I bit the bullet.
I tried explaining that there are 5,000 different YouTube videos and patterns out there for mask making.
But the requests kept coming to PLEASE share what I was doing to make these masks my way.
So here it is. It’s not rocket science. It’s not even a very good video. I will not be making a PDF instruction sheet but you can copy the information I have added below – I am currently deep into working on our Unity Quilt Along so that I’ll have the next round (Part 3!) ready to go on Monday.
And that WILL have a very detailed PDF. So I have to make a choice, right?
And that WILL have a very detailed PDF. So I have to make a choice, right?
In my video I make mistakes.
In my video I have to stop the camera and do some seam ripping and then start again! LOL! Because – well – we are keeping it real and I didn’t have time to start all over at the beginning again.
The things you need are as follows:
1 rectangle 9’’x 18’’ and 2 rectangles 1 3/4’’ x 4 1/2’’.
Pre-wash your fabrics on hot and dry on high and give it a good iron press. That will help shrink the fabrics bringing the weave tighter together. Batiks are great – but so are regular high quality quilting cottons, especially when using a filter between the layers.
T-shirt ties (or soft cording) halter style: 55’’. Double tie style: 4 pieces 17’’ long.
One t-shirt yielded SO MUCH CORDING!
(How to in the video below.)
Click to Play:
The more you make the easier it gets.
Experiment with the pleats. It really is easier for me to just fold them by eye instead of measuring with pins and bringing pins up to meet other pins and…..
I have been making an average of about 4 a day. I know it’s not as many as those who are retired and have more time to do it.
To those who are mask warriors and making hundreds – my hat and my heart goes out to you because you are providing such a valuable resource and so much love goes in to each and every one. I know those who receive them can feel it.
It is not a race, it’s not a contest. She/He who makes the most masks doesn’t win – we are all part of the whole and we are doing this together, so just do what you can.
I will be adding this post to the Free Patterns Tab and the Quilt-Cam tab at the top of the blog so you can find it later.
And if you haven’t read it before – let me post here again WHY it has become important to wear a mask when out in public places (grocery shopping, pharmacy, etc) :
COVID-19 is mostly spread via respiratory droplets — the little secretions we generate when we sneeze or cough — and face masks can help to catch some of these fluid splashes.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its guidelines to recommend all Americans wear cloth or fabric face coverings when they're in a public place.
This is to reduce the spread of infection by asymptomatic people (meaning they're sick with COVID-19 but show no symptoms yet)
Those asymptomatic cases can transmit infection, so due to that reason, the CDC is recommending everyone use masks, because … we don't know who is sick and who is healthy.
Makes sense? It does to me.
When choosing fabric:
“Hold it up to a bright light,” said Dr. Scott Segal, chairman of anesthesiology at Wake Forest Baptist Health who recently studied homemade masks. “If light passes really easily through the fibers and you can almost see the fibers, it’s not a good fabric. If it’s a denser weave of thicker material and light doesn’t pass through it as much, that’s the material you want to use.”
Zoey Jo things all of this arguing over to mask up or not is silly.
If it doesn’t hurt – it could help!
And she wants to show you what else she is learning -
Click to Play:
And of course while being recorded she wants to play shy!
Now we just need her to connect ringing the bells with the need to go potty. So far she only knows that if she rings the bells she gets a treat. Hopefully she will have an “aha!” moment.
My “aha!” moment.
Someone thinks I’m gaining weight on quarantine cooking. LOL!
We had a HUGE amount of rain last night – and this morning it is very foggy – but as that burns off and things warm up, I think it might be a good day for a long afternoon hike while social distancing. Zoey needs to get out, and so do I.
And if I burn more calories, could I have a normal breakfast, tomorrow – please? I promise – my jeans still fit! I haven’t gone 100% to pajamas and leggings all day.
