Mask making tutorial and general well-being while at home

How many weeks are we now into staying home during this pandemic? have we just finished 5, and now starting week 6?… It’s getting harder to keep track, just like the days of the week. We started by counting in days, then weeks like you do after a baby is born, soon we’ll transition to counting in months, let’s hope we don’t get to years. Either way, I think we’re going to be doing this for a long time, until we have enough testing to know who has immunity and can re-enter society, and who is carrying the virus without symptoms. Unfortunately, the people ignoring present recommendations are just going to prolong things by continuing to spread the virus and infect more people.

As far as staying home, I’m actually an introvert who has learned the skills to play the part of an extrovert, so for me, I haven’t really minded staying home. I have so many things on my todo list, with need to’s and want to’s, that I have no fear of getting bored or running out of stuff to do. Life has been so busy for the last 10 years while I’ve been trying to eek out a living as a traveling teacher, that I’m kind of enjoying staying home with a bit more time to relax, read, write blog posts, and create.

Of course I miss seeing my family and friends in person, but I’m actually spending more time connecting with a whole lot of them (via zoom) than I normally do in a year, so I don’t feel that lonely either.

I am concerned about getting through this financially, since my income comes from teaching people with in person workshops. I’m not a big of fan of online teaching, but I may succumb to that. In the meantime, I hope to supplement my vanishing income by selling stuff in my shop. BTW if there’s a thermofax screen your interested in that’s out of stock, I’m in the process of restocking the designs that I sold out of on my trip.

As I’ve mentioned before, I also work part time in the Sacramento City College makerspace, and I’m so proud our student employees who are working with the local Hacker lab to make #opshieldsup masks for healthcare workers using 3-d printing and laser cutters.

To do my part in the makerspace, I’ve been in charge of fabric mask making. Before starting, I did a lot of research; reading about what kinds of fabrics were recommended, (tightly woven cottons and non-wovens), doing searches for all the different pattern designs, watching videos on youtube, and looking at the kinds of masks friends were making. Kristin La Flamme posted and reviewed a lot of mask designs on Instagram that were really helpful to read. I paid attention to which masks looked too labor/time intensive and which ones had the best fit. I considered whether to incorporate filter material (like interfacing), adding a filter pocket, or just sticking with 2 layers of tightly woven fabric. I looked at options of using elastic (if I could find it), bias tape (to buy it or make it) or using t-shirt fabric for ties. I considered whether the ties should go behind the ears or behind the head, and which way would be most comfortable for extended wear, and if I should make four separate ties, two for the ears or one long tie.

During this time Gloria Hansen put together an excellent resource website SewToStop.org where you can find links to patterns, tutorials and info all in one place.

My son, who’s a chemist, just sent me this interesting article from the American Chemical Society about layering a polyester chiffon or silk with a tightly woven cotton fabric to get an equivalent particle filtration of an N95 mask. So there’s something new to consider.

Ultimately, I ended up drawing my own pattern that went through about 6 iterations, before I was happy with the fit and design. I decided I preferred the fit of the curved front seam over the pleated sides, or boxy shape that some designs have, and I wanted the top to cover the bridge of the nose and wrap under the chin for the most coverage and protection.

The first mask I made had two sets of ties to go behind the head, which I read is more comfortable than elastic behind the ears, but when Phil tied his mask on, he had a hard time reaching up behind his head to tie it while also holding the mask in place.

So I changed the design to have a casing with one long t-shirt tie threaded through both sides, so it loops behind the head and ties at the neck. The benefit being the loop behind the head holds the mask in place while you tug the cords to tighten it before securing at the back of the neck.

Since then, I’ve made 60+ masks for family, friends and co-workers, and have another big batch of masks in the works now. I find making them in assembly line fashion is the most efficient way to do a lot.

Last week I put together a step-by-step tutorial for the makerspace and thought I’d share it here as well for anyone who wants to use it. I think we’re going to be wearing masks a long time, and will need to have a couple extra on hand at all times, so why not make a few with your favorite fabrics.

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DIY Coronavirus mask

At the end of this tutorial you’ll find the link to the pattern and 4 pages of instructions with these photos in one pdf to download.

Print the pattern to desired size; 100% for a smaller women’s size mask or up to 115% for a larger men’s size. 

Fold fabric in half with right sides together.  Pin pattern to fabric and cut 2 pieces of fabric for the outside of the mask, and 2 pieces from contrasting fabric for the inside of the mask.

Using two contrasting fabrics to make masks will help distinguish front and back more easily and give you another optional colored fabric to wear on the outside if you want to make it reversible.

With right sides together, sew with a 1/4” seam allowance along front curve on outside mask fabric, then repeat for inside mask fabric.

On inside and outside mask fabrics, clip seam allowance along curved front seam, being careful not to cut the stitching line. This helps the finished curved seam lie flat when turned right side out.

Turn front and back of mask pieces right side out, with top (nose) of mask on the right. Open fabric and press seam allowances away from you in the same direction on both pieces. This will allow the seam allowances to lay on opposite sides of the center seam when sewn together so that it lays flatter.

