Facial Masks - Coronavirus

[PayrollNerd]

Fabric choice:

Polyester & most synthetic fibers are smooth, silk & linen are also smooth. These fibers do not filter as well as cotton, unless the synthetic was made to have a less-smooth surface.

Wool is fuzzy as a fiber, but would be hot on your face & would hold that heat & moisture of your breathing, good for a scarf in the winter, not ideal all day in the spring!

(And -- higher quality wool is not itchy. Lower quality wool is generally not itchy -- that generally is the sheep poo that wasn't removed well during cheaper production process!)

I do some living history & we're aaaallll about fiber.

Have you seen this one:

DIY Sew Quick Face Mask aka Buff Tutorial Instructions

YMMV

My oldest is a marine scientist. Nearly everyone, even the guys, on the boat wears these. It’s either a headband, face mask or sun protection.

 

[rogue ant]

I started adding interfacing. One of the hospitals is requesting it as an added layer.

Are you using fusible interfacing?

 

[Deleted member 158085]

Are you using fusible interfacing?

Yes, on some now. They requested non-woven polyester interfacing. I’m using really lightweight stuff mostly.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

1. I found an old bikini top. Keep one cup on ribcage string, discard other cup. Cut off neck string and tie it to rib string to increase length. Wear upside down - point goes over chin, ribcage string goes over nose and ears, tie in back. Maybe not the best material because it is a poly blend, but it has a lining sewn in and it is easy to cut a slit and add a filter. Small, but super easy.

2. I found some old cloth napkins, the kind you might have to iron, cotton linen. I think this material is very good and can be used for the simple Korean no-sew scarf mask.

Thank you for the thread.

Just FYI, because I want us all to be safe, they don’t recommend linen because the weave is too loose. Preferred materials are quilters cotton or tea towels.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

8 mask bodies finished today. Now they need something threaded thru the channels. I have some elastic but probably not enough. I took the bias tape out of one that my friend made and measured it (48”). Then, I put it on to see if it really was too long. I guess for an adult head, to tie it in a bow at the back, 48” isn’t overly long. I’m going to go thru all my leftover ribbon, trim, and strips of fabric. I may just roll a piece of fabric, use an elongated zig zag stitch and call it a day. Stay tuned.

I had problems with my machine today and only got through 4. I really hate days spent troubleshooting the machine and ripping out stitches. It’s bad for morale.

 

[SuziQ]

8 mask bodies finished today. Now they need something threaded thru the channels. I have some elastic but probably not enough. I took the bias tape out of one that my friend made and measured it (48”). Then, I put it on to see if it really was too long. I guess for an adult head, to tie it in a bow at the back, 48” isn’t overly long. I’m going to go thru all my leftover ribbon, trim, and strips of fabric. I may just roll a piece of fabric, use an elongated zig zag stitch and call it a day. Stay tuned.

Those look great!

 

[PayrollNerd]

Dug thru my sewing supplies and found a bunch of bias tape pkgs. Opened it up and ironed it flat, cut it in half along the length. This made the strips about 3/4” wide. I rolled and stitched it. Each piece is about 46”-48” long. I threaded it thru and tied a knot in the ends.

 

[rogue ant]

Yes, on some now. They requested non-woven polyester interfacing. I’m using really lightweight stuff mostly.

My apologies - I should ask all my questions in one post! Did you wash the interfacing too beforehand? I washed the fabric but haven't pre-washed the interfacing.

 

[Tbone144]

Got 28 masks made over the weekend, requested to make at least 30 more but I’m still working full time so it will be much slower production during the week. I timed how long it takes for me to make a tie, 3 minutes each of just ironing, feels like an eternity. Trying to break it up a bit so my back doesn’t bother me as much. Double folded bias tape should be here today. If it’s as I suspect it should really help.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

My apologies - I should ask all my questions in one post! Did you wash the interfacing too beforehand? I washed the fabric but haven't pre-washed the interfacing.

I don’t think you can wash interfacing before it’s attached. Not the iron-on stuff, anyway.

 

[Gardenista]

Doctors Are Begging Designers to Make Reusable Hospital Gowns for Them

"I am a resident physician at Downstate Medical Center, one of three COVID-only hospitals in NYC. We are to run out of protective gowns in one week and will then be provided with ponchos," she wrote in the statement. "We are asking designers, seamstresses, tailors, and crafters isolated at home with sewing machine to please help us."

 

[musicaljoke]

My daughter and I have made about 60 cotton face masks so far, mostly adult size but about a dozen kids' size. We use a pattern provided by the hospital that has long ties. We have a system...she cuts out the mask and the ties and I iron the pieces while she sews. We have it down to about 5 minutes a mask. We are making self-fabric ties which is more time consuming than elastic but we have a little metal thing you feed the fabric through that makes it into a binding tape shape that you iron as it comes out of the end. It's fiddly at first but once I got the hang of it I ran strips through there like a robot. Her pharmacy co-workers are going nuts over them and starting to donate the fabric for more. We probably spent about $50 on materials but the time spent together doing it is worth so much more.

ETA: these are not the medical-grade N95 type masks, but are double thickness of cotton with pleating. They do help people remember not to touch their face and help keep some germs out if not all.

Thanks for posting. I'm making the common, pleated type with the ties.
How long are your ties on the child-sized mask?

The little metal thing of which you write, is it an attachment on your sewing machine? I'm looking in my treadle Singer sewing machine attachment box and just know there's a thingie for making binding tape, but which one is it?

 

[PayrollNerd]

Thanks for posting. I'm making the common, pleated type with the ties.
How long are your ties on the child-sized mask?

