Homemade Facemask

This mask pattern fits better on our faces than the Fu mask pattern. Thanks, Tara!

Mask includes these features we love. Thanks, Sara!

• open seam for pulling through your own pull tie
• open insert between fabric for adding disposable filters
• open insert for removable nose wire

Mask has 2 panels only: cotton exterior panel, and then t-shirt liner OR cotton again for the interior panel.

Quick to make!

• Pattern (included here)
• Cotton fabric for the front of the mask
• T-shirt fabric for liner on the inside of the mask OR cotton fabric again for inside
• Thread, sewing machine, iron, stick pins, fabric scissors, safety pin
• Wire for nose piece (18 gauge copper, or paper clips)
• Wire clippers to cut wire, and needle-nose pliers to bend the wire
• T-shirt "yarn" for mask pull ties (or use elastic) - How-To Video https://youtu.be/e-UOc9RHdAY

• Wash all fabric and used tshirts in hot soapy laundry, and also run through hot dryer cycle. We want fabric pre-shrunk, clean, and dry.
• Print fabric pattern (available here in pdf and jpg). There is a line on the pattern showing 3", so you can check that your printed version is to scale. It's okay if it's off by a little bit - but if it's off by 1/4", that will resize your mask.
• Cut pattern directly out from printed copy, and use on fabric.

• Be sure the front sides of cotton are facing each other, and you are cutting on the back side.
• Soundtrack from daily live concert by - Heartsong Health https://www.facebook.com/HeartsongHealth/

• When the t-shirt is ironed, it will tend to roll up. Consider the rolling-up-side the back side of the fabric, and hemming will be a lot easier.
• OR you can cut this interior panel with cotton as well.

• before you stitch on your mask, do a test stitch to be sure everything works correctly. use small pieces of the same fabric you will use for your mask - try stitching the same cotton to the same liner. it will also let you see if you like the color thread you chose.
• sewing machine settings:
  • straight line (no zigzag)
  • approx 2.75" stitch length

• after this, you will have a complete front panel and a complete back panel

• let the t-shirt fabric roll up, and fold twice, then iron to hold hem shape until you stitch it.

• iron and then stitch for both hems of the liner, so you will repeat these steps twice.

• this is to help shape the mask

• be sure that the outside of both front panel and liner face each other! for this step, you want the mask inside-out.
• later you will flip this right-side-out.

• the mask needs to be ironed into holding its shape properly.
• use your fingers to be sure the fabric is fully extended into hems, to get full size of mask.
• you are also ironing new hems alongside the ends of the front panel. more on this in the next step.

• Using the iron to help, fold the fabric twice to form the hems of the front panel. Make sure there is enough room for the pull ties to slide through this hem later.
• Use pins to help keep hem in place.

• Now is a great time to check your threads - whatever color you use now will show on the front of the mask. also be sure you still have enough thread in your bobbin.
• Repeat hem two times, one for each side, for the pull ties of the front panel.

• if you don't have wire, that's ok! you can still stitch in a place for the wire to go, or not include a wire stitch. this is optional.

• 18 gauge copper wire is recommended, but even a paper clip will do.
• Cut the wire to approximately 4".
• Turn down each end of the wire to protect the sharp wire edge from cutting through the mask fabric.
• Hold wire next to mask, and mark the distance with pins. In the next step, you will stitch this length into the mask, so that nose wire will sit in the mask, but will also be removable.

• This does not need to be exact -- approximate is fine. Be sure to double back at start and finish of stitch.

• Cut about 3' length t-shirt "yarn", and pull through the front panel hem seams, using a safety pin to help.
• Tie off the "yarn" after it's pulled through.
• You can also use elastic, or anything else as a tie.
• Here is how to create t-shirt yarn - https://youtu.be/e-UOc9RHdAY

Remember after finishing mask making and before gifting, be sure to clean them before hand-off:

• Boiling hot water in sink (from tea kettle) and regular laundry soap, agitate masks and let sit 10-15 minutes.
• Put on your mask and gloves.
• Rinse masks briefly, then put in dryer for about an hour, until dry.
• Put on your mask and gloves.
• When dry, iron masks back into shape - be sure area is clean!
• Keep on your mask and gloves.
• Place clean masks into ziploc bags. Ready for delivery!