Ah, springtime. The flowers are blooming. The breezes are warming. The birds are chirping. And we're meant to be taking it all in through a fabric face covering. Thanks, COVID.
No, they're not comfortable. No, they're not stylish. And hell no they don't make me look or feel anything like Audrey Hepburn. But as the PA Department of Health so aptly put it:
Your Mask Protects Me.
My Mask Protects You.
So, hell yes, I'm doing my part and wearing a cloth freaking face covering. But how?
The fine folks at The New York Times published a handy explainer here, but having sewn a few of these puppies by now, I wanted to share some of my own tips and tricks, too. So, here we go: here's How to Make a Fabric Face Covering.
First of all, while the article boldly proposes that you can make these either by hand or with a sewing machine: if you have a sewing machine, use it. These have taken me several hours apiece, and I was only sort of watching Community while stitching. (Not that any of us have anything but time on our hands these days.)
To begin, choose your fabric. My mom took a swing at this pattern using an old set of sheets, but found it stiff and difficult to sew. I've used some of the dozens of t-shirts gifted to the husband by beer reps in his capacity as beverage manager (lo, those many years ago, in the golden age we have come to know as A World with Restaurants), and they've worked a treat. Be sure to wash and dry them with hot water and high heat first, so that any shrinkage takes place before you numb your thumbs with needle pricks to bully the fabric into pleats.
Next, cut out your pattern. You'll need two 9-10" x 7-8" rectangles. Use a little more fabric for a broader, more capacious mask, perfect for those with beards; a little less is fine for a smaller, more petite mask. (Don't worry; even 9" x 7" will still definitely cover your nose, mouth, and chin as recommended.) The easiest way to make this cut is to do it right above the hem of the t-shirt, since you don't want that pre-stitched edge on your mask, using the fold as 1 side of the rectangle. That way, you can just snip along the fold to separate the two rectangles.
You'll also need ties to hold the mask in place. For those, cut out a second rectangle along the other side of the t-shirt. This one should be at least 16" (or as much longer as you like, depending on the size of your t-shirt) by 2", again along the fold so that you can simply slit it to separate the rectangles in two.
Now, cut along the folds of each piece you've removed from the t-shirt to create matching, identical rectangles: two that are 9-10" x 6-7" and two that are 16"+ x 2". Make two more cuts on the longer, thinner rectangles so that you have four 16"+ x 1" strips of fabric.
The cutting portion is done! Now comes the fun part: the sewing, and I repeat that if you have a sewing machine, use it.
First, make your ties. This is where I start to differ with the Times article a bit. Anyone who has ever cut a t-shirt (a group that now includes you!) knows that t-shirt material will naturally curl in on itself unless it's hemmed. Normally, that's horribly annoying, but in this case, we're going to make it work to our advantage. Pick up one of your 16"+ x 1" strips and pull it from each end. You'll notice at once the direction that the fabric curls in on itself. Once you've seen that, fold the edges in on themselves, then up against one another. Now, instead of stitching the entire length of the tie, simply stitch that end closed and folded in on itself.
Repeat on the other end, then give the whole thing a good tug. Ta-da! A stretchy, tidy tie with far less sewing. Repeat for all four ties, then set them aside for now.
Once you have all four ties ready to roll, you need to place them onto the mask. The Times diagram of this is helpful, so I'm shamelessly stealing it:
Place each tie into the corner of one of your rectangles. It's annoying, but helpful, to knot them up as shown, but you can also leave them loose if you're working fast. Once all four are laid in place, place the second rectangle over the first, covering the ties. Then, pin all four ties in place in the corners of the rectangles. You should not be able to see them, since they are sandwiched inside the rectangles.
Now, it's time to sew the perimeter of your mask. This is the part where a sewing machine really comes in handy. Whether you are sewing by machine or by hand, use whatever pins you have around the house to pin the entire perimeter of the mask. Then, beginning from the halfway point of one of the long edges, sew the entire perimeter of the mask, stopping about 1.5" from where you started, to leave a small gap.
Looking good! (Kindly ignore the cat hair that Erin Purr lovingly deposited onto my demo mask.) You're ready to turn your mask inside-right by feeding all four ties, then the entirety of the mask, through that 1.5" gap you left in the hem. Your ties should now stick out like little legs from each corner of your neatly hemmed rectangle of fabric.
You're almost there! This next part will differ a bit depending on whether you're sewing by machine or by hand. First, fold three horizontal pleats into the mask and secure them with pins.
Now, if you're using a sewing machine, simply sew a straight line from the top of the mask to the bottom along each of the short edges. You can repeat with a second line just inside the first if you like. If you're sewing by hand, skip the full lines and simply tack each pleat at every fold along each of the short edges to secure them in place.
That's it! You're prepared to leave the house and responsibly protect others from your cooties. Keep in mind that masks are meant to protect others, not you, so it's still critical to maintain your 6-foot social distance from others. But at least now you can take a stroll in the spring sunshine, breathing in your own hot breath and content that you're not actively infecting anyone else.
(Is quarantine over yet??)
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