Making Face Masks for Nurses
We're using our stay-at-home period (some are calling it quarantine) to make masks for medical personnel. We have a family member who is a nurse and she's working in a dangerous situation. They are running low on, or in some cases have completely run out of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). This includes things like gloves, gowns, goggles, masks and face shields. Many doctors and nurses are on the front lines dealing directly with patients who have the coronavirus and they don't even have the proper protection.
Our nurse was going to make her own face masks, but then her sewing machine broke down. We live quite a distance away, so I couldn't go over and help get her machine up and running. But, I had a plentiful supply of fabric, stabilizer and elastic.
I started out making the masks myself, but after a while it got tedious. So, I enlisted 3 of my 4 kiddos to help and we set up a modest assembly line which made the work go a little faster. We made masks until we ran out of elastic. There are 70 in all. Not a lot, but if other people are making them, too, it will add to the numbers. We'll be making more as we can, but our fabric stores have run out of elastic and they don't know when they'll be able to get more.
I like the print we used for these masks. It reminds me of cells.
Our nurse was going to make her own face masks, but then her sewing machine broke down. We live quite a distance away, so I couldn't go over and help get her machine up and running. But, I had a plentiful supply of fabric, stabilizer and elastic.
I started out making the masks myself, but after a while it got tedious. So, I enlisted 3 of my 4 kiddos to help and we set up a modest assembly line which made the work go a little faster. We made masks until we ran out of elastic. There are 70 in all. Not a lot, but if other people are making them, too, it will add to the numbers. We'll be making more as we can, but our fabric stores have run out of elastic and they don't know when they'll be able to get more.
I like the print we used for these masks. It reminds me of cells.
My son liked the lighter yellow ones best because they reminded him of a Haz-mat suit. He didn't do any of the sewing, but he assisted with turning the masks right side out, which was a big help.
My 9-year-old liked the doggy print best. Her part was cutting out the rectangles and she did a great job. My 15-year-old saved me from a lot of the sewing.
The masks are relatively easy to make. The only part that's a little tricky is getting the pleats in the right place. But, this video by Joann Fabrics shows you how to do it just right.
It was a good tutorial and easy to follow. I was using that video to construct the masks when a friend sent me this video by Deaconess Hospital.
In the second video, she shows you the same basic construction of a face mask, but she leaves out the stabilizer. Her version is actually a little easier to make, but I'm not sure which version would be better for healthcare workers. My first thought is that the second video is sponsored by a hospital, so we should follow the instructions in that one. But, then, I'm thinking that the Joann's video included that extra thin layer of stabilizer which may be a help in preventing germs passing through the fabric.
Half of ours were already made when I saw the second video. We'll just send them all to our nurse and hope that she'll be able to use them. I'll have to remember to ask which ones she prefers.
I'm so proud of my kiddos for helping. They all did a good job and with a good attitude. With everyone doing a small part, it made the work easier and much more enjoyable. It was nice sitting around the kitchen table, working together and talking. It seems that quarantines are good for more than one thing.
My 9-year-old liked the doggy print best. Her part was cutting out the rectangles and she did a great job. My 15-year-old saved me from a lot of the sewing.
The masks are relatively easy to make. The only part that's a little tricky is getting the pleats in the right place. But, this video by Joann Fabrics shows you how to do it just right.
It was a good tutorial and easy to follow. I was using that video to construct the masks when a friend sent me this video by Deaconess Hospital.
In the second video, she shows you the same basic construction of a face mask, but she leaves out the stabilizer. Her version is actually a little easier to make, but I'm not sure which version would be better for healthcare workers. My first thought is that the second video is sponsored by a hospital, so we should follow the instructions in that one. But, then, I'm thinking that the Joann's video included that extra thin layer of stabilizer which may be a help in preventing germs passing through the fabric.
Half of ours were already made when I saw the second video. We'll just send them all to our nurse and hope that she'll be able to use them. I'll have to remember to ask which ones she prefers.
I'm so proud of my kiddos for helping. They all did a good job and with a good attitude. With everyone doing a small part, it made the work easier and much more enjoyable. It was nice sitting around the kitchen table, working together and talking. It seems that quarantines are good for more than one thing.
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