My view from here. Click to Play:
For those who contacted me about the Quiltville Store being down yesterday – yes, there was maintenance being done and it was finally complete last evening so everything is accessible now. Sorry for the inconvenience.
And I think that catches me up to now. Today I’m making masks for friends down the street. One family at a time.
Quiltville Quote of the Day
Be disciplined about what you respond and react to.
Not everyone or everything deserves your time, energy and attention.
Go in the direction of your peace.
Have a lovely Thursday, folks!
You are truly a GEM Bonnie, putting up with all us crazy quilters. Take care and thank you for all you do. It is appreciated by me.
ReplyDeletegood job, Zoey. When I did this with my dog I had him ring the bell and then I took him outside. After he went, then I gave him the treat. He still rings his bell after 3 years. She'll catch on. thanks for the turtorial, Bonnie. I have made so many masks and I still goof up once in a while. Good luck and stay safe.
ReplyDeleteabout two weeks ago... maybe longer???? ?? Bonnie did some scrappy/stash busting and mentioned a zippy ruler... it's not mentioned in her Scrap Busting System Blog... or for sale in the shop... unless it's been updated in the past few days... anybody have info??? I can't even recall what she called it... LOLL thanks Cats in Carlsbad, CA
ReplyDeleteCats, are you thinking of GE Designs Stripology ruler? You can find them at gequiltdesigns.com
DeleteYES~ Thank you so much, ordered... hoping it will arrive soon, as we have all this sequestered time to spend, maybe I'llfinally get somewhat organized... and again, thanks for all you contribute to my life and others. Cats
DeleteA BIG shout out to you Bonnie for you uplifting posts and mask making contributions. It makes the day a bit brighter to read your posts and see what things you and Zoey are up to whether it is mask making for family and friends, quilting or hosting guests at the Inn. I am going to pass the tutorial along to my friends who are quilters. Have a wonderful day and remember that this too shall pass and we will one day be looking back on this time as a distant memory much like generations before us during the Spanish Flu, Bubonic plague, World War I and II, the Great Depression and many other times. Keep your chin up :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the updated info on the masks! I keep modifying as I go and this was really helpful!
ReplyDeleteOn the bell thing - we trained our dog to ring the bell to go out by ALWAYS opening the door and taking her out when she rang the bell. We used it because she would NEVER bark to go out and we'd find a puddle by the door becuase she stood there but we didn't someone didn't see her fast enough to get her outside. :-)
Miss Zoey, is that... is that a Peep rabbit toy you have there?? Gosh, that's cute. Nice trick w the bells - you'll get the idea quick enough, I'll bet.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all you do for others! You are amazing!
ReplyDeleteI began my mask making by making them for our neighbors in our cul de sac, and now I'm making them to mail to family & friends. I also made them for our mail carrier & his family. I've told folks to let me know if they need more, and I make them as I can. I am grateful to have something to do that will help others. Take Good Care
ReplyDeleteBonnie, thank you for being so generous with your time and talent. The halter method seems like it would be the best for a tighter fit so will have to try that. I like the idea of using the tee shirt ties. I had been using athletic shoe laces for the 4 tie method but that means going to the store to buy more. Now I can just get rid of some old tees!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Bonnie, I really appreciate you! I've been making masks, and every so often little doubts creep in and play around in my mind, but I just try to keep them in their own box and remember what you've said. Wearing a mask myself I found I wished for a bit of structure over my nose, so I made some little pockets for a little bit of pipe cleaner across the top. So far working pretty well. Who knew I had pipe cleaners in my stash! Where the heck did they come from!!??? Haha, glad I have them. Sunshine and flowers blooming here at home. Love you,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Bonnie, for creating the mask tutorial. I tried the Olson mask, but I messed that one up. Your tutorial was so simple and easy to understand. I was able to get 2 masks made. I have a doctor's appointment in the morning and I wanted to be able to wear the mask to the doctor's office. So thank you very much for taking the time to teach us this technique.
