Face Mask Sewing
How many people have sewn face masks? If you haven't yet, you'll find a plethora of different patterns. There are free and paid ones, some that use elastic, some that don't, some that have a fit mechanism. How do you know which one works? Well, I'm not sure how to answer that. I saw Dora from Orange Dot Quilts post about her free face mask pattern. I really liked the coverage of the pattern, but I didn't have any elastic.
Photo Courtesy of Orange Dot Quilts
You can pick up a PDF of the pattern for yourself here.
I made a face mask with Art Gallery fabrics since the fabric is really tightly woven. I would have used my Island Batiks but I didn't have any that was washed at the correct size. Batik fabrics are also really tightly woven and would make good masks.
Again, these masks do not replace the medical-grade masks but they are helpful for you to not spread the virus to others if you are asymptomatic!
I did not put anything in the nose part to shape the mask. The pattern calls for a flat piece of aluminum, but I didn't have any. I didn't notice anything about the mask not fitting well, but I have a flat nose so I didn't have a big gap. My husband tried the mask out and he definitely needed something to shape the mask around his nose. I've seen others use pipe cleaners (which I don't have) and then my sister suggests floral wire. Luckily for me I had some floral wire leftover from when I made paper flowers for my wedding... 5 years ago. I'm a craft supplies hoarder, but in this case, it definitely paid off! I ended up making 7 masks, 2 with floral wire and 5 without. I think I really like the mask because I don't find the need to adjust the mask after I put it on.
The first mask I made took me an hour to figure everything out. After that, I made the masks in sets of 2 that took me about an hour to make each set. I made binding strips with a width of fabric for each of the straps. I used the 1" Clover bias tape maker to make the double bias tape and it worked out great. If you need help, you can watch the video of my Twitch stream here until April 19 when the video goes away.
Which face mask pattern are you using? Love it?
If you want to hang out with me and sew a bag, this Saturday is Bag Day!!! I'll be making the McKensie Bag on Twitch starting at 8am Mountain time. You can get the pattern here. Don't forget to follow me on Twitch to get a notification for when I go live!
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I’ve made a few of the pleated masks. Not my favorite sewing for obvious reasons, but simple enough. I’m almost out of elastic, so pondering whether to go with ties and make more, or just stop where I’m at.
Hi Sherry…my sewing machine is not working well…so we made our masks using bandanas and pony tail binders…good enough for the very few times we have to go out. Hope you two stay safe…and healthy! Jane and Greg
I chose to make the Craft Passion pattern and found that a twist tie works pretty well for shaping around my nose (which I really need or I’ll fog up my glasses). I’ve made a few masks for loved ones, but I probably won’t be a production house for them. Then again, I never thought I’d make one in the first place. Be well!
Hi, on your video you mentioned that you could not find elastic. I just ordered some from Bunny2018 on ebay and it should be at my home in about a week. She is the only one I found to have it instock to ship. You can try her if you still need it.
Awesome! Thanks for the source! I think straps work well… I just hope they don’t get super tangled in the wash.