Still sewing masks every day - you can too!

Mask making is now my job and I'm fine with that.

I have a bag for masks to be donated, a box for a large job I'm working on that will be primarily a barter situation, and have moved move of my items for sale to Etsy.  Our governor has issued a mandatory mask order as of this Friday. I'd love to give one to anyone who needs it, but can only sew but so many in a day. I've lost count of the number I've given away, but it looks like I've sewn over 600 for eBay. I'm sending my sister in Virginia Beach one in a day or so, but shhhhhh, she doesn't know it.

I encourage all of you who can sew masks to do so. As long as the fabric is breathable (preferably cotton!), you can de-stash. I've used up so much of my older fabrics. I have Strawberry Shortcake fabric from 1980 that I'm cutting as we speak. In fact, I ordered a clear ruler so I can see what I'm cutting without my handy cardboard window template.

I've been cutting an old (but pristine) Smurfs sheet using the same window template method. I think I'll get more mileage out of the older fabrics if I use the clear ruler. I can be a little more precise with the rotary cutter.

Go sew. Be safe. Stay well. 

Corona Donna

Like others who sew, I've been sewing to beat the band during this pandemic lock down. I personally am one of those at risk people - age and health stuff. Overall, I'm in good health, but I do have diabetes. I get groceries delivered and go out rarely. The newest "thing" is that my husband retired last week, so now life is changing again. Does change ever end? No, and thank goodness for that.

I've sewn literally hundreds of masks - donated, for payment with in-kind donation for buyer so they get money instead (nonprofit people get it), and for sale. I've given them in bulk to people outfitting their people for work and for free to a person wanting one for her child. I am an ongoing give to an emergency vet clinic. My daughter has had me make them for her friends. It's a self-supporting project in the end and the novelty fabrics I have had since the 90s are coming in handy. I don't need to save them any longer. Maybe this is what I was saving them for.

People who sew are heroes right now. It's a beautiful thing to give a mask to a person who needs one. I've posted earlier with the link to the pattern I adapted for myself. Actually, what I do now barely resembles any pattern I've seen, but it works! I've lengthened the ear straps a couple of times per suggestion of wearers. Here are a few:

Pride masks are super popular to sell. I've given away several. 

This is one of my early favorites. I called it the Annie. Now we're up to the Annie II (a different check) and people love it.

I had a little bit of this M&M fabric and used it up fairly quickly. 

My favorite brains fabric. I love this one.

David Byrne of Talking Heads can appreciate this one. 

Dexter anyone?

I bought Sponge Bob fabric eons ago. I'm using it all now!

German Shepherds. Why not?

Again, I've had Steelers fabric forever. Time to use it up. I have the black Steelers fabric too, but haven't used it for masks yet. 

I love this funky print. 

Candy bars are a good thing, right?

The Smurfs fabric is from the 80s. I had a couple of sheets that I had saved. Again, time to use it up. My husband made a custom cutting template for me so I can ensure each mask has Smurfs on it and not just background stuff. 

Newer M&Ms fabric. 

Sorry, Anna, I'm using the strawberry fabric I bought for your quilt since they're very in right now. I'll get you more!

Subtle skulls, barbed wire, and other cute prints. 

NY Yankees. Whew, this fabric was expensive, but as I'm selling these, I should make that money back. 

Alicia sent me some animal fabric. This is her pink/red cat faces that I made today. 

I highly encourage anyone who sews to make a mask or three. The elastic is not impossible to find anymore, but theme fabrics are super expensive on Etsy and eBay now. Sellers know what they have and they're charging a lot. My personal novelty fabric stash is disappearing and I'm fine with that!

I imported my Corona Donna posts and will no longer be using that blog.

Now, go sew something!

Masks!

Masks are the topic of my life right now. They are my job. I make them to sell, to donate, and to trade. I am shocked how many of these things I've sold. I've had to come up with a new routine for my day to make it work, but it truly is my job.

I'm working on a dozen for the Peninsula Cancer Institute and for Nelson (I got his camo fabric finally!). I still have folks stop by and leave a donation (or not) for masks I've made for them. And the ones on eBay are selling faster than I can make them.

The bottom line is that if someone needs a mask and I can provide it, then that's what I'll do.

Please wear your masks people.

Quarantine life isn't so bad when you have something to do. 

Sewing a lot

I'm loving the sewing. It's a shitty reason to have to sew, but I'm happy to make the masks for people. I'm doing them for free, for donations, and some are being sold on eBay. Overall, it's not a money making proposition. That's not the point.

Today, I sewed fairly nonstop except for when I was making cookies, then sausage balls, and then dinner. Oh yeah, there was a nap in there too. I didn't sleep much last night, so got up and did some sewing in the middle of the night. Mr. McQuillen is going to pick up 30 masks tomorrow. He's getting them for his workmates. Later in the week, I'll send another 25+ to Tracey. Tomorrow, I'll finish up Adam and Sandy's masks and start on (probably finishing) masks for Allison's mother-in-law's parents and her brother.

A gal on Twitter with whom I was interacting asked me to make her a couple like "Annie is wearing." Took me a minute, but there is a picture of Annie D on the blog wearing one like this. These will go out in the morning.

A couple doxie masks for eBay.

And a few Hershey chocolate ones to sell. 

Jenny asked for a few for her parents, so I grabbed an assortment. She approved :) 

Allison did the background of this photo for me to use on eBay. I don't mind that my neck looks a mess. It's who I am, right? I am selling the rainbow ones on eBay.

