A BETTER FACE MASK

 When I put away my mask-making stuff earlier this year, I really didn't think I would be making masks again as school started. I guess the good news is that I am using a new pattern that is less stressful to make, fits better, and doesn't make my glasses fog up. Tyler was really excited about that aspect.

I saw some friends at church wearing the new 3-D mask and asked them where they got the pattern. They gave me the website and even printed the pattern for me.

Besides how nice they fit, they look expensive and not homemade. That was so important to me when I was younger. I always thought it was an insult when someone would ask me if I had made the outfit I had on. If they said, "Now you didn't make that, did you"? I would always feel proud of the job I had done.

Unlike the other mask and tutorial I gave last year, this mask is not reversible. That is a disadvantage in some ways, but it means I can use a muslin-type for the liner. It also uses a little bit larger piece of fabric. That means the pieces I cut earlier for the other pattern won't work for this pattern. I will have to come up with something else to use them.

I am giving you a link to the pdf pattern for the mask in various sizes. Kate also has a video which I watched too many times. I decided to take various pictures as I made several different masks in case you didn't want to watch the video as many times as I did. The first one I made wasn't right and it took watching the video and a little luck to finally figure out what I was doing wrong. I just couldn't see it well in the video. Then it was so easy.

Decide which size pattern you need to use and cut a piece from the print you want to use and one piece from the material you are using for the lining. Place the two pieces on top of each other with right sides together. Using a 1/4 inch seam, sew across the top and then across the bottom leaving the ends open. Always remember to trim the threads each time.

Clip across the two corners on the top and the bottom to reduce the bulk when you turn it.

Turn right sides out and press. Now top stitch 1/4 inch in from the seam on the top and the bottom still leaving the ends open. (I made the picture bigger so you could see the top stitching, but you still have to look hard to see it.)

Looking at the liner side, fold the bottom and the top toward the center almost 2 inches. (In the video Kate says to fold along the lines on the pattern. It was easier for me to just measure the same amount once I made the first one correct.)

Press along this fold line and pin to hold in place in the middle if you need to. Top stitch again 1/4 inch in from the folded edge across the top and bottom making a nice ridge along the top and bottom of the mask. 

 

Now you are ready to work with the ends that you have left open. First fold in about 3/8 inch toward the center and press.

Then fold over again the same amount and press. It is okay if it doesn't lay flat. Cut 2 pieces of your elastic cord about 9 inches long. If you are making masks for a child, you won't need that long of a cord. I cut the cord 8 inches for my grandchildren.

You will lay the cord along the second fold line and

hold it in place with your fingers.

You will stitch down this casing along the edges making sure you don't let the cord slip and catch it in the seam. Then you will pull up the two ends of the cord and tie them in a knot one time and pull tightly. You can cut off the extra ends if necessary. Gently pull the cord so that you pull the knot inside the casing. You might need to use something to help push it in but then it will slide easily. (If the loop in the cord is too long for the wearer, just pull the cord until the knot comes out and retie it making the loop shorter. If the loop is too short thereby making it hurt over the ears you will have to cut another piece of cord and feed it through using a small safety pin and retie it.)

To make the mask 3 - D and finish it, fold the mask in half matching the corded ends.

Pull out the folded pieces at the top and the bottom keeping the masked folded with the looped ends together. Now we come to the part that I had difficulty with seeing in Kate's video and understanding what she was saying. When you follow the last instruction, your mask will look like this.

It really helped me if I tried to keep the mask folded and together.

Then opening the mask slightly bring the pointed end down behind the main part keeping it flat feeling underneath. (The white point you see in this picture is the other end since you still have it folded in half. I will show several pictures at this point to help you see how to make it 3 - D.)

In this picture I turned back the folded finished edge so you could see the finished point underneath. 

Then I pinned it in place so I could stitch it down.

After you do one half, you will do the other half. This is how each end will look underneath.

Now you are ready to sew these folded flaps down to finish the mask. I just used my pressure foot as my guide and sewed the distance from the sewed down casing across the ends.

Now when you open it up, it will stand on its own and you have a 3 - D mask. The top flap fits over your nose and under your glasses if you wear them. The bottom flap fits under your chin.

Here are some of the masks I made for my MO grandchildren. They like cats.

Here is a picture of me in one of the masks I made for myself.

Here is the LINK I promised you to Kate's website where you can download the pattern for the mask. I used the adult/teen size for myself and Madison who is 11. She says the cords need to be shortened. I used the Big Kid size for Tyler who is 9-1/2. I hope you will try this mask pattern and that my photos will make it easier for you.