From the Heart Blog Hop ~ My Day!

I am giving gifts to family and friends and others

this season that show how much I care. 

Quilty Kitty Katniss is helping me.

To make my Fall Gift Masks I followed my 

Free Tutorial for Masks with Neck Straps Posted Here

and I added a few new materials to my masks

to increase their protection and breathability.

These are my mask making supplies.

Here are new additions:

Antimicrobial White Poly Cotton Fabric

and

Mountain Mist Polypropylene Filter Fabric

I bought these at

Fat Quarter Shop's Mask Making Supplies

Here are the pieces for the mask shown on the bear in the top photo.

For this mask I made the top elastics longer than the bottom ones

as this makes a comfortable fit for wearing over ears.

This photo shows the nose wire pocket added to the top center inside of the front fabric.

I chain sew the nose wire pockets and cut and twist the end the plastic covered craft wire

so they will not poke through the fabric.

I sew on the nose wire pocket with a 1/8th inch seam to the inside of the front fabric

for all the masks I am making before proceeding to the final assembly.

I add the four elastics to the back patch before sewing it to the front.

When I top stitch around the edges of the mask

I carefully add the elastics to the side.

Here is a finished mask.

This one has wide elastic of the type that is used for baby's hair bands

and it is soft and does not get stretched out.

This one I made special order for a person who ears hearing aids and eye glasses

and cannot wear the elastics over the ear as it tangles with the hearing aids.

This one fits comfortably under the ears and the nose wire keeps it snug at the top.

The person who will be wearing this one must wear a mask all day at work

and requested these modifications.

The elastics are the same length and the back patch is small.

It fits snugly without being too tight.

The additional sewn in washable filter layer makes the mask look a bit bulky

but it actually makes the mask quite comfortable and easier to wear.

The polypropylene filter and antimicrobial backing fabric 

are very breathable.

I highly recommend these added protective fabrics. 

Here is my well dressed bear ready to gift some hand-sanitizer and a mask to a friend.

Here I am wearing a fall mask that I gifted to me

and wearing it is a gift to others. 

This is my personal favorite and most comfortable mask to wear for fall. 

I wore this mask recently to go for my annual physical.

I have more tests and doctor's appointments on my calendar.

The Covid-19 threat in my area is red again.

I am being careful and taking care of my health. 

One of the people I made a mask for requested that I add 

a nose guard tab to the top of the mask

so that it might fit better with their eyeglasses.

For a tutorial on how I added the top flap with a wire

scroll down to my next post or Click Here

Please visit all my friends today to see what they are gifting:

 October 28

Just Let Me Quilt

Quiltscapes

Beaquilter

Seams To Be Sew

Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life

Bumbleberry Stitches

Days Filled With Joy

Quilted Delights

Den Syende Himmel

Life in the Scrapatch (you are here)

Storied Quilts

Kathleen McMusing

Food for Thought

Thank you to 

Carol @ Just Let Me Quilt

for organizing and hosting this fun blog hop! 

I am always trying to improve the protection and wearability of the masks I make.

I would love to hear how you have made better masks.

Thank you for sharing! 

Katniss says, "Have a Happy Fall and Holiday Season 

and have a wonderful time visiting 

and sharing with family and friends.

May all of you be safe and well!" 

Mask Making ~ Adding a Wired Nose Tab

 

This is my prototype for a Mask with a Wired Nose Guard.

I designed this as I sewed and made adjustments along the way.

These are the materials I used:

Front Piece ... 6.5" by 9.5" of  focus fabric 

Back  Piece ...  6.5" by 9.5" of antimicrobial polycotton fabric

Filter Piece ... 6.5" by 8" Mountain Mist polypropolyne fabric

Neck Piece ... 3" by 5" focus fabric

Nose Guard Piece ... 5" square focus fabric

Nose Guard Wire ... 5" plastic coated craft wire

Neck Elastic Pieces ... two 5" pieces and two 6.5" pieces

Sewing Steps: 

I folded and sewed tube for the back of the neck piece

and folded and pressed in the edges 

and inserted the elastics in the side openings

and top-stitched around the back tab.

To make the nose guard, 

I used a needle nose plier to turn in the cut edges and the wire

and I pressed the 5" square in half.

I folded the triangle right sides together and sewed a partial seam,

starting at one corner and ending and back stitching 

so I could make a pocket for the wire.

I turned right side out and turned the open edges in and pressed.

Then I inserted the nose wire with the curve towards the top point 

and the ends toward the long fold.

Then I carefully topstitched around the edges to close the opening. 

I stay-stitched the noseguatrd pocket with a 1/8" seam

to the top center front of the mask,

taking care not to catch the wire inside with my stitches.

Then I inserted the elastic in the sides and top stitched all around.

closing the ends and securing the elastic.

