Making face masks / coverings

[DonegalGhirl]

Can anyone who has actually made a face mask recommended a good YouTube video / link to instructions. Also, what material have you used, could I cut up old shirts, t-shirts and pillowcases or the like?

Although I have a sewing machine, my sewing skills are very limited so the easier the instructions the better.

Thanking you in advance.

How would a piece of old t shirt help? It would be wet and minging in under an hour!

helpful first post there @DahliaDay.

probably a simple pleated mask would be simplest...not one with shaped seams like the olsen (?) type

have a squizz about you tube, there's loads of options there, you;ll find something to suit

fabric wise you want cotton ideally...you can wash and iron it at hot temperatures, and if you can get two layers with a pocket in you can add an extra layer of cotton'tissue/filter if you feel the need.

you can make ties with fabric or elastic or hair bobbles

you can use pipe cleaners, garden wire or twist ties to make a "nose fitting" to keep it close to your face

run up a couple and see what suits...I have adapted a shaped one to take a filter and to have a removable nose wire so they can go through the wash, and am mostly using ties instead of elastic as a) I don't have any elastic) and b) I prefer the way the tie up feels.
I made a pleated one but it was gapey at the sides on me and dh, but ds1 dropped by and it suited him so he took it
dd had whipped all the ones I made and her chums love the ties...all the young things are putting buns/pigtails behind their ears and securing the ties around those apparently!

Aldi had fat quarters in the other day so that may be somewhere to look for fabric...I have been using that for the outside and using old cotton shirts i had for another patchwork project for the linings.

You need cotton non stretch material..poplin cotton is great for masks..use thin elastic or thin hair bands and there is loads of free simple sewing patterns online just google it and you will be good to go..

Apparently in tests, masks that had a layer of cotton and two layers of fine silk or fine synthetic have the greatest covid resistance.

Something to do with the fine cotton being a filter and the two other layers rubbing together forming a small electrostatic force. This also stopped the virus.

In tests these masks produced up to 95% filtration but it relied heavily on a secure fit to the face.

I've made ours with this combination. I have the link somewhere. It doesn't seem to be widely known.