Back in April, Etsy put out a call for all crafters to start making masks. While sewing is not my main crafty outlet, I have been known to stitch up the occasional baby blanket. I had a stack of batik fabric on hand and had inherited a small crate of thread, bias tape, and other supplies when my mother-in-law passed a few years ago. She would be so glad to see the materials be put to such good use.
I searched the web for a good pattern. I was looking for one that did not use ear loops. My day-job used to have me travel frequently to Asia, where it is considered polite to wear a mask if you have a slight cold. I’ve spent a day or two in meetings wearing a mask with ear loops, and they begin to rub behind the ears, and it really hurts. So I was glad to find Mimi G’s video and pattern. I substituted a strap instead of elastic because elastic is very hard to get these days, and the tie strap is adjustable to a wider range of head sizes. Plus, I think it’s more comfortable. Once it’s adjusted, the mask slips on and off, so it’s very simple to wear. I even made a video to show how to wear the mask, in case it wasn’t clear to folks.
I’ve been stitching up these masks every night since mid-April. I make about four masks a night. That might not seem like much, but do it for a month, and you’ve distributed over a hundred masks. The coronavirus crisis has impacted every aspect of my life: work – family – leisure time. Giving out masks helps me feel that I have some small control over the outcome. (Very small, but I think it still matters.)