Place fabric right sides together, matching center seam at nose, and pin in place, do the same where the chin seams meet. 

Optional: If you want to add a 3rd layer for a filter pocket, stack fabric layers in this order before sewing.

Tip: skip the turned hem edge on the filter pocket fabric, by lining up the pattern along the selvedge. When you do that be sure to move the pattern over 1/2″ to eliminate the excess fabric needed for a turned hem.

Stitch layers together

Line up sides of fabric, and stitch from one side to the other with a 1/4” seam allowance along the top and bottom edges of the mask.

Clip along curved seams along the top edge of mask, and at slight curved area on the bottom edge of the mask. This will help the seams lie flat and not stretch or buckle when the mask is turned right side out.

To turn mask right side out, I find it easiest to pull the front seams away from each other,

then push the side closest to you through the middle and out the opening on the other side. Once right side out, pull fabric at seams to spread seams open to flatten.

Before pressing seams with an iron, it helps to finger press them by pinching the fabric flat between your fingers at the seams, or running a fingernail, or the pad of your finger firmly over the seams on a hard surface to flatten them.  (I’ll do this on a whole stack of masks while watching tv, it makes ironing go much faster, without burning any fingertips)

Press seams along the edges of the mask so they lay flat. Turn the mask up on its side to press the center seam flat at the chin and nose.

On both side openings of the mask, turn the raw edge to the inside 1/4” and press.

To form the tie casings, fold over the outer edge 3/4” to the inside back. Stitch in place approximately 1/8” away from the turned under edge.

Follow this tutorial to make a ball of t-shirt yarn to use for cording,

After you have a long strip of 1” wide t-shirt fabric, pull on the end of the fabric to make it curl into a cord. Cut a 40” long piece to use for the tie. 

With the mask laying down, nose side up, thread one end of the cord down through each side casing. Tie a knot at each end of the cord.

Wear mask with top loop of the cord behind the head, tug loose ends of the cord to tighten, then tie behind the neck.

Optional: Ear Loops

The long cord mask that ties behind the neck is the most comfortable mask to wear for extended periods of time. It also does not slide down the nose when talking the way masks with ear loops tend to do. Having ear loops does make a mask easier to take on and off though, and sometimes that’s what you need.

To make ear loops, cut a 7″ long cord from t-shirt fabric, thread the cord through the casing and tie a square knot in the ends. Pull the knot inside the casing. 

Update: Adding a nose wire

I sent my son a mask last week, and he said it didn’t fit him and he asked if I could make one with a nose wire. He has a very narrow face and the men’s masks I sent him was made from the pattern printed at 115% which turns out to be too big for his face shape. So I printed one at 105% and another at 108% to to see which one might be a better for him.

While I was cutting pieces of fabric on bias to make a channel to sew on for a wire I had an idea for a much easier way to do it, and thought I’d share it with you here.

To add a nose wire, place filter fabric right-side up on top of the inside mask fabric (also right-side up). 

With a 3/4” seam allowance, sew across both layers along the top (nose side) of the fabric.

Place front of mask and back of mask right sides together and follow previous instructions for mask construction.

After mask is finished, cut pipe cleaner long enough to extend beyond casing for easy removal. To avoid sharp edges, bend ends of pipe cleaner inward. 

Remove pipe cleaner when washing masks.

Here’s a tip for an optional filter material if you don’t have a filter to put in your mask. Through testing they have found blue shop towels (the kinds mechanics use) to be highly rated for filtration, and they can be washed and reused multiple times. So you can cut a square of shop towel to fit inside the pocket of your mask and have close to an N95 filter efficiency.

This PDF version of the mask instructions has been updated with the information for adding a nose wire.

Keep creating,

Judy

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I’d love to spark your creativity at one of these upcoming events:

I’m not sure how many of these events will take place due to impact of the corona virus, but I’ll post cancellations and updates as they occur.

2020

May 27-31 Woodland Ridge Retreat, Menomonie, WI
Tea & Ephemera and Painting Imagery with Textile Paints

Australia!!! Cancelled

Berry, AU- June 27, 28 Berry Quilting Retreat 2 day Tea & Ephemera

Adelaide, AU- July 2, South Australia Quilters Guild Lecture

July 3, 4 Exhibition with the South Australia Quilters

July 10-16 Quilt Encounter 3-day Paint & Printapalooza, 2 day Tea & Ephemera

Brisbane, AU- July 18, 19 Queensland Quilters 2 day Tea & Ephemera

August 11-13 Calico Cutters, West Chester, PA
Tsukineko Inks and Tea & Ephemera Zoom lecture instead

August 31 Color Theory lecture Pioneer Quilters Guild, Loomis, CA

September 26 River City Quilt and Fiber Art Festival, Sacramento, CA Tea & Ephemera

October 18-24 Hudson Valley Quilt Retreat, Greenville, NY
Paint and Printapalooza

ABOUT JUDY
Judy is an artist, explorer, image wrangler, knowledge seeker, instructor, speaker, creative alchemist, and purveyor of inspiration, helping others channel creativity on a daily basis.