AIBU to ask if anyone would like to share pics of their home made face masks?

[Sewcialist]

(NCed for this thread as it's quite identifying)

I just wondered if anyone was up for a thread of showing face masks they have made? I am a total novice and I know these are a bit wobbly and the seams are a bit uneven but I am quite proud of them and my DC seem to like them - some patterns are specific requests from them eg leopard and zebra print.

I have already spent a fortune on fabric but would like some new ideas and to see what other people have made? It might cheer us all up in what is a bit of a shit time maybe...

@Pepperwort

I hate to be the one to put a downer on things, but I would be a bit concerned about the shaped masks. If they have a seam down the front that's a lot of holes isn't it?

The seam is inside although I'm trying to work out if that makes a difference. I think it must because the holes aren't in the bit you actually breathe through. Either way I don't think it's any more holes than there are from putting pleats in pleated ones.

The middle seam "holes" are mitigated by the filter pocket between the front and back layers. I sew my masks with a non-woven middle layer (usually thin cuddle fleece or flannel) which doesn't have the central seam.
These are the masks I made for the food bank (sorry, they're quite boring). They put them in their emergency packages, and were very grateful for them when masks were mandated on public transport as that's how most of their users travel.

@Pepperwort

I hate to be the one to put a downer on things, but I would be a bit concerned about the shaped masks. If they have a seam down the front that's a lot of holes isn't it?

As soon as you wash them, if they're made of cotton the fibres will swell and fill the stitching holes. Obviously the swelling reduces again when the mask is dry, but the weave will have rearranged itself around the stitching holes. Think of a cotton shirt - you can't see straight through the seams. I really wouldn't worry about a centre front seam in a mask. I make pleated ones only because my husband didn't like the fit of the shaped ones and it was easier to switch to pleated than faff around making endless iterations of shaped ones!

And if you're thinking of the gaps between the stitches, that's easily solved by folding both seam allowances together in the same direction on the front, and in the opposite direction on the back, when you put the front and back together.

I have sent a couple of PMs to lovely MNers! (For any lurkers I'm not fishing/trolling for a business, I will make donations for the food bank if anyone wants a mask. Plus I'm not exactly a professional as you can see from my pics I am sure MNHQ can confirm I am a very very long time poster, I remember Mile for Maude and things like that so I'm not on the make)

I also have doubts (shooting myself in the foot a bit) about the total efficacy of masks which are shoved in teenagers pockets/bottom of bag and fished out damp to use again and again! I have been encouraging my DC to be very strict with this for the sake of their own skin which seems to work. Also you see so many people with them pulled down under the noses etc. I know we are all sensible people here who know how to use a mask though

I cannot WAIT for my Christmas fabric to arrive!

PS any more mask photos much appreciated, it's so nice to see other people's.

Excuse the teens but here's some of my latest ones.

I love them! I have a liquorice all sorts hair band which I would have repurposed for a mask if it had been a bit wider...

Nicely modelled too

Well I have been busy sewing lots of masks today which has proved a welcome distraction as I live in a local lockdown area due to lifted today and they've U turned on it (to be expected tbh). The local lockdown was implemented just after shielding was stopped as well! I keep so looking forward and keep counting down to seeing my family and my friends properly after nearly half a year apart and being so disappointed when it's changed. I know lots of people have much worse situations but I am so fucking fed up today.

And I baked a cake and it's shit And I mean proper shit I would post a pic for everyone's amusement but then I would have to NC again.

Anyway! I am sewing like a mad thing (and awaiting for fabric to arrive) and very much looking forward to spreading the mask love (that sounds all kind of wrong. I promise I'm not sewing gimp masks or anything)

I've been U-turned too, we might be local.
My husband has urged me to stop making any more masks as "we have plenty", but DD starts college soon so I'll make her some, and my parents could do with some spares....
I'll get round him

I wore my lovely lovely 'bluebug' mask and matching Alice band today. I felt super cool.
But its made from polycotton and made my face even sweatier than usual :( maybe that's why the patterns said to use cotton 🤔

I think, like underwear, you can never have too many masks  as the more masks you have, the less frequent washing you have to do. Which is a win.

@InMySpareTime I'm near Manchester in an area where rates are going up. I don't know about you but I am really quite fed up with it all as everything feels so worrying and just sort of flat especially with the shit weather. DD cheered me up a bit though by selecting a leopard print, a cow print and a plain pink mask to take to college. Also it's nice too to have the distraction of sewing and I feel like I'm doing something.

Matching Alice bands and masks sounds very stylish! I am wearing ok still in my pyjamas but I will be wearing a black pinafore dress with a red T shirt so was going to wear a red mask (with Maneki neko/lucky cat print) and musing whether red shoes would be overkill.

My younger son's school has specified plain masks on site (in an email on Tuesday evening for starting back on Thursday, helpfully short notice) so I'm going to have to spend the weekend sewing lots of boring masks... Although my Spoonflower order has arrived so I'll be making some more exciting ones too!

Great masks OP! You lot that can sew are very talented!!

You could make reversible masks, boring side for school, fun side for weekends.

I really need to make some more plain black ones for school etc but I'm having much more fun making the others 

@InMySpareTime I was wondering about reversible ones as the ones I sew have the "channel" for the ear loop elastic on the side facing your face (I'm sure there was a better way of saying that ) How do people make reversible ones?

No Christmas fabric yet. Our post is terrible here atm. I am so impatient!

As long as one of the sides is plain, it doesn't matter if the channels are on the outside (see pic).
Otherwise, fold both edge seams in, and sew the straps into the edge seam. Either
([mask]) for ear straps, or

[mask]< for back of the head straps.

This is my Halloween fabric, just arrived!

Thank you, I think I have got the hang of the ""fold seams in after tucking elastic in" method. But only for ribbon tie masks, I can't see it working for ear loops as I like to change the elastic occasionally. I'm having fun trying it out though

Still waiting for Christmas fabric (our post is terrible atm) and now my thumb has slipped and I accidentally bought some Halloween fabric. Your fault magpie

Also, my DD's friends have requested some so I'm really pleased with that (and can use up the 8 million metres of zebra fabric!)