First mask (Strawberry Day, 11th of Meadow, Year 228)

[neotoma]

Not the best job in the world, but for a pretty novice seamster, it's not too bad.



I used the pleated mask pattern from Bluprint, a fat quarter bought from Spoonflower during a sale (should be able to get 3 more masks from that!), undyed muslin for the inside, and polyester bias tape for the ties (I did roll and tack the ends after this picture). This is going to greenygal.

Comments

[camwyn]

Nice work!

[neotoma]

Thanks. I expect the seams and pleats will get neater as I make more.

[fox]

I dig the bias tape. I'm okay with elastic ear loops but Himself and the kid both hate them, so I've worked out a solution involving braided cord and spring toggles (those pinch-and-cinch things you find on windbreakers), but if I had bias tape that would emphatically Not Suck.

[neotoma]

Elastic earloops only work for people with right shape ears, I think. And they don't work that well with glasses, in my experience.

Bias tape is slowly making its way back into stock -- Joann has some available for order now, but you can make your own.

And really, for masks you could just cut straight strips, as you don't need the curving ability of bias tape for the ties. You'd just need to double fold and iron them, but the method with a long pin on the ironing board works pretty well.

[temve]

Very cool!

[neotoma]

Thanks! I'm pretty pleased with it; the sewing machine took a bit of work to sort out -- thank goodness you can find a copy of its manual online -- but it is a reliable old workhorse. It's just that it's a bit like driving stick, with all the levers you have to remember to set to get it do what you want when you want it to do things.