With the Coronavirus turning our world upside down right before our eyes, my friend Becca Pohl and I decided it was time to stop talking and start working. Like so many other sewists in the world, we set up a small Mask Making operation in Chapala, Jalisco. We know that good quality (washable) masks will help free up disposables for medical workers. They will also help the care-giving community if push comes to shove and the proper disposables are not available.
Using the best information we could find on the internet, we are making masks from cotton (inside and outside) and two layers of non-woven fabric for filtration. (And fun fabric, of course!)
As with any mask that is not made in a medical-grade factory, our masks are in no way perfect. But they will certainly help our friends and families keep their sneezes and coughs to themselves — and provide reasonable protection when we have to be out and about in the community.
In our era of “social distancing,” we needed a work space that allowed us to work together without sitting close together. Fortunately, the Palapa at my condominium has a couple of large tables and electrical power. Plus, it’s outdoors and shaded. What more could we ask for?
We started, like everyone else, watching videos on YouTube. Then we made modifications. As in lots of modifications…
… until we arrived at a workable pattern. The nose piece has proven to be the biggest challenge. The only sources for the “real deal” I have found are factories in China. And gosh, I just don’t want to order 100,000 pieces! We substituted wire wrapped in fused fabric for nose pieces. It’s not elegant, but it works!
With the virus on the horizon, I’m being careful about inviting people into our condominium. But Becca and I really needed some “work together” time to get a system worked out. Becca’s hubby Alan is an important part of our team, running for materials, making the wire nose pieces, and keeping us from going crazy!
After a frantic week of testing, changing, and more testing (and more changing!), we delivered the first batch of masks on March 27. And since then? It Mask Making morning, noon and night!
Our current task to transfer a chunk of our mask making work to the ladies that sew for Becca’s Bela Femenina project. That will allow us to ramp up production and serve care givers in our area as well as individuals using the masks for their own protection.
Mask making is about the last thing I expected to be doing, but it’s a whole lot better than having my nose in the internet looking at the virus news from around the world.
Mask Making Materials
For the inside lining and the exterior of the mask, we are using breathable cotton fabric. No batiks, no high thread-count fabrics. The object is to have layers, but keep it easy to breathe through.
For the filtration layers, we are using non-woven polypropylene. We have been fortunate to find interfacing (think mid-weight Pellon) and the fabric used to make reuseable grocery bags. The manufacturing process for non-woven fabrics makes them ideal for filtration.
Elastic has been challenging to source, but we are managing to find supplies so far. (Let’s just say that God takes good care of Miss Becca — and I hope that Amazon Mexico does the same!) When we’re out of elastic, we are making fabric ties.
To make the nose pieces, Becca’s husband is cutting lengths of wire and folding the ends over to make sure no-one gets poked. We fuse the wire inside a strip of fabric (cut on the bias), that I stitch to the masks with my industrial machine. We have yet to find the “perfect” wire. One is too thin, the other is heavier than we would like.
How you can help
Our mask distribution is set up as a Get One, Give One project. We are asking for a 200 peso donation for each mask, which will fund at least one additional mask for someone in need. (At the moment, 200 Mexican Pesos is less than $10 USD.)
After expenses, proceeds will go to Becca’s Bela Femenina project. She works with women in a Lake Chapala village to make reusable menstrual pads that are distributed to girls and women in the surrounding area.
If you want to support the mask making operation or the Bela Femenina project, you can make a donation to Alivio International at their Bridges of Hope webpage. (The webpage has not been updated to reflect our mask-making — we’re too busy sewing! — but it’s the best way to make donations that will support the Mask Making effort and the Bela Femenina project.)
Chapala Area Residents Only
If you live in Chapala, Jalisco or the neighboring communities, you can place an order for your mask at the BelaFemenina website. Please keep in mind that this is a local project only. We are not able to ship masks or make deliveries.
Your Turn
Got a question or comment? Chime in below!
Hi from Canada
I am also sewing medical grade masks for our local hospital and surrounding care homes last week I delivered 150 masks to a long term care unit . This week it’s the hospital . I personally make each mask in between working full time in a large grocery store . I donate all masks I’m using up my stash of materials.
Thanks for the thoughtful email
Keep up the good work
Lorraine
Well done, Lorraine! The need for masks is going to help clean out a whole lot of stashes! You already have a busy life and a very important job. Good on you for making time to help others as well.
