Last week I was feeling really alone. And I imagine I am not alone in that sentiment either! These are uncertain times and we are all trying to find a way to live with this new “normal.” Because this is in fact our life now. This is going to be normal for the foreseeable future. Once I understood this idea that I can’t just wait around until things go back to the way they were before the pandemic, I could start living, adapting.
What really helped me this week was sewing personal face masks. It may sound weird but making these made me feel a sense of community for the first time in weeks. I, along with lots of other crafty people, are making face mask out of the scraps of fabric we have lying around at home.
This tutorial will show you how to make a personal face mask. The CDC is now recommends that everyone wears a face mask or covering when going out.
I have made my masks with 4 layers of 100% cotton, which has been show to be pretty effective. (See some research on filtration efficiency here.) Wearing a mask along with social distancing is the best way to prevent transmission. Some health care professionals can also wear these on top of the N95 face masks, protecting them for reuse.
If you have extra fabric and time on your hands, be sure to check out this grassroots organization that is mobilizing crafters everywhere to make masks and get them to businesses that need them, like local animals hospitals.
How to Make Personal Face Masks
Time: 10-15 minutes per mask
Difficulty: medium
Materials
- 100% cotton woven or jersey fabric
- This can be scrap from a sewing stash, bedsheets, flannel, or t-shirt fabric. I used quilter’s cotton.
- Bias binding or scrap fabric to create bias binding, or cotton twill.
- This fabric does not have to be cotton.
- My tutorial will show you how to make your own bias binding.
- Thread
- Iron, scissors, and access to a sewing machine
Note: All the fabric and notions must be able to be sanitized, so washed at boiling hot temperatures.
Directions
1. Wash and iron your fabric. Fold your fabric so you can cut 2-4 layers at one time. With chalk or pencil, mark 6.5″ along the length of the fabric.
2. Cut 6.5″ x 9.5″ rectangles. I have a quilter’s square (6.5″ x 6.5″) that I used as a guide. We want the rectangles to measure 6″ x 9″ after the seams are sewed. Adding 0.5″ leaves a 0.25″ seam allowance on every side.
3. Pin layers of fabric together with the wrong side facing outwards, the right side facing inwards. You can use two layer or four layers.
4. Sew along the top and bottom lengths of the rectangles (with a 0.25″ seam). Make sure to back stitch at the start and end.
PRO TIP: Sew the length of all masks at the same time, like I did below. Then you can just cut the thread between the masks.
5. Press the seam flat with an iron. Then turn the mask inside out and iron flat again.
6. Make two, 1″ pleats going the same direction. This is the hardest part of the project! Don’t be discouraged. To make a pleat, pinch the fabric between your thumb and pointer finger. Pinch the an inch of fabric in half and then pin in place. The 6″ width will become half the size, now 3″.
Here’s a better look at the pleats with a finished mask.
7. Sew the pleats in place, going in the direction of the pleats.See below how the pleats are folded towards you.
Again, if making multiple masks, you can sew all the same sides at one time and then trim the thread.
Making Bias Binding
Bias binding, or bias tape, is a narrow strip of fabric that you can fold and sew over a raw edge. For personal face masks, I used half yard of white muslin fabric I had. Muslin is cheap fabric often used for prototypes.
8. To make the ties for the face masks, cut strips of fabric 2″-2.5″ wide and 30″-40″ long.
I used a blue fabric pencil (but a regular pencil will do just fine). Here’s my quilter’s square with 0.25″ build into the length.
9. Then get your iron hot and fold the length in half and press. Then fold approximately 0.25″ towards the center. Like this:
10. Mark the center of the length of bias binding. Nest the side of the mask into the bias binding. Then pin.
11. Sew the entire length of the binding as close as you can to the edge.
Sew both sides and you’re finished!
Bonus Step
I made masks for each member of my family. To distinguish my mask, I sewed a lazy daisy stitch onto the front. This also helps distinguish between the inside and outside of the mask.
I hope this tutorial can help you and I hope it might give you some peace of mind. Please stay home and stay safe. And thank you to all those on the front line of this crisis. Most sincerely, thank you.
Happy Making-
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