The Gals Behind the Masks

About a week ago a request went out from Valley Manor, the nearby seniors residence where my dad spent his last days, for face masks. They were estimating that they may need 1,000 and were looking for volunteers to help sew them. Linda, who had been the administrator there for years, sprung in to action and sent out a challenge to all of her sewing friends to chip in. You could almost hear the machines warming up.

Jane and Linda are in isolation together and were the first off the mark. They pulled out some beautiful scraps and in a few days had 50 to show for their effort, which have already been delivered. They have run out of elastic except for one package which will be used to make masks for family and friends.

They had some dark elastic and used it to make several more masculine masks, which is a great idea.

Anne's been busy too, but she has chosen to use fabric ties instead of elastic. She's using up bindings that had been in mom's stash; mom would be thrilled. She's got 30 in the works and should finish the last of that batch today.

Our friend Arlene is not a sewer but was really keen to help so she's been pressing ties for Anne, which has been a huge time saver. This is the box of goodies she dropped off, which apparently has enough for about 50 more masks, so Anne's work is cut out for her.

Sandy lives in London, about 8 hours away from the Ottawa Valley, but she too was keen to chip in. Her first order of business was to make one for Ed in his cherished Bite Me fabric. It's not his much sought-after cape but I think it's got superpowers of its own.













She has whipped up a good little pile already so they had their choice of several to sport their 'gangsta' look on yesterday's walk. She's got lots more cut and is looking to give them to their building manager as he are having a tough time finding masks, or to anyone else nearby that has a need.

I came to the party late because I've been working but Wednesday evening, as a reward for FINALLY finishing our taxes, I started to cut. I'm using Jenny Doan's tutorial and a few tips that Jane developed as they worked through the process, and using two different prints for each mask; it is proving to be a great scrap buster.

Following Jenny's lead, I lined several of mine with flannelette because I thought it would be soft against the face, but as I was sewing I wondered if they would be too warm. I'll keep them in the bundle but won't make any more with flannelette.

There were a few fits and starts until I got a rhythm going, like completely sewing around the outside edge without leaving an opening to turn out, or sewing elastic into only one end before turning it out (okay, that might have happened after I poured a rye and Pepsi...), but eventually things settled in to a pattern.

With the exception of the first one, I have saved all of the pleating to do at the end and that's where I am now. I have 43 in the works and about 20 left to pleat.

Everyone is chipping in. The Official Cookie Tester wore his mask to his daily Zoom staff meeting 😊and his boss, who still drives in to the office occasionally from near the Manor, will deliver the supply from Anne, Arlene and I next week.

There is another home just up the hill from us and they are also welcoming donations so, as Sandy put it, this will be an ongoing effort. I have begged, borrowed and scrounged just about all of the elastic that I can so it will be fabric ties going forward. Not a problem, because I too have some bindings from mom's stash.

I also want to make a supply for a special PSW who is going into her clients' homes every day, for use by either her or her clients.

And, in case you are wondering just who we are doing this for, take a look at these happy, healthy, smiling faces and their Easter messages to everyone. Time to get out of the jammies and back to the sewing....M