Fabric Face Masks

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Hospitals and other care providers are currently facing a severe shortage of PPE (personal protective equipment, such as masks). Many hospitals are requesting that the community help make masks to cover the shortfall. Homemade cotton masks are generally washable as well, which helps extend their utility.

It is obviously better to have this equipment mass produced with proper N95 rated materials, but due to hoarding and increase in need for this equipment, we have a gap where homemade masks can be very helpful

1. ARE FABRIC MASKS EFFECTIVE?

Somewhat. Recommendations have and continue to shift. The CDC has recently relaxed its guidelines on masks.  They are currently recommending fabric masks as a last resort.  Some areas are currently so short of masks that many healthcare workers are going without masks at all or reusing disposable masks.

Homemade fabrics masks are about 50 to 60 % as effective as medical masks. Breathability is an important factor in considering what materials to use.  Cotton jersey of the type used for t-shirts and cotton sheeting (tightly woven quilting cottons) offer reasonable filtration and are still breathable.

2. HOW DO I SEW THESE MASKS?

There are number of free mask patterns and tutorials available in response to the current COVID-19 crisis.  If you are sewing for a specific hospital or care facility, you should ask if they have a preferred mask style.  The following patterns represent the most common basic design options, both of which we have tested and our thoughts about the design:

The Deaconess Mask.  This is a straightforward mask to sew and the design we have opted to use for most of our masks.  We have found that 1/8 inch elastic is the easiest to adjust for different face sizes, however a much better fit can be achieved with ties of some kind.  ½ inch twill tape is a good, washable, and (currently) available options.  This is pretty much how masks were made before disposables were a thing (remember those masks on M.A.S.H.?  This is them.)

Operation We Can Sew It!   This is a variation on the basic Deaconess design, with an added pocket for a nose wire.  Operation We Can Sew It also offers an excellent FAQ on fabric masks.

Craft Passions   This mask offers a nice fit through the nose, but the basic design is a little tricky to work out for production at any scale.  In testing this design out, we had to create a separate pattern for each person in the shop.  While this is great if you just need a mask for yourself and your family members, it does not work so well for care providers.

3. I CAN’T SEW, HOW CAN I HELP?

First of all, thank you!  We are all dealing with this situation as best can.  We will get through this only if we act as a community and support one another. If you can’t sew, consider donating supplies to someone who can.  Many local communities have groups of people working together to produce masks and they all need supplies.  Fabric, thread, pipe cleaners, twill tape, and elastic are all needed and becoming difficult to find as more people join this effort.  If you have extra medical masks or other PPE, please consider donating those to your local hospitals.

You can also sponsor a mask through Folly and Nonsense.  Since the spring line up of fiber shows has been canceled, we have shifted our studio to mask production.  $5 will pay for a mask for an area heath care facility and keep us working to support the medical community as long as necessary.

4. SHOULD I WEAR MASKS TOO?

The WHO has an excellent article addressing this question. 

In short, they recommend the following:

  • If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected 2019-nCoV infection.
  • Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.
  • Masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
  • If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly.

Ultimately, your decision to wear as mask is up to you.  Many of us are under shelter in place or similar orders to limit exposure, so masks will not be as useful.  If you feel safer wearing a mask to run necessary errands, please consider a fabric mask so that proper medical masks can be reserved for those who desperately need them (i.e. front line medical workers).  If you feel you need masks for you or your family members, you can purchase the same mask we are making for donations for $5 each plus $2.50 for shipping per order.