There has also been a lot of discussion about whether these masks are a good idea or not. Of course they are not equivalent to N95 masks, but given a choice between nothing (zero protection), or a homemade fabric product that is hopefully at least 70% effective, I'll take 70 over zero any day.
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| package of face masks ready to be delivered |
I'll probably make a few more just to have around and hope my family never has to use them. But truthfully sewing these masks brought a lot of negative energy into my sewing room and I am happy to be back in the quilting zone again.
Unity here I come...of course, you all knew I was going to be starting the new mystery quilt! LOL
16 comments:
Just a question: are both sides made from the same fabric? I saw somewhere that requested the outer fabric be different than the inner one because when they are taken off, the wearer wants to make sure he/she is wearing it correctly and not perhaps infecting others.
Let's all work on UNITY. Go for it...
Sending you happy sewing energy for Unity today.
Great job. I'm sure they will be so appreciated.
I'm wondering if face mask are good to wear when you finally have to do grocery shopping if you can't have it delivered or do the pick up - do they protect us a little or not there are mixed reviews on it. I made some for the nurses in the family and they are thankful but are they going to help them - I sure hope so
God bless you for helping keep us sane during this awful crisis. But I found that making masks was very uplifting. Mine went to local nursing and gave me a way to turn my self-isolation and my stash into a possibly life-saving outreach for others. But I do admit I couldn't resist "auditioning" my choices to make them pretty. And our guild recommended flannel backings for comfort and hopefully slightly better filters. I also found a great joke on facebook that read: "Just think, if I use up my stash sewing masks, I'll have to go shopping for more fabric when this is over!"
I forgot to mention that I make one side of the mask from batik fabric which is a tighter weave and might be a better filter.
watch what you call ugly...... that is super repro fabric that is becoming harder and harder to find.....
If anyone does make masks, be sure to find out what the local facility wants. Ours is asking for no elastic, but fabric ties, as the elastic doesn't hold up in repeated washings. They don't want flannel either. I made mine with two different color fabrics (used lots of old stash!) to help with front and back. It made me feel useful to work on these, and one day my hubby got on the other machine and made some too!
Since we have no place to donate them here, I just made a few for ourselves. Just in case. I agree that it didn't feel good to make them. Even though I used some fun fabrics, it was a sad little project.
Cleveland Clinic has asked for two color masks. My area hospitals will take ones similars to theses. Check with your local hospitals before making them. I made 20 for a small local hopsital and they were very happy to get them. My area hospitals just went to all wear masks including vendors and all visitors. More sewing in days to come.
Many healthcare professionals are using homemade masks OVER their sturdier ones to extend usage.
Thank you for making the face masks for the hospitals. I appreciate you moving out of your comfort zone to make these masks. I have a family member who works in a hospital and they are desperate for masks. Your masks will be much appreciated.
We all do what we can and handle this new global situation as best as we can. I am so grateful for your transparency and contributions! Blessings to you!
I have not jumped on the mask bandwagon.There is so much contradictory information about them. Wash Wash Wash...it is what I am doing and staying home!
I knew you would start the mystery. Okay so I guess I better go find some fabric. I saw one block where they changed the placement of colour and it looked like five stars...really liked it, more symetrical. The original looks a bit scrappy even for me.
I have avoided mask making, too--until last night. Like Deanna W said, all of the contradictory info out there made me wonder if it was wasted effort. Our local hospitals won't even accept them. But then my daughter, who lives about a day's drive away, sent me a pattern for them that their local hospital has put out, requesting people make them for them. She lives in a small home with no spare rooms. She sews in her bedroom--where hubby has now set up his "office" to work from home. If she moves to the kitchen table to sew her 4-year-old daughter will "help". I decided to make a dozen and send them to her to donate. I am not enjoying the process, maybe because I am still not sold on them. The pattern the hospital gave out and wants you to use fits awkwardly (IMHO), and I have other mask patterns I think are better designed. But this is what they want. Go figure. At least I get to choose my own fabric, and I have had a little bit of fun matching fabrics and bias binding (no elastic on these).
Good on you for making 20 of them. I will do well to finish the dozen I started. Glad you are able to move past the negative energy and sew something fun now!
I made 64 masks with elastic, then switched to masks with ties. We are now supposed to wear masks if we go shopping anywhere, so I'm now making masks for my neighbors and their kids. Both my quilt guilds are also making masks.
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