I layered my mask materials with the filter fabric centered over 

the triangle nose guard on the back of the front fabric

and I placed this on top of the antimicrobial back fabric, front sides together,

and made a tube by sewing the top and bottom seams.

Then I turned the tube right side out and pressed only the open ends in,

being careful not to apply the hot iron to the middle as the heat will melt the 

polypropylene filter fabric. 

I pressed the triangle for the nose guard upward before I sewed. 

Then I folded the triangle downward and topstitched a short line of stitches

in the middle to keep the nose wire in place.

This is the front of my mask before I added the pleats.

Then I added the side pleats to shape the mask.

This is my completed mask.

It is very breathable and comfortable to wear.

It can be pulled down around the neck and worn as a accent scarf

when not in use.

I like to put it on before I go out and wear in down in the car or when I am alone in the back yard and pull it up when I am with others.

Wearing a mask has become second nature to me,

an essential garment and pretty to wear.

I hope you find this tutorial helpful.

For Links to Materials and a more complete sewing tutorial Click Here

Below is a link to a more detailed photo tutorial with the neck straps

Free Tutorial for Masks with Neck Straps Posted Here

If you have any questions, please email me at

scrapatches@gmail.com

Have a Happy Day! 

Making Custom Masks with Neck Straps

Custom Mask with Neck Straps

I made this rose mask for me after making some that my hubby requested.

This is the most comfortable and best fitting mask I have made and worn.

Mr Scrapatch wears hearing aids and eyeglasses

and asked me if I could make him a mask that did not fit over his ears,

because the elastics get tangled with his hearing aides and eyeglass stems.

He picked the fabrics and elastic. 

This is the back of the mask

and shows the fabric square that holds the elastics to the back of his neck.

It is easy to pull this down around his neck and pull it back up when needed

and does not interfere at all with his hearing aids
as it fits well enough to wear the elastics under his ears.

These are extra large masks with deep angled pleats

that fit us better than the regular size masks.

It is easy to add the back fabric patch.

I also add a nose wire pocket and cut plastic coated craft wires 

and turn in the sharp edges with needle nose pliers.

This gives a tight fit over the nose and eliminates eyeglass fog.

Here are the pieces to make this 

Extra Large Mask with Neck Straps 

The mask rectangles, front and back are cut at

7.5" by 11"

The nose wire pocket is 2.5" by 5.5"

The back patch is 3.5" by 6.5"

The  4 elastic straps are 6" 

The nose wire is cut at 5..5" and the ends are tuned in 1/4" on each side.

I sew the nose wire pocket to the top center of the mask before 

sewing the mask tube and then I sew the top and bottom.

I turn rightside out and press the mask and sew the four elastics to the front.

Then I sew the back patch tube the same way I sew the front,

leaving the ends open and turning and pressing.

Then I sew the elastics into the four corners of the back patch.

Then I sew the elastics to the back patch.

I added the deep, angled chin tucks to my mask, too.
I found I had the tack the bottom elastic to the back of the bottom front corners
of my mask to get a good tight chin fit
so for my future masks I will cut the bottom elastics at 4.5 inches instead of 6 inches.
The ones I made for my hubby fit him well as is.

You can just see the elastic tuck on the right front back in this image.

I find being able to wear my mask around my neck a big plus.

I make all the masks I donate according to the recommended size
but it is nice to customize the ones I make for us to wear.




Basic Mask Pattern is Linked Here

In our state we every person over the age of 2 years old
 is required to wear a mask in public.
Stores and other businesses have signs on their doors
saying you must wear a mask to enter.
Mr Scrapatch is required to wear a mask all day where he works.

I am good with this.

Wearing a mask is being careful and being safe
and showing you care about others.

We are all in this together. 

<3 <3 <3 

The Masked Mask Maker

Still Sewing Masks

Adding wire nose pockets.

Adding an inner filter layer cut from a new vacuum cleaner liner.

The white film is the filter to go over the nose and mouth area

to hopefully add an extra bit of protection.

I am using up any usable elastic I have,

including cutting the wide elastic in half lengthwise.

I have some of the round coated elastic.

My machine does not like this much, even when using my heavy duty walking foot.

I have had frequent thread breaks and it has even bent a 90/14 ballpoint needle.

The best method seems to be placing the round elastic directly under the needle and 

putting in tack stitches before doing the topstitch all the way around.

Then the pleats add another reinforcement line of stitches.
These get messy thread nests on the back.

These batch of masks are going to some city health department workers.

Then I was just about out of elastic.

Then I scored this bag of Foldover Elastic by Annie 

from my local quilt shop with curbside pick up.

This is one of my favorite types of elastic for this project

as it is the kind intended for baby headbands.

It is easy to work with and soft on the ears.

Ready to make more masks.

Just keep sewing.

May every little mask help.

<3