
Funny you should ask about the masks. I am in the process of making some right now. I am using double fabric with an air filter lining. These are unsettling times.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you are making some too, Anne. Mine are double fabric, but, no filter lining. Still, something is better than nothing, I guess.
DeleteI'm not sure what I'm going to do about the mask. I don't have any, can't sew at all and can't buy any. I do have a really light scarf that I usually use in high summer when there are black flies out that seem to like my hair so I might use that if I have to. I haven't been around many people at all and don't plan to be so I might just do that.
ReplyDeleteSharon, there are some no-sew face mask tutorials, online, using hot glue to hold the fabric in place. Maybe you can make a mask that way. A scarf folded up could also work.
DeleteHow nice you got your bananas (now I have that irritating "Yes, We Have No Bananas" song stuck in my head) ... you have kind friends, but I know you are known for kind deeds in return-
ReplyDeleteI saw a pattern for a face mask using ties rather than elastic ... will add it at the end of this-I once tried cutting elastic lengthwise to make it narrower for use ... you may have better success than I did, but mine was less than an ideal solution-
We are having more rain ... and a very cranky Baby Jamie as a result- she is far happier when she can have frequent outings where her yard toys can keep her active and entertained-
Take care ... and fondest thoughts-
Barb
https://www.deaconess.com/How-to-make-a-Face-Mask/Documents-Mask/How-to-Make-an-Adult-Surgical-Mask-with-Ties-3-26
Ha, ha, I sang that song to my daughter, last night, when I called to tell her about the bananas! :D I might have changed the words to reflect that fact that, yes, I had some bananas! :D
DeleteThank you for the link to the face mask using ties. I was able to make 6 masks with elastic, today. I might make others with ties, over the next few days, so my friend can distribute them to her co-workers. I think they will be a better solution than cutting the elastic, because I've a feeling the elastic will fray.
Oh, poor Baby Jamie. Poor mom and grandma, too! A cranky baby can make everyone feel a bit fretful. We, too, have been promised more rain in the forecast! We might have a cranky Bless on our hands if it rains for four days straight as they say it might! LOL! Take care and stay home!
We haven't been asked to wear face covering over here, just to keep 2 metres away from others. I hope it's not something we are asked to do as the thought of wearing one fills me with horror - I had to wear one at work at one time and it made me feel claustrophobic!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have some bananas now, that was so kind of your cousin to bring some to you.
We were asked to do so only late last week. I guess not everyone is observing the request to maintain 6 feet of distancing and because, new evidence is suggesting that droplets can travel further than 6 feet under lab conditions. The fabric masks won't keep out Covid 19 viruses, but they are meant to "keep in" your own germs. They are to be worn only when going out, so, as long as you stay at home, you won't need to wear one.
DeleteI am very grateful to have been given the bananas by my cousin.
We've been given conflicting information about the wearing of masks here, so I'm unsure what to do for the best. It's very kind of you to make some for your friends. X
ReplyDeleteJules, if you can wear one when you go out grocery shopping, etc., it's probably a good idea. These homemade masks won't keep out the covid 19 virus, but, they help to protect the general public from catching another person's cold or cough.
DeleteI ha ve also been thinking about facial masks, I have been phoning elderly neighours (70plus)who are extremely anxious a mask might make them less anxious and I do have some elastic about 3 metres! It was for a project I never got around to. My next door neighbour can put them in their letterbox, she works in a rest home and told me while she wears a mask, the resident dont so I make some for them as well.
ReplyDeleteBananas, yum I havent had any since the lock down, sigh.
Sharon, if you are able to make some masks that can be given to your elderly neighbors, that would be a great thing, I think. The bananas were very welcome and I have been enjoying them. :)
DeleteI haven't made any masks, but probably will soon since we're supposed to be wearing them when we go out. After your trial and error, I'll start with 6" elastic and take it from there.
ReplyDeleteYes, 6" seems to be the right length for me and that's the length I used for the ones I made afterwards to give to my friend. Hope that length works for you, too.
DeleteThat is so good that you were able to give your friend S masks for her to wear while working. And so nice that you are making more for her coworkers.
ReplyDeleteI think about the grocery store workers and the how many people they come in contact with while working.
I'm glad you are doing what you can to help them stay a little bit safer.
And, yes! You got bananas. :)
I'm glad I can do something to help S and her coworkers, Debra. It might not be much, but, it's something.
DeleteYes! I have bananas! :D
I haven't made any masks but may think about it in case the local supermarket decides to require them next time I have to shop. I may just go with a pre-ordered pickup, though. We do have one mask in the workshop still I believe. Living out in the country we are not at so much risk as long as we stay at home but it does not do to become complacent.
ReplyDeleteDH and I bottled over 17 litres of syrup yesterday all by ourselves. We missed the other ladies and the chitchat but we got the deed done. There will be a smaller batch soon and then that will be it as the sap has stopped running. It is a short season like last year.
That's a lot of syrup to bottle by yourselves! Now, we need some pancakes and waffles or cornbread to go with that syrup! Yum! Wish I lived closer so I could beg a bottle of syrup from you!
DeleteDoing a grocery pickup sounds like a good idea, but, have a mask with you, just in case you need it. I made 4 more, today, with fabric strips to tie with, instead of elastic, as I used up all the thin elastic that I had.
Our township is offering free delivery of groceries (up to 20 items at a time). Although I still won't need anything for another week, I will probably place an order sometime later this week, in order to start building up a more varied selection in my pantry/freezer. I still have lots of meat, but the time will come soon enough when there will only be porkchops. I am also hoping there are frozen veggies available because cabbage could get tiresome if that is the only veggie that is left. Ha,ha.
ReplyDeleteYes, it will be hard to decide what to have for dinner if all you have are pork chops and cabbage! You'll have to decide if you want cabbage with your pork chop or do you want a pork chop with your cabbage? I hope you can get some groceries delivered. My daughter has decided to do that, herself, and placed an order, this morning. The original stay at home order was for 3 weeks and she stocked up for more than 3 weeks on a lot of things, but, that stay at home order has been extended till the end of this month and who knows what will happen then? So, she decided to place an order for some groceries, including sugar, as she was coming to the end of her stock of sugar.
DeleteI don't sew, even though I have had my mother-in-law's machine for several years now, and swore I'd find the time to fiddle with it. Anyway, I found a video on YouTube on how to make one from a bandana and hair ties, so that is my plan. I may even go so far as to add a piece of HEPA vacuum filter in the middle. But I only plan on going to the grocery once every two weeks, so it should suffice and I'll have plenty of time to wash it in between.
ReplyDeleteSusanne, yes, there are tutorials on how to make no-sew face masks, with bandanas or T-shirts. Or, you can hot glue the fabric (fabric hot glue was recommended, but, even regular hot glue would work).
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