The little metal thing of which you write, is it an attachment on your sewing machine? I'm looking in my treadle Singer sewing machine attachment box and just know there's a thingie for making binding tape, but which one is it?

I have a bias tape maker like this pic I’ve attached. I don’t use it. I cut the bias tape you buy in the package into strips, fold it or roll it and run stitches down it. Once I cut it, each strip is 3/4” to 1” wide. You could use strips of cotton too. I use one continuous tie. You can see pics on my prior posts.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

I have a bias tape maker like this pic I’ve attached. I don’t use it. I cut the bias tape you buy in the package into strips, fold it or roll it and run stitches down it. Once I cut it, each strip is 3/4” to 1” wide. You could use strips of cotton too. I use one continuous tie. You can see pics on my prior posts.

This is what I have, too.

I finished and packaged 18 masks for family today. Washed, pressed, and ziplocked them. Two Olson masks and four surgical type masks per family. Delivered two. One is ready to mail. Got home to work on more and my machine went wonky. Presser foot would not go down all the way.

Borrowed another machine, which made me batty for about 3 hours until we figured out I needed a different bobbin. A friend who fixes sewing machines for a living tried to walk me through fixing mine when miraculously the presser foot decided to go back into place.

I’m happy, but my neck is killing me after 3-4 hours of fooling with wonky machines.

 

[Tbone144]

Only got two done tonight after work. Each one takes 30 minutes with making the ties and not pushing myself. Hope my stuff (now over due) arrives soon. I’m out of shape for sewing this long. I walk the dogs 2 miles every day, row 30 minutes every other day but being at the sewing machine with my extra time is making me stiff an sore. May have to treat myself to a massage when this is all said and done. Wore one of my fabric creations into FedEx Kinkos and you would have thought I had two heads. Everyone sort of stopped and stared pretty sure if there was a record playing it would have scratched. One glove and a mask and I was apparently a freak show. Oh well, my thought was I don’t know where you people have been; who you have been around. Anyone else worn theirs in public? The guys at work were very grateful for theirs, now if they wear them or not, I don’t know.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

Only got two done tonight after work. Each one takes 30 minutes with making the ties and not pushing myself. Hope my stuff (now over due) arrives soon. I’m out of shape for sewing this long. I walk the dogs 2 miles every day, row 30 minutes every other day but being at the sewing machine with my extra time is making me stiff an sore. May have to treat myself to a massage when this is all said and done. Wore one of my fabric creations into FedEx Kinkos and you would have thought I had two heads. Everyone sort of stopped and stared pretty sure if there was a record playing it would have scratched. One glove and a mask and I was apparently a freak show. Oh well, my thought was I don’t know where you people have been; who you have been around. Anyone else worn theirs in public? The guys at work were very grateful for theirs, now if they wear them or not, I don’t know.

I wore one to an IGA in a town of fewer than 3,000 population. One woman did a double take, but no one else batted an eye. This was a week ago and I had gloves on, too.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Only got two done tonight after work. Each one takes 30 minutes with making the ties and not pushing myself. Hope my stuff (now over due) arrives soon. I’m out of shape for sewing this long. I walk the dogs 2 miles every day, row 30 minutes every other day but being at the sewing machine with my extra time is making me stiff an sore. May have to treat myself to a massage when this is all said and done. Wore one of my fabric creations into FedEx Kinkos and you would have thought I had two heads. Everyone sort of stopped and stared pretty sure if there was a record playing it would have scratched. One glove and a mask and I was apparently a freak show. Oh well, my thought was I don’t know where you people have been; who you have been around. Anyone else worn theirs in public? The guys at work were very grateful for theirs, now if they wear them or not, I don’t know.

I wear mine even when doing the drive thru pantry which is now completely touchless. (You open your trunk, they drop stuff in, close your trunk, you drive off.) I wear it to my cancer treatment the entire time I’m there.

I don’t get many made each day either. Today I only made 1 from scratch because the nausea was so bad, I had to go lie down. As I felt good, I made the ties and threaded them thru the bodies. We have our first batch to donate tomorrow.

 

[Laughing]

just gorgeous,@PayrollNerd !!!

I switched from Olsen to the rectangular style. I can tear instead of cutting, much faster.

Since most fabric is 45" wide, the 9" rectangles and the 36" ties fit across the fabric nicely.

Found out today that my little sister's best friend has cancer -- will be sending some coordinated mask&hat sets out to her.

 

[musicaljoke]

I wear mine even when doing the drive thru pantry which is now completely touchless. (You open your trunk, they drop stuff in, close your trunk, you drive off.) I wear it to my cancer treatment the entire time I’m there.

I don’t get many made each day either. Today I only made 1 from scratch because the nausea was so bad, I had to go lie down. As I felt good, I made the ties and threaded them thru the bodies. We have our first batch to donate tomorrow.

This picture gives me warm smiles.

 

[musicaljoke]

Only got two done tonight after work. Each one takes 30 minutes with making the ties and not pushing myself. Hope my stuff (now over due) arrives soon. I’m out of shape for sewing this long. I walk the dogs 2 miles every day, row 30 minutes every other day but being at the sewing machine with my extra time is making me stiff an sore. May have to treat myself to a massage when this is all said and done. Wore one of my fabric creations into FedEx Kinkos and you would have thought I had two heads. Everyone sort of stopped and stared pretty sure if there was a record playing it would have scratched. One glove and a mask and I was apparently a freak show. Oh well, my thought was I don’t know where you people have been; who you have been around. Anyone else worn theirs in public? The guys at work were very grateful for theirs, now if they wear them or not, I don’t know.

They are becoming the rage in our back sticks town. It helps that the post mistress wears one.