A Masked Intruder
Masks masks masks… I can make them in my sleep (almost)!
As you might have noticed, I have been a bit distracted by making hundreds of masks to raise money for Permaculture Australia and to keep the disposable ones out of the waste stream. Here’s a bit of a photos story about how I make them…
I modified (simplified) a pattern my cousin found on the internet and started cutting them from various fabrics in my stash. I decided early on that quality was important so all our masks have been made with good quality patchwork fabric.
Talking to my husband (who is an expert in airborn radiation) he explained that the filter layer needed to be non-woven in order to interrupt the passage of air and trap particles. So I found a fine non-woven interfacing for the middle layer.
At the time I started everyone else was in on the act so elastic was hard if not impossible to find, so I started using tree tie to make a head tie similar to a surgical mask. Feedback was that it was much more comfortable than elastic pulling the ears forward. And I sourced pipe cleaners (chenille sticks) for the nose wires.
So here is the process:
Pre-wash and iron all the fabric to avoid shrinkage.
Cut 2 fronts on a fold of fabric, noting the straight grain lines up with the edge of the fabric.
Sew the fronts right sides together along the curved front seam. Clip the curve.
Press the seam to one side and topstitch to keep the seam flat.
Cut 2 lining pieces as above and a pair of the filters as well.
Sew the 4 layers: filter, lining, lining, filter along the curved front seam. Clip the curve.
Make bias strips from the lining fabric 2” wide and 5.5-6” long (patchworkers work in inches… sorry). Fold the strip in half and sew each end, then turn and press. As I was making a lot, I chain pieced them all and then cut them apart. This piece is the casing for the nose wire.
Attach the nose wire casing along the folded edge with the raw edges lined up with the curved nose section of the top of the mask, and the centres lined up.
Pin and sew the lining section and the front section along the top and the bottom, leaving the ear channel sections open. Clip the curves and turn. Press.
Fold in at each ear channel ¼ “ and then ½ “ and press. This forms the channel. Sew down the folds. Your mask is made.
Thread about 80cm of tie down through one channel and up through the other (forming a loop below the mask). Turn in the sharp ends of half a pipe cleaner and thread it into the nose-wire casing. Your mask is finished.