ReplyDeleteZoey Jo is such a darling "little" dog! Such expression on her face. Good adoption, Mom.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for taking the time to make a video. No apologies necessary! Stay safe
ReplyDeleteThanks for the video, Bonnie. I just made a halter type mask for my husband and he loves it. The ear elastic style interferes with his hearing aids. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing, Bonnie! Once again, your instructions are clear and easy to follow! Thank you so much for being so caring and creative and adaptable. It's a treat to watch your un-edited video and see your trials and errors, just like the rest of us "common folk" trying to learn how to do this. By watching you adapt, we know we can do this, too. Really appreciate you and all you do! Louise from MD
ReplyDeleteBonnie. Anyone...ALL of my t-shirts have a side seam. What happens if we use these? Does it just mean that the seam needs to be reinforced or something like that? Has anyone tried it?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bonnie.
ReplyDeletex
Thank you Bonnie. I have been feeling so overwhelmed by everything happening around us. The 50,000 videos on how to make masks make me more nervous and then my feelings escalate. I haven't been on social media as much this week, because it all became too much. I usually read your blog everyday, this is the first day I have read your blog in four days. I absolutely love your statement at the end of today's post..."Not everyone or everything deserves your time, energy and attention. Go in the direction of your peace." And that will be my focus for the next few days/weeks.
ReplyDeleteHi Bonnie, I've made masks by a different pattern that was much more time consuming than yours, so today I switched to your way. Thanks so much for taking the time to do all you do for us. I have enjoyed this Unity QAL so much. It's the first one I've ever participated in. I've sewn and quilted since I was a young girl, but haven't participated in quilt guilds and such because I was made to feel like if I didn't buy all new fabrics from a quilt shop, then my quilts were under par. You have restored my faith in the quilting process of "use what you have". That's been my philosophy all my life. Thanks again for all your hard work. It's truly amazing how much effort you are putting into this Unity QAL. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteJM
Thanks so much! Very easy to follow. My filter insert was upside down too but I dont care!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter-in-law in Louisiana is heading up a group making masks. They are having a hard time finding fabric. She now has me cutting out masks from my "stash". Hasn't made a dent yet. I know you can relate. Polly in Florida
ReplyDeleteHooray for Zoey and the bells! We worked hard with our youngest pup and the bells and I thought I had finally made great progress...and then I went away for 2 days, leaving the pup at home with my partner and very specific instructions on how to keep up the good work. I'm going to guess the man and the pup took a vacation while I did, because from the moment I returned until now (months later) that dog has refused to acknowledge the bells or lift his darling paw to them. He must have learned that the door would open without the ringing, and after that he wasn't going to waste his time, and he hasn't since. My advice? Be consistent and get everyone on board!
ReplyDeleteWe trained our hunting dog to ring the bell to go outside but our mutt never got the idea. Luckily he always wanted to go outside with the other one, so it worked. I’m loving seeing your progress with Zoey. Thanks for the videos. You are a Rock Star.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bonnie for this video. I really like the halter version and will be making these from now on. Your little errors made me feel good because those are the ones I've made. Just not accustomed to the back stitch habit. You are the best!
ReplyDeleteLike the bell idea. In fact I tried to train our pup using one as well. Instead he trained us with his "dog stare" until we'd get up and take him out. If that didn't work he'd jump up and work on us. At the back slider he hits the vertical blinds. 6 years later he still won't bark to go out but doesn't have accidents so I guess I should count my blessings. LOL. I like your latest version of the mask. Just a couple changes make it so much faster and easier. Thank you for putting up with us!
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your daily blogs. I just joined in when the Unity project began. Your blog takes me outside myself and into your world for just a few minutes and it is a delightful place. I fell in love with Zoey, love at first sight! God bless you!