Great masks. Good project. Wish you could sell them online or at least the directions. I want one> Cannot go out to purchase materials needed. I am using a metal workers mask!
It would be lovely if we could sell online, but shipping from Mexico would be a wee bit steep. And we need to sleep at least a few hours a night. 😉
There are tons of good videos on YouTube that describe how to make masks. If there is a whole lot of interest, I’ll consider putting a quick class together. Of course, that means I need to take time away from sewing…
Hi: Wonderful that you are involved in making face masks. So many people are helping each other. We see and hear about it every day. What a horrible tragedy for the world. Hopefully, we will make changes to better protect ourselves for the future.
I have been making large, pleated “cover” masks with ear loops (thin, ponytail elastic rings with metal crimping-that I removed). Dr. Laurel Franck, (my niece) is a Pediatrician in a Practice of
30 Doctors and Nurses located in San Antonio, Tx. They were out of masks….. then received
some N95 masks – 1 per week for each one. My masks totally covered the N95 masks to extend
the life of each mask.
Be Safe…..Elizabeth – in Rockford, IL.
That’s fantastic, Elizabeth! The pleated masks are a fabulous option for extending the life of the N95 masks. Keep going!
Well done, Shelly. You are doing a great job with your ladies. All the over seventies, here in Ireland, have to stay in. Cocooning they call it. A great opportunity to get all those quilts made. We are lucky to have wonderful children and friends to look after us.
Keep safe.
I’m so glad you have someone watching after you, Romney. That’s a huge help in this crazy world! Enjoy your quilts!
I too have been making masks, l give them away to people that can’t get them. My daughter takes some to work, she works in a veteran nursing facility. I have mail some to Calif, Oregon and Tennessee. I make, package them and send at my own expense. I just want to do something to help
That’s fabulous, Judy. The veteran’s facilities are so important! Thanks for joining the effort!
Hello from Crystal MN, Shelly. All my “sewist” friends are also busy crafting masks for friends, family, and hospitals, including Pam Kotval from our BPW days. I prewashed my meager stash of fabric yesterday and plan to try a few tomorrow. I actual had some elastic and bias tape at the bottom of my sewing box. I haven’t really sewn much for years, so I was surprised and pleased to have just what I need, including interfacing. I may try rebending some paperclips for the nose pieces, or perhaps some beading wire. Some of your pix showed little sewn pockets for the wires, and in others you zigzagged over them. Which do you think is a better solution?
Keep up the great work. I’m not sure if I will continue beyond a few; a couple are for me since I’m “well seasoned” at almost 70 and have immune diseases. But it is heartwarming to see the world respond to this need. My sister is an RN at NYU Hospitals in Manhattan, right in the epicenter. Thankfully she specializes in health records and works from home, programming the software when new ICU rooms are set up or ventilators are added. Her tales of life in the Big Apple are sobering. This effort is creating healing vibrations to help change the world for the better, now and in the future. Take care and may you and Jack continue in good health.
Barb Minor
Hola Barb! It is so good to hear from you. It’s amazing the connections that we manage to keep over the internet. 🙂
The nose wires are a challenge, especially for doing things in volume. We tried putting the wires inside the mask, but that was too tedious. We tried sewing the wires onto the outside of the mask and then covering with a piece of fused fabric, but it’s too hard to work with bare wire. At the moment, we are pressing the wire into a strip of fabric that has fusible web applied. Then stitching the nose piece onto the mask and doing a zigzag over the top. (Thank goodness for my industrial machine!) Truly, we are making up this process as we go along.
I’ll see if I can get some photos together and do another post.
Hi Shelly,
It’s Chris in St. Louis. My good friend is a Critical Care nurse, ICU,
Missouri Baptist hospital. The elastic is irritating their skin behind the ears. They have been wrapping their hair in pigtails, putting mask/ elastic around them before putting on the additional head gear. Hope that made sense. Tshirt material works well for strap. Aries 2 video shows it.
Like your idea using Pellon as filter and the nose guard casing👍 Will pass that on.
You are right about the elastic, Chris. We chose to put elastic around the back of the masks rather than around the ears. It’s so much more comfortable for those who need to wear the masks for a long period of time. We are now hunting down more Pellon. All the fabric stores in Guadalajara have been shut down, so it’s a challenge!
Stay well, my friend!