GUIDE: Basic Home Mask Production

[EACLucifer]

Worried about how you'll smoke while wearing a mask? Never fear, they solved that problem back in 1919 during the flu pandemic. It also works for a drinking straw.

Emerrrrgency induction port

[Tessa K]

I need to up my game

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-eur ... DvcPvsc6f8

[raven]

Those are really lovely.

But I wonder if sewing stuff onto masks is entirely wise. Won't that make it heavier/hotter/more uncomfortable? Also, stitching that puts holes in the mouth/nose area of the mask is possibly not the best idea.

A nice butterfly sewn onto the corner of my lizard mask would look pretty cool though.

[Aitch]

Obviously, you should leave making custom masks to the experts!

[Tessa K]

Those are really lovely.

But I wonder if sewing stuff onto masks is entirely wise. Won't that make it heavier/hotter/more uncomfortable? Also, stitching that puts holes in the mouth/nose area of the mask is possibly not the best idea.

A nice butterfly sewn onto the corner of my lizard mask would look pretty cool though.

I did wonder about how washable those masks would be but maybe if you can afford them you only wear them once and then quarantine them for a couple of weeks because you have plenty of others. Or perhaps you wear them only while face timing from home.

[discovolante]

I have made a 'fun' party mask, but aside from safety concerns I wouldn't wear it in public as it has a drawing of the hammer and sickle on it.

[Tessa K]

I don't think stitch holes would make a difference. Many masks have a seam down the middle. As long as the stitches are small and the fabric is a dense enough weave it should be OK.

[discovolante]

I don't think stitch holes would make a difference. Many masks have a seam down the middle. As long as the stitches are small and the fabric is a dense enough weave it should be OK.

No I also cut a hole in the outer layer and stuck a Cuban cigar into it.

[Tessa K]

I don't think stitch holes would make a difference. Many masks have a seam down the middle. As long as the stitches are small and the fabric is a dense enough weave it should be OK.

No I also cut a hole in the outer layer and stuck a Cuban cigar into it.

That made me think of an entirely different kind of mask with something cigar-shaped sticking out the middle that it would be highly inappropriate to post a picture of here...

[discovolante]

Haha no, not like that...

[raven]

I don't think stitch holes would make a difference. Many masks have a seam down the middle. As long as the stitches are small and the fabric is a dense enough weave it should be OK.

Yes, I know a lot of them are seamed up the middle, but that strikes me as contrary to the whole point of masks acting as a filter. Or so these specifications would suggest: https://brc.org.uk/media/674992/face-co ... nes_v2.pdf.

But I suppose some comrpomise between comfort and filtering is necessary. Masks are no good if no-one will wear them.

[Tessa K]

I don't think stitch holes would make a difference. Many masks have a seam down the middle. As long as the stitches are small and the fabric is a dense enough weave it should be OK.

Yes, I know a lot of them are seamed up the middle, but that strikes me as contrary to the whole point of masks acting as a filter. Or so these specifications would suggest: https://brc.org.uk/media/674992/face-co ... nes_v2.pdf.

But I suppose some comrpomise between comfort and filtering is necessary. Masks are no good if no-one will wear them.

The well-made ones with seams down the middle should have some sort of arrangement of inner seam allowances that cover over the stitch lines, like the seams down the side of jeans or French seams. Or it's a dart rather than a seam. I put a small dart at the top centre of a couple of mine to make them fit more snuggly over the nose.

[raven]

Yes, the human face is not an easy shape to fit. I found some patterns online that had vertical pleating over the nose instead of horizontal pleating at the sides, which allegedly made for a good fit but the site didn't have pictures and I haven't tried that. I've gone for plastic coated twist ties over the nose, which seems to work quite well for fit and keeping the mask in place so it doesn't keep slipping down. But I have got quite a big conk....

[Tessa K]

Yes, the human face is not an easy shape to fit. I found some patterns online that had vertical pleating over the nose instead of horizontal pleating at the sides, which allegedly made for a good fit but the site didn't have pictures and I haven't tried that. I've gone for plastic coated twist ties over the nose, which seems to work quite well for fit and keeping the mask in place so it doesn't keep slipping down. But I have got quite a big conk....

One of my friends made a mask from a sock using the heel for the nose part.

[raven]

I hope they washed the sock first!

[EACLucifer]

I don't think stitch holes would make a difference. Many masks have a seam down the middle. As long as the stitches are small and the fabric is a dense enough weave it should be OK.

