Sewing Handmade Face Masks

As we are a global sewing community, I'm sure you've all seen posts and groups popping up about sewing face masks for health care professionals and our immunocompromised neighbors. If you feel so inclined, please join in this movement to help care for those who help care for us.

Homemade face masks do not protect against covid-19. What homemade face masks do do is allow for medically approved masks to be saved for critical situations our health care providers might find themselves in. Homemade masks may be worn over medically approved masks to protect and prolong the life of the medically approved mask itself, as the homemade mask can stop fluids or other items that may render the medically approved mask unusable.

Below is a link to what the CDC says about homemade face masks. In crisis capacity situations, which many of our hospitals are at or nearing, homemade face mask are allowed. Some hospitals even suggest using a scarf or bandanna. We can provide better than a scarf or bandanna!

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/face-masks.html

-A few mask tutorials out there suggest the ties for face masks should be 14 inches per strap/tie. Feedback from healthcare professions are asking for the straps to be a bit longer. 18 inches is the suggested per strap length. If you don't have prepackaged bias binding to use as straps, google how to make bias binding. It is super easy!

Sweet Red Poppy created a tutorial for a face mask, if a step by step tutorial helps you out. Her tutorial uses elastic to secure the mask, but it is super easy to sub in bias binding straps or skip the elastic step and secure the edges with bias binding as the straps. As soon as I'm done posting this I'm heading to my sewing room to whip some of these up. I'll edit the post with a pic of a mask with bias binding ties once I'm finished.

https://sweetredpoppy.com/how-to-sew-a-surgical-face-mask/

Below is a link to a semi contoured mask.

https://www.instructables.com/id/AB-Mask-for-a-Nurse-by-a-Nurse/?fbclid=IwAR2J15ybCoJ0uM4ccqJfQ3ez72qIkkdp5FGCveJ9gYXmtXEIrYZP6pT8zyo

And, two more mask pattern/tutorials.

https://www.trendpatterns.co.uk/shop/free-face-mask-pattern

While this post is largely directed at our Utah locals, I do urge each of you to contact your local hospitals and clinics to see what their immediate need is and if they have specific guidelines that need to be followed regarding homemade face masks.

CALLING ALL LOCALS!

I recently joined the facebook group Sewing for Lives. It was created by a nurse here in SLC who has direct contact with hospitals and clinics that need masks.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/250188919477955/

After reading posts in that group and others, it seems like one of the biggest issues right now is not the sewing of the masks, but how to get the masks into the hands of those who need them.

You can join the above group and fill out the form they have created to match masks with those in need. OR, we are creating a mask drop/collection point at the shop. It will be right at the front door, so even if you don't want to step foot in the shop, you can open the front door and drop the masks in the box. I've been in contact with Megan, the gal who created the group above, she has already given us an 'assignment' of 100 masks that a local hospital has requested.

Monday-Thursday 9-3 and Friday 9-noon.