Who would have thought I would ever publish a photo of myself auditioning as Hannibal Lecter's sister? But here it is. Here in the UK we have recently been advised to wear face coverings on public transport and in shops. We have specifically been told not to wear medical masks as there is a shortage in hospitals and care homes and it wouldn't be appropriate for the general public to compete for supplies.
Bearing in mind that even medical masks are not 100% effective at blocking bacteria, I am on the side of those that think face coverings are not only pretty useless, but also worse than useless if used incorrectly. I think though, if used correctly, they might be slightly better than nothing. Who really knows?
I made a couple of shopping trips this week wearing a very cheap imitation of a medical mask. It was gappy, sweaty and constantly riding up to poke out my eyes. That was the opposite of what I was expecting. I thought it would fall down, but no. So I spent hours trawling the internet for patterns. There are zillions out there that have been amended from a couple of basic designs. Then I found this more fitted pattern that comes in a range of sizes. I tested it out using a tatty old t-shirt. It took me a while. Some people claim to sew it in fifteen minutes. It took me a lot longer, but was worth it. The washed-out t-shirt actually made a very soft, comfortable mask.
Someone I know wanted to see a photo. I didn't have any suitable elastic. So I dug out some tiny ribbons that I always cut out of clothes. By sheer luck, they make ideal ear loops and are actually probably better than elastic. They keep the mask in place. It doesn't slip down the nose and doesn't need a metal nose piece.
Here is a link to the pattern by Dhurata Davies https://dhuratadavies.com/blogs/things-i-make-and-do/free-face-mask-pattern-and-tutorial. It is an extremely well-written pattern for personal use, not for resale.
I hope everyone is well in these strange times. One day, I want to look back and laugh at myself wearing a mask.
Una I feel your pain, I made a crochet one and put a pocket inside to add a filter of sorts, it's not very comfortable even though it's made of soft cotton, but then are any of them comfortable, like you today I have been looking at patterns until I'm dizzy the next step is to make a fabric one so thank you for the link I will give this one a try. Stay safe xx
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from you. I can definitely recommend that pattern. I'm using ear loops instead of long ties because there is a limit to how daft I want to look. Wake me up when there's a vaccine!
Delete🤣 I have made it this afternoon and it's quite comfortable, I've used t-shirt ties. I'll only wear it if I absolutely have to. This will pass! Xx
DeleteNow that would make a good blog post!
DeleteWell done. And I see we all need a haircut1
ReplyDeleteHa! That's my hair on a good day! When, if, this is over I'm going for a more simple style. I've started looking at politicians on TV now and judging them by whether or not they have had sneaky hair cuts. I should get out more. No, wait...I can't.
DeleteI like the mask you made out of tshirt material. I crocheted some for me and my husband and sewed in fabric for the lining. It's going to be very hot wearing the face masks during the summer months! Take care and be well.
ReplyDeleteI saw somewhere that you could use the type of wicking material that sports tops are made out of. Nurses say their PPE is very hot. I can see why.
DeleteIt looks a lot better fit than others i've seen. Thank you for the link.
ReplyDeleteTake care
Wish I'd come across that mask pattern earlier. I like how it comes down under the chin more than most. I'm laughing at your comments above about politicians hair looking trimmed (and I'll add, many look like their getting regular coloring jobs) during this pandemic. I think they should all come out of this sporting a skunk look - since that's approximately the opinion I hold of the majority of them, anyway.
ReplyDelete