TUESDAY UPDATE

HOW'RE YOU DOING ON MASK-MAKING?

I've shared various places to drop off masks you've made that will be distributed to locations that have requested them.  I've taken the batch I made to the hospital.  Many more are in various stages.  

Days for Girls now has a place on their website where facilities can  make a request for masks, and then a the leader of a chapter in that region receives an email asking if they can fill that request.  Yesterday I got two that way, and one through another DFG chapter leader on Facebook.  I have none ready to go.

If you are sewing fabric masks at home, and not for a specific request, please consider dropping them in the box I have outside on my driveway side porch.  Email for the address.  

Here's a website to request that somebody pick up finished masks from you, if you're not driving anywhere.  Go to I have materials for making masks that I want to donate (such as fabric), click NEXT and you're on your way.  They will pick them up and deliver them to a facility that's requested them.

I PROTECT YOU.  YOU PROTECT ME.

While we all know the N95s should be reserved to protect medical workers, the cloth masks apparently are pretty effective at helping us keep our germs to ourselves.  Like the Czechs are saying, "I protect you.  You protect me."

GROSGRAIN TIES

If you're making the style mask that uses ribbon for ties, I now have some 1/4" grosgrain to share with our DFG mask makers.  The cut ends need to be waved close to a candle or other flame/heat source to melt the fibers so they don't fray.  

I'm using the grosgrain ribbon for the ties with the Belgian style mask--I posted the pattern at the end of the previous post.  The mask is made of cotton, and has a pocket to insert some sort of wire (folded pipe cleaner,  bent paper clip, etc.) to hold it snug around the bridge of the nose, plus a pocket where a filter can be inserted.  

Let me know if you need grosgrain, bias tape, cotton fabric or some 1/4" elastic.  

EDITS AND TWEAKS

The more I work with a pattern, the more I want to refine it.  If you've printed out my instructions (previous post) for the Belgian-designed mask, please note that I've made some minor changes and you may want to reprint.  Or wait a day or two , and see what else I add.  This evening I used a construction method that I think saved me time--I'll post if that proves correct.