Let's talk...

 I've been interviewed by one of the greatest!  I don't have to say much here.

I suggest you go THERE...

www.patternreview.com

Feel free to express thoughts in the comments, if you so desire.

Mask making missive

Updated!

So. 

Want to buy a mask?

The cost is $25 per mask, shipping included.

Link below:

They are made like just the ones you see pictured, just a labor of love.  There are cheaper ones, and other styles/materials/kinds, and I take no offense if you prefer something else. Asking is free of charge! We'll discuss what colors/fabrics I have available, so you can choose what you'd like.

I've made lots of masks, gradually improving and rethinking over time. I now make double-stranded crocheted ear-loops for comfort. They are naturally elastic, and can be tightened by pulling through  grommets and tightening at the wearer's own comfort level.

I've made lots of them now.

For friends and family.

My awl and grommet press have gotten a workout.

To launder: I keep a glass mask bowl on the kitchen counter, and we drop our used mask in when we come in the door.  I boil water in the tea kettle, add a few drops of dish liquid and to submerge.  Later, when the water has cooled, I rinse and squeeze the masks, and hang to dry for the next use. Easier than always having to throw in the laundry.

People have asked about buying them, but I haven't felt feel comfortable charging friends and family for these. If I were to charge for the amount of labor and supplies these take, they would be on the expensive side.  So... here's what I'll do.  You have three choices you can make if you want to support my mask-making effort.

You can "support the cause" (simply contribute funds because you want to), buy a mask I've already made (because supplies are limited, and I may not always have the time or inclination to make them), or request a mask if you are a friend, associate, family or someone in need, and I will use the "support" funds to offset the cost. 

I've made a payment button for your request, and you can let me know if you are interested.

Which one?

Fashion Unraveled Symposium... A mountain of things I haven't told you... second post

In October of 2018 I wrote this...

She started quietly, and very slowly, describing her visit to a seemingly completely normal place, and being directed towards a small, simple, and quite unremarkable white dresser.  Inside its drawers, she explained, long protected from dust and light, were the impeccably folded clothing items which had belonged to, and were sewn by Frida Kalho.

Frida Kalho (photo from Wikipedia - click link to see details)

Michelle McVicker presented "The Traces of Use, A Case Study of Appearances Can be Deceiving: The Dresses of Frida Kalho and the Potentiality of Visibly Worn Dress" See more about this here...

I was in.  Every word she spoke was fascinating to me, as she explained how signs of use and wear give garments a history, that pristine, unworn, or excessively "restored" garments cannot convey.  She talked about the word "patina", a concept usually reserved for durable antique items, but rarely used for signs of wear on clothing.

Now, in September of 2020, while I am no Frida Kahlo, I get it.

Cancer hit me like a cannonball.  Chemo, chemo-radiation, surgery, recovery... body changes.

I discovered a great use of my own skill.  Sewing for my own body changes and challenges.  Asymmetry, new needs...

I got this.

There is no "size" for the face.

If you're like me, you've been making masks.  If you're like me, you've been asked by friends/clients/businesses/charities/organizations to make masks. 

In all of this mask making, one thing is clear to me - 

 Mask-making is as "custom" as it gets.

The width of your face, whether you feel suffocated, whether you want it to tie on the back of your head, loop around your ears, have an elastic belt around the full circumference of your head...  Will it mess with your hairstyle, your beard, your glasses, your color coordination, your breathing, your comfort? All are worthy considerations, and it takes a special person to try to accommodate all of the concerns thrown at them.  But,,, ignore/don't ask these things, and you will have made a mask that will never be worn. That's tough.

Yeah.

But it's true.

So what do you do?  You've gotta err on the side of too many choices. I can't see nay other way. I've made a bunch of styles for myself, and for my family, (extended and nuclear - more than big enough to keep me VERY busy). I've got a basket of "kinds".  Choose the one that suits, claim it, and it belongs to you.  I don't doubt that you've seen the tutorials.

My current favorite is below:

But I've also done these...

And lots more... from the first mention of cotton masks as protection, until now. I have made them for wide faces, bearded faces, kids' faces, fashion-loving faces... and now I really encourage people to try to make their own.  They really are easy to make, and there are plenty of places to buy, it seems (but I haven't tried to buy any myself). We're in a new zone now. If we're gonna be wearing masks all the time now, we'll all need a good few. I happened to have many fabrics around, thanks to a corporate gift of quilting squares I received as a thank you for a professional favor, but now, you cane even buy plenty of cotton fabrics online, too.