Monday, June 1, 2020

I really didn't see this coming ....

As a quilter, I really didn't see this coming ... the day that my primary big selling item would be non-medical face masks.  I guess nobody saw it coming, who would ever have thought something like this would happen?  Well, some out there knew it was coming, could have stopped it, didn't ... and here we are.  Regardless, now the world needs to wear face masks and I have the skills to make them so face masks I shall make.  


I've been making them for a couple of weeks now and they're selling well.  I had initially found a free pattern online and gave it a go, it didn't go well.  It was complicated and awkward and didn't fit well, so I figured it was time to build a better mousetrap and designed my own.

*** NOTE *** These are non-medical face masks.  They do not contain a filter and do not have a pocket to insert a filter.  They are double sided, 100% cotton.

I used one of the actual hospital masks as a guide for size, length of elastic, etc, and this is what I came up with.  Of course, as a quilter, I have a LOT of 100% cotton, much of which has been donated to me over the years, some I bought or won, regardless how it came to me it's all fair game when it comes to being used.  

People have suggested to me that they'd like to see masks with musical instruments, or sports teams on them.  For one thing, with the folds in the fabric, the pictures of those things would have to be pretty small to even be recognizable.  It might work on other styles, but not on mine.  Plus, a lot of those are really hard or near impossible to come by, especially with so many people buying online right now.  So I'm using what I have.  I have a wide variety of colours and prints, some are more plain than others though I have very few just plain no-pattern fabrics.  Most of them either have streaks of something on them, or an all-over design, or just a tone-on-tone print (like blue on blue, etc).  So far I've been told that they're breathable and very comfortable, so I think I'm doing ok.  

It was recently suggested that I include a slot along the top for a pipe cleaner to be inserted for nose comfort.  I hadn't thought of that and might give it a shot in the next batch I make.  Currently this is what I have on hand.  Just email scrappyblue@gmail.com if you want to buy any, they're $10CAD each, plus shipping if applicable.

Of course, I'm still quilting in between making the masks.  I've got a quilt in the works for a lady I've quilted for many times, plus a wedding quilt for this fall, and I'm restoring an antique quilt for a friend, so needless to say I'm always busy, but never too busy to take on another project.