Mask Making Diary - 650 sewn!
So this is a self indulgent patreon exclusive video (there will be two other patreon exclusive videos this month too, this one was just the easiest to edit!) to break up the monotonous yet weirdly soothing process of making cloth masks.
I started this process to help with the shortage of PPE in medical facilities due to Covid-19, which is especially necessary on Long Island. The two counties closest to me. - Nassau and Suffolk - combined have more cases than any state (other than NY and NJ) despite having a population of under 3 million.
I set myself a goal of 500 - which were to be made mostly from stash fabric, with notions purchased from etsy and funded by the ad revenue from my public mask video. I set aside the first week of April to make them (my original plan was to do my taxes - but the deadline was delayed because of Covid, so I decided to put my time to better use!). I hit that goal, and then some. And thought that would be the end of it.
But it turns out I really like making masks. Not so much the process - just the predictability of how long they will take, and how they will turn out. So much of sewing, and costume making is unpredictable - at least with my methods! It's weirdly refreshing making something with so much certainty, and for a good cause.
I also saw a half dozen posts in the group I've been working with, of health care workers wearing masks I made. And though I wish they weren't needed at all, seeing that they are, and that they are being appreciated made me want to (literally) double my efforts.
So now I have a new goal of 1000. I would like to donate at least 800, and sell 200 just to cover costs for supplies. Now that I'm out of stash fabric I'm willing to devote to this project, the costs add up quickly at about $1 a mask!
However - I'm not devoting full days to it anymore. I have responsibilities to make content for you guys, and for youtube...and I might have a dress for McCalls due soon, and a Skillshare contract to tend to. So mask making can't be my primary focus, but hopefully I can still hit my goal in the coming weeks!
Stay safe and I'll be back with a couple more (and more entertaining) videos this week! My sewing energy has been a lot more persistent than my editing energy this month, lol. But I shall persevere.
Comments (21)
Angela, I read your replies and I understand you're not comfortable taking donations for your mask materials (although I do wish you would reconsider!). My husband and I are in California and would like to buy some of your masks with the twill tape. How could we arrange that?
Aw thanks for your interest! You can email me at angelacostumery@gmail.com if you are interested in buying any :)
i was inspired by your video to make masks. I used a simpler pattern and made about 30 so far. It's improved my sewing skills. thanks for the idea and great job!
Thanks for doing this! I've made 90 masks using this pattern for myself, friends, family, and a couple organizations near me. I have no idea how you do them so fast! I can get 20 done in a good day. You're excellent and you should feel great about your progress!
20 is still a lot! I don't think I've made 20 start to finish in a single day! I was averaging finishing 60 a day and that was full time and using massish production methods (like cutting out 200 at once, pleating and pressing 100 one day, sewing ties the next, etc.)
What an amazing effort Angela to continue beyond the 500 goal! Selling some of them to cover the cost of all the material is a great idea, I assume there are plenty of commercial businesses or individuals that are happy to buy them.
That's so awesome, Angela. You're doing great things. I agree on the "This is something I can make and know it will come out right" I thought I would be sewing a lot during isolation, but it is really a mood drainer. So when one of my aunts called to see if I could make a mask for her, I said yes...and also made one for my uncle, my two cousins, my cousins boyfriend, my other aunt & uncle, and my uncle's mom & dad. So now all of my nearby family is masked up.
Thank you for your service. My daughter is a hospice nurse and it’s a warm feeling to know that folks like you are using your talents to help in this time of uncertainty.
I ran out of white thread too! A problem I never EVER expected to have. Everything is being sewn with lavender now... Keep up the amazing work, Angela ox
It's so annoying! All that work topstitching in a slightly off color thread. A tragedy.
Angela you are a wonderful person for making there's. There are two question I would like to ask, can I buy some your mask and I would like to donate some money to help you get to your goal. Please message me or let me know any way I can help.