ReplyDeleteWish I would have know about your tee shirt ties earlier. I was making my ties like I was binding a quilt, not hard but very time consuming. Thank you for the great idea. I am going to post it giving you credit on our neighbor hood news website as everyone is trying to come up with ideas for elastic from cutting up a bungee cord to purchasing pony tail holders at the $ store and cutting them up. I am in Michigan and we are the third worse state in the nation and our county is the third in the state. Once again you came through for so many. A HUGE thank you. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteHow cute is Zoey Jo and her new bell ringing skills. We have had a bell for many, many years now and multiple rescue dogs. What we discovered is when we go on vacation, we take the bells with us and manage to attach to cabin/hotel door and the dogs use them! It will make Zoey Jo very easy to travel with. Thank you for all you do. I really enjoy seeing her and all of her antics
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting your video, Bonnie. Your mask making technique is the easiest that I have tried. I really like the t shirt ties and the halter style. The ties are so easy to make and so comfortable to wear. Stay well.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I trained my cat to ring a bell when he wants out. I then bring in the "barn" cats food, which Ranger can't eat (it gives him kidney stones)and my dog runs up the first few steps in the house to get a few bites of cat food as I walk by. Two days ago Ranger rang his bell and my dog ran up the steps, so apparently, the cat has trained the dog!
ReplyDeleteThanks you for sharing the mask video! I've made lots of masks already, but totally switched to your method as soon as I watched your video. So much easier!
ReplyDeleteBonnie, thank you so much for this tutorial. I know there are many out on the internet but yours is by far the easiest for me to follow. I just made 2 masks in about 35 minutes! This is so much faster than what I was doing. I am now going to share your video with my juveniles and we will attack mask making today and tomorrow. We are delivering them to a Ottawa Family Practice and to the Ottawa Health Department.
ReplyDeleteAgain thank you for all that you do.
Bonnie , The bells work great my dog ( Fritz) taught our second dog (Jillee) how to use them. We have them on both sides of the door, to come in or go out.
ReplyDeleteThe cat (Tommy) also uses them . He uses the dog door ,Too. He thinks he is a dog. Good luck Jeanne
Thank you for making this video. This is my favorite version of any mask pattern. I appreciate all the time you took and will start my masks now!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the excellent video. I have a stack of used Shout Color Catcher sheets. Thinking of trying those as the filter?
ReplyDeleteWhen this is over and you go back on the road sweet Zoey Jo is going to be so confused! Maybe you can take her along as your support animal!
ReplyDeleteI use two different fabrics for the mask, so I can tell which side touches my face
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness Zoey is so sweet and smart! I am making masks for family members that are essential workers. They are not given masks for working in grocery stores or dollar general stores.
ReplyDeleteI want to thank you, Bonnie for the wonderful Mask Making Video. I have made several of them for neighbors and intend to make more for others. People LOVE them. You are such a generous and talented person. And Zoey is SO ADORABLE. I am SO glad you have her. And "Ring the Bell"...wonderful. Love to you and your family. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the video! Just completed my first mask. Onward I go!
ReplyDeleteHi Bonnie, thank you for the T-shirt tie tip, the way they loop around the neck and only are tied on top is brilliant; I made a bunch for my daughter (care worker in Amsterdam), and she loves them! The masks with four ties catch her hair in her neck, and the ones with elastic bands hurts at the back of the ears after a days work. The tshirt ties are superb and soft.
ReplyDeletegood job, Zoey. When I did this with my dog I had him ring the bell and then I took him outside. After he went, then I gave him the treat. He still rings his bell after 3 years. She'll catch on. thanks for the turtorial, Bonnie. I have made so many masks and I still goof up once in a while. Good luck and stay safe.
ReplyDeleteThis my blog: https://couponforless.com/store/fabric.com
Thanks for the easy info on the mask. I searched you tube for about 15 minutes for a video for this and couldn't find one. And then I remembered you had one. Thanks so much! You made it really easy.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for being a power for constructive, creative, contributing kindness. I love that you put the science out there in support of mask wearing. xoxoxox
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