I'm open to making masks for anyone, regardless of whether they can pay or not. I want the world to heal and for the people in it to be safe. 

I didn't do my full walk today, but I did get outside a couple times. I got a little more than half my step goal down, so that's on the agenda for tomorrow for sure. If it rains, I'll fire up Amazon and exercise inside. 

Another day in quarantine, another day in life. 

Cussing time

This whole pandemic thing is a flubbed up mess. It's not martial law yet, but it's a wee bit close. It's not a Nazi world, but it's uncomfortably close with some of the suggestions coming out of mouths of bloviating fools.

#BoomerRemover is a popular hashtag. There are those who are saying it's okay for us "seniors" to die and leave the world to the younger folks. The youngs vs. the olds. What an odd concept. But it's out there and it's just strange to think that people are okay with people x age or older dying off because of a virus.

Cards to be given to people who have proven not to have coronavirus? What about the rest of us? I'm thinking we get arm bands. Yeah, that'll work. Have we heard of this before or something like it?

The sensationalism can be quelled if people would simply adhere to the CDC guidelines and stop spreading this frickin virus. It's not that hard. Limit contact with people. Stay the heck home. Wear masks and gloves when you go out and know how to use them and what their limitations are.

It would be wonderful to not have to order groceries, to visit my kids, to not make any more masks, to go to wherever, to, you know, get back to some semblance of normalcy.

I hate that people are being affected in every aspect of their being by isolation and a total disruption in life as they knew it. As we all knew it. Anxiety, stress, depression. Increased use of drugs and alcohol. Insomnia. Worry. Feelings both controlled and uncontrolled. I'm watching LivePD and they have to stop and check to see if people are in compliance in stores.

Enough grousing. I'm just done with it all today and tomorrow, I'll be back in chipper mode once more.

New undertaking and yet another shortage

Tracey asked me yesterday if I'd be interested in making masks for her clinic. It took me a little bit because I really haven't been into making masks. I'm not sure why I didn't want to, but now I do and I told her yes. She sent me a pattern and I cut one out and gave it a shot.

(Patterns: https://sarahmaker.com/how-to-sew-a-surgical-face-mask-for-hospitals-free-pattern/ and
https://turbanproject.com/patterns and [added 4/8] https://refashionista.net/2020/04/08/face-mask-to-match-your-refashioned-dress-without-a-pattern/)

Picked out and cut some fabrics:

First one made. I did a little fine tuning and made a few to send to Tracey as prototypes. (Failed to brush my hair before taking this picture.):

Today, sent her a test batch of 6:

Now for the amazing thing: There is no elastic to be found. I thought I had a roll of 1/4" elastic, but after a thorough search, I don't. I have a small amount of 1/4", but not enough to make a bunch of masks. I can put ties on them, but I'm obsessed with elastic. I did a long internet search and ordered some that won't be here till the middle of next week. I contacted everyone I know locally who sews to see if they have any. I put a thing on Craigslist (more on that later) and on Freecycle (which is closed to non-Coronavirus postings). I also asked on Facebook. Freecycle paid off and I have 13+ yards that we picked up - it was in a bag on a porch. No contact pickup. As soon as Richard got in the car, I wiped the bag down and he wiped himself and the car down. When we got home, I emptied the elastic out of the bag to air out on the front porch. I'll wipe it down before I bring it in. The bag went into the trash and hands were washed.

Sidebar: No contact anything isn't really no contact. Drive-thru at the pharmacy requires a button to be pushed, a container to be taken out of the pneumatic tube and then put back in, and then the meds themselves in the bag. Hand wiped after pushing button, gloves if possible to hold container and if not, more wiping. Wiping of the meds and the bag. It never stops. 

This virus is just a pain in the ass, people.

Craigslist got me a response from someone who wanted to go to a store and buy elastic for me in exchange for masks. I told them not to go to a store and put themselves in harm's way. I'll make them some masks anyway.

A couple of people offered suggestions for finding elastic and alternative things to use instead. Plus, a couple of people have requested masks as a result of seeing them online.

I'm not sure how big I want this to get, but I do want to get Tracey's done first and foremost.

Who knew that elastic would be impossible to find?

I have officially gained 2 pounds from eating crap. Thank goodness that I'm walking every day.


Disclaimer I put together to give to people who get a mask from me:

Disclaimer: This mask should NOT be used as a replacement for conventional and approved Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). It has not been industry tested nor has it been industry approved. Homemade masks are not substitutes for regular PPE and should not be relied on to protect you from contracting the coronavirus/COVID-19. The decision to use this device is solely your own. Social distancing is key. 

Sewing - quarantine style

UPDATE 04/12/2020 ScrapStitching.com is on hiatus for the moment. Please stop by my Corona blog for information on mask making and current sewing events. 

There's a virus among us that's disrupting the heck out of our lives. If you are self-isolating, and you probably should be, now's a good time to do some sewing.

I'm finishing up UFOs, making Halloween bags, and may make face masks for myself and others (for free!).

The Turban Project has a pattern online and tutorial for a face mask. I know I have a ton of fabric and elastic galore. While you're at it, maybe make a turban or three to donate.

The above is from their web site. 

If you run out of toilet paper or paper towels or other paper products, think of what our elders used - whatever they had. Just don't flush fabric toilet paper if you use it. If you use fabric for your paper towel needs, those can be washed and reused. 

If you sew, I know you have plenty of stuff that you could work on. So get to it! We're all in this together, right?