Aw - thank you! I'm not comfortable taking donations towards materials at this point but it's incredibly kind of you to offer! If you're interested in buying any and are located in the US (trying to avoid the post office and I can't print international labels at home) you can email me at angelacostumery@gmail.com :)
Angela you are amazing! I would be willing to give you an amount to buy new supplies but how can we arrange that?
Aww that's so generous! I'm not comfortable taking direct donations to make them, but thank you so much for the offer that is really kind of you!
Angela, thank you so much for doing this. I work in a hospital and the PPE shortages are extremely upsetting. These are so much higher quality than what I see many of my coworkers using (I managed to hand sew 2 masks based on this pattern for myself), so I know that the people who are getting them are grateful!
I’ve been charging for any shipping, and then telling people that if they would like to donate towards the cost of more materials so I can continue to make masks, that would be awesome. People have been so good about and I’ve been able to pretty consistently replenish/replace my supplies. There is a sole quilting store in my area here in Arkansas, and she had been selling bolts of fabric- typically 8.99-12.99 quilting cottons- for either $2.50 or $4.00 per yard so long as you buy the bolt (10 or 15 yard bolts). That has made it so much easier to get good materials and not break the bank. She also takes my orders over the phone/lets me choose my bolts via video chat, and then I am able to drive-by pick them up in safe, discreet location outside of the shop so that we don’t have to break our isolations. The only other fabric store in my area outside of Walmart (which has been basically sold out the last week) has been Hobby Lobby, and I am much happier supporting a local small business that is taking every precaution rather than a giant corporation that... well, I won’t go any further with that, except to say that it suffices that God spoke to *ME* and told me via his word in the Bible not to be a terrible, greedy ass during a global pandemic. Don’t let your tooth issue go for too long- any sign of infection, get on some antibiotics until the virus has let up enough that dental procedures are safe again!
Yes! My mom is livid with Hobby Lobby. She used to love shopping there, and I used to get some great fabric there, but there are a LOT of businesses we won't be supporting after this because of how they responded to the crisis.
You might be up for the wisdom teeth thing, if they haven't checked you for it. I had 5 fully impacted ones that they had to xray to find.
Oh no, what a nightmare! I had mine removed when I was 18 and am forever worried I will be one of the unlucky who regrows them. This issue was *exactly* where wisdom teeth would be - but it was just the gummy part that became very swollen and infected. All the dentists were closed because it was passover so I had to wait for 2 hours at urgent care until they took pity on me and prescribed antibiotics.
This is awesome! I have made about 350 so far- I was in a car accident on Tuesday 4/14 and got really banged up and busted up my chest so I was out of commission for about a week. I’ve been making myself sit and work for a couple hours all week this week- one day is preparing and cutting fabric, making any binding necessary, etc, then pressing and putting together individual pieces of the masks the next, and then doing the finish sewing the next. It’s coming along. I’ve supplied an entire home healthcare facility so far and I am currently making a big batch for our local First Step program (for kids and adults with developmental needs). And I’m giving them to people in my community who need masks for their work or family but can’t pay the $12-20 per mask cost that several people locally have been hiking their prices up to. There’s so much need and it never seems to stop. I will keep sewing masks, however, because it gives me a sense of having *some* control in the middle of a world where I am powerless. 💜💜💜
That's amazing! I'm so sorry to hear about your accident - I hope you are feeling better, and I'm so impressed that you only took a week off after that (I took off like three days because I was annoyed about my mouth hurting aha)! I love the idea of doing different steps on different days in theory, but in practice I found my wrists/back getting sore from so much repetitive work. Now I'm working in batches of 50 - and that seems to suit me a lot better. But I'm SO glad that it has been working for you and that you've supplied such great causes! I've seen people charging that too - I understand some people are unemployed and trying to make up for that. But I felt guilty charging $5! And now elastic prices are so hiked up and all the cheaper fabrics are sold out so I might have to raise it to $6 (I'm aiming for one sold mask to cover material costs for five that are donated). I just wish everyone had access to them when they needed them. :( I agree about the control though - I've talked to people who are too anxious to focus on making something related to covid. And I get that too, but for me it's cathartic to do *something*!