APRIL 8TH UPDATE

QUILTING STUDIOS BECOME MASK FACTORIES

Around the world, tens of thousands of Days for Girls volunteers are turning their attention and skills and sewing/quilting rooms to making face masks these days, rather than washable menstrual kits.

With drastically reduced travel these days, kit distributions are on the back burner as we try to save lives by making masks that will help us keep each other healthy.

Of course, there will be kit distributions in the future, and we'd love to be ready for requests, so if you'd like a contact-free handoff of homework, please let me know.

PLEATS, FIVE MASKS AT A TIME

Lia shared this helpful pleating video.

TODAY'S TWEAKS TO THE BELGIAN MASK PATTERN

There's an online video of a guy whipping out a mask in a few minutes.  He pleats both pieces of fabric at the same time, no measuring, no pinning. That inspired me, because I'm not a speedy sewer.  I have made a pleat presser aid that works well, using a cereal box and blue painters's tape, and that enables this step.  I think though, once you've made a bunch of masks, pleating "by eye" works pretty well. 

Here's something that you'll probably find handy for sewing down pleats, no matter which pattern you're following.  This is cardboard, but I've also used a small Omnigrid ruler.

Since our necks are considerably smaller than our heads, I've reduced the length of the bottom ties to 16".  Why waste ribbon? (Remember, I bought many spools of 1/4" grosgrain, so if you need some for masks, please let me know).

I'm using different fabrics on the two sides.  That way, you can remember which side you've had against your face if you take it off for a bit.  If you use the same fabric, inside and out, please mark the inside in some way.  Please remember that the pleats should always face down on the outside of the mask.

As I make more masks, try different styles, watch videos,  etc., I try different tweaks.  On the Belgian mask pattern, I have been pleating the two layers at the same time.  It may be a bit slower, as I want to make sure I've got the steps in the right order.  But the more we do a particular method, the more efficient and speedy we'll become.  

If you choose to use part of a pipe cleaner, gardening wire, twist tie, etc., instead of a paper clip, you can narrow that "nose pocket" and insert & stitch to enclose your nose piece as you're constructing, leaving an opening for removal.  Be sure you've bent back the tips of the pipe cleaner  or wire so they don't poke anybody or make a hole in the fabric.

HERE'S ANOTHER PATTERN I LIKE

Every day I seem come across a new pattern that seems to address the best mask features differently and sometimes, in my opinion,  better.  Here's a design and video that I think fulfills most of the things on the "wanted list."  I would add whatever you're using for shaping around the nose and stitching to keep it in place but removable, but other than that, it's easy and you can use the grosgrain ribbon that I ordered (let me know if you need some!).  

NOSE SHAPER OR NOT?

If the "shaping around the nose" thing bewilders you, contact me and I'll explain!  A nurse has told me this is an important feature. But, as with everything else mask-related these days, there are varying opinions.  A local group producing and distributing  thousands of masks says:

Should we insert metal or plastic in the nose bridge?

We recommend not including these pieces. Nose bridge flexibility is a nice customization, but the metal or plastic will be useful for the first use of a mask and will have to be discarded after that. If you do include a nose bridge piece, please leave an opening to easily remove it.

I addressed leaving an opening for removal of a paper clip in the March 29 post.  I've also been sewing in pipe cleaners, but you can easily leave one end of that enclosure open too.  I add this feature last:  The seam at the top of the mask is the top of your enclosure, then, sew (through front and back of mask) one side and the bottom of the  enclosure rectangle, leaving the other side open for inserting and removing.  This space should be just a smidge longer and wider than your nose bridge piece so it will stay put.  And centered, of course.

                 

DIG OUT YOUR BATIKS!

Some fabrics do better at filtering than others, research says.  Read this NBC News article.

WARNING

PLEASE SHARE: WARNING
Some mask-making info, including advice to use hepa filters, has been posted on various social media sites by a doctor. It went viral, and now lots of people are making masks with hepa filters from vacuum cleaner bags, air co filters, etc. PLEASE NOTE: Hepa filters contain carbon/charcoal and often, also fiberglass! These can cause serious lung problems and are especially dangerous to those who already have COPD or lung conditions! Other medical professionals have been highly critical of the advice to use the hepa filters. Vacuum cleaner bag manufacturers are also trying to warn people not to use the hepa filters! Please share this and help prevent even more trouble!  This doctor says no HEPA filters.

WHAT'S GOOD FOR A REMOVABLE FILTER?

There are many interesting ideas out there--coffee filters,  rinsed out and dried diaper wipes, 2 layers of paper towel, garden fabric, etc.  I think what's used inside is pretty much up to the end user, as that's the person who's going to have to be removing and replacing.  You're doing the hard part--making the masks and leaving a pocket for them to insert their filter of choice.  

ELASTIC HURTS THE EARS

There's strong feedback that masks made with elastic to hook around the ears are painful to wear for extended periods of time, as health workers would.  Here's a 3-D printed little device that the elastic can be hooked to behind the head, taking burden off the ears.  It's approved by the National Institute of Health.  The creator has shared the pattern.  If you know somebody with a 3-D printer who'd like to help in this effort, please recruit them.  Masks are faster to make with elastic, so quantities of these would be great, and very appreciated by the health care workers!  But then there's the sterilization issue:

And this warning:  Why cotton fabric ties? Why not use elastic?

Cotton ties hold up under the intense heat of hospital sterilization. Typical home laundry is 100–120 degrees. Sterilization is 180–200 degrees. Elastic breaks down after only a few uses of the mask when laundered at high heat. Cotton ties will extend the life of the mask for many reuses. Elastic can also trigger allergic reactions for some people, as it can contain latex.

So, if your mask is not going to a medical setting where it will subject to sterilization, and your users prefer a style using elastic, that's fine  Our grosgrain ribbon ties are best not sterilized at high temperatures either, because they're 100% polyester.  But they're fine being washed and dried on hot in our domestic machines.

Making your own ties out of cotton is great.  If you've got a bias tape maker, it can be fairly fast.  There are many posts online.  And don't cut the fabric on the bias--width of fabric is better.  I've seen Pinterest and Facebook posts where somebody used a (hair) flat iron or a laminator to speed up the pressing part!  Many use a couple of pins on their ironing board, as a substitute for a bias tape maker.  And some folks may have a bias tape maker attachment for their sewing machines--those really speed things up!

BLUE SHOP TOWELS, BY BRAND

Some testing has been done on these blue towels, and the results are promising.

THE FUTURE

We know that it's uncertain how long this pandemic will be with us.  I suspect there may be high demand for masks for longer than we think--both for medical workers and the general public.  Please continue to crank out these masks that will help keep us from spreading germs of all kinds.  Thank you!

Mary Jo told me last night that in China, the government sends each family their allotment of masks each month--they're normal attire! 

If you need grosgrain or fabric, please let me know! 

I'm happy to receive the masks you have to donate (Days for Girls HQ has sent four requests to us so far) or you can contribute them to groups and individuals that you've heard about needing them.

HQ would love to know how many masks our chapter volunteers produce, so please let me know if your mask donations don't go through me.

MAKING A CONTRIBUTION TO OUR CHAPTER

If you'd like to make a financial donation to the Eugene/Springfield chapter,  here's where you can do it online.  Checks can be made out to Days for Girls, with "for Eugene, OR chapter" in the memo line, and sent directly to Days For Girls, PO Box 2622, Mt. Vernon, WA 98273.  Online donations incur that pesky processing fee, whereas we receive 100% of checks.