Hey there. We need to make face masks. As of today, the US stockpile of masks is at about 30 million and the estimated need is somewhere around 2 billion. According to the CDC, fabric masks are a crisis response option when other supplies have been exhausted.

We may very well have items in our household that use the same textile used in medical protective masks. Masks are made from nonwoven polypropelene. This is the fabric used for your shopping bags from many stores. Look closely at the waffle weave in the bag above. If you have these, you have a very valuable asset that you can reuse to help people. And if you don’t sew - pass them along to someone who does who is helping with the mask shortage crisis. If you want to make masks and don’t have any of these bags, I only have 5, here are a few tests done for fabrics that can be used for hand made face masks using other textiles.

I have been doing some research … the surgical masks used by professionals are made from nonwoven polypropelene fabric and suppliers can’t keep up with the demand. I found though that this is the fabric used in some reusable shopping bags. Not the plastic coated ones, but the fabric like ones. They are soft and have a waffle texture. I have been making masks out of shopping bags and testing them. They are breathable and have tested to filter 70% of the 1 micron+ particles of the coronavirus. This textile stands as my first recommendation. A recent study shows that the most effective home textile filter would be made of combining 2 different textiles. Here are my recommended fabrics:

Nonwoven PP (shopping bags)

Tightly woven cotton

Cotton knit

Anti - microbial pillow case

Tea towels

Canvas

You will also need: my pattern, a shoe lace or elastic. Sewing supplies: a machine, scissors, pins, a ruler, a marker, a seam ripper, thread.

To download my pattern, register for my face mask workshop for free HERE and you will be emailed the pattern download.

My most recent video tutorial is on YOUTUBE

Instructions how to make the protective face mask

Download your pattern. Print two copies.

Cut your pattern out.

Cut two pieces of fabric. Ideally if you have enough of the reusable bags made from nonwoven polypropelene, you can use just those. But, as per CDC, cloth will do just fine in a shortage. According to the CDC, cloth masks will work in a shortage crisis.

Sew along line 1 with a 1/4” seam allowance as marked on the pattern.

Sew along line 2 with a 1/4” seam allowance as marked on the pattern.

Turn your mask right side out so the seam allowances are to the inside.

Mark line 3 1/2” from the edge as marked on your pattern and sew.

Mark Line 4 1/2” from the edge as shown on your pattern and sew.

Point 5 on your pattern is your first pleat. match the top notch to the bottom and fold them together. Pin in place. Repeat with pleats 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Press all of your pleats down and stay stitch them in place with a 1/4” seam allowance. Do not stitch over your seams at the top and bottom of your mask as your strap needs to go through that channel.

feed your shoestring or elastic through the channel at the top of your mask and at the bottom creating your straps that will fit behind the ears. Tie them to size and leave a little extra string so your medical professional can adjust the ear straps to their comfort.

So once you have your mask process down - pass it along to friends. Many hands can make an incredible difference.