Yes, I know a lot of them are seamed up the middle, but that strikes me as contrary to the whole point of masks acting as a filter. Or so these specifications would suggest: https://brc.org.uk/media/674992/face-co ... nes_v2.pdf.

But I suppose some comrpomise between comfort and filtering is necessary. Masks are no good if no-one will wear them.

The well-made ones with seams down the middle should have some sort of arrangement of inner seam allowances that cover over the stitch lines, like the seams down the side of jeans or French seams.

These are called run and fell seams, and would likely help substantially, as would french seams or flat felled seams

[Tessa K]

Yes, I know a lot of them are seamed up the middle, but that strikes me as contrary to the whole point of masks acting as a filter. Or so these specifications would suggest: https://brc.org.uk/media/674992/face-co ... nes_v2.pdf.

But I suppose some comrpomise between comfort and filtering is necessary. Masks are no good if no-one will wear them.

The well-made ones with seams down the middle should have some sort of arrangement of inner seam allowances that cover over the stitch lines, like the seams down the side of jeans or French seams.

These are called run and fell seams, and would likely help substantially, as would french seams or flat felled seams

Thanks, I never knew they were called that.

Hhm. I just looked them up and the images are showing the same seam for both flat felled and run and fell (ie jeans-style seams) mixed in with some others that don't have the second row of top stitching.

[EACLucifer]

These are called run and fell seams, and would likely help substantially, as would french seams or flat felled seams

Thanks, I never knew they were called that.

Hhm. I just looked them up and the images are showing the same seam for both flat felled and run and fell (ie jeans-style seams) mixed in with some others that don't have the second row of top stitching.

I'm in large parts an autodidact on sewing, so I can't guarantee my terminology is correct, but as i understand it, run and fell is where the seam is sown as normal with the right sides together, then the seam allowances pressed together and over to one side and secured to one side by a line of topstitching parallel to the original seam stictching. A flat felled seam is sewn right side to wrong side, then folded to create a sort of s-shape, with the two pieces of fabric interlocked. It's a bit trickier to get right, and rarely used outside of situations where it is important something is both resistant to faying and as flat as possible. I've only used them occasionally, mostly on bustle cages, so the steel can slide smoothly in its casing across the seam, but they have also been used on bedsheets, and would be good for a mask, probably.

[Tessa K]

These are called run and fell seams, and would likely help substantially, as would french seams or flat felled seams

Thanks, I never knew they were called that.

Hhm. I just looked them up and the images are showing the same seam for both flat felled and run and fell (ie jeans-style seams) mixed in with some others that don't have the second row of top stitching.

I'm in large parts an autodidact on sewing, so I can't guarantee my terminology is correct, but as i understand it, run and fell is where the seam is sown as normal with the right sides together, then the seam allowances pressed together and over to one side and secured to one side by a line of topstitching parallel to the original seam stictching. A flat felled seam is sewn right side to wrong side, then folded to create a sort of s-shape, with the two pieces of fabric interlocked. It's a bit trickier to get right, and rarely used outside of situations where it is important something is both resistant to faying and as flat as possible. I've only used them occasionally, mostly on bustle cages, so the steel can slide smoothly in its casing across the seam, but they have also been used on bedsheets, and would be good for a mask, probably.

Ah, right, I get it now. I've done run and fell before, more for the look than for strength as I like contrast stitching on some colours of fabric and a double row of stitching makes it more contrasty (a technical term).

I've been hand stitching my masks because they don't take long and I have the time. But I do side pleated ones, not central seamed so germ access isn't an issue.

I've found the elastic stretches a bit after a while so I've put a small dart in the centre of the mask to counteract any gapping.

[raven]

How interesting, all these seam types. Thanks for those EAL.

I stitched a couple of my masks by hand because they were a bit thick with the pleating and it was quicker than arguing with the sewing machine. I don't get on with ear loops, so I was using shoe laces for ties instead (all I had in) until a friend gave me a great tip.

Take an old tshirt, cut off a long strip off the bottom, run your hand up and down it over a sink to get all the loose bits off, and it'll roll up into a nice cord with no need to seam. Makes for a tie with some give in it, so if you knot it at the right length you can still pull the mask up/down without faffing around undoing bows at the back of your head.

[individualmember]

Late to the party but this thread ought to have this picture in it

E9FFCF3C-6436-4BA7-8B40-E12966D725BC.jpeg (88.72 KiB) Viewed 3447 times