As it’s now recommended by the CDC that all persons wear face masks wherever outside their residence, the impetus to produce homemade masks is increasing.
I've adapted the pattern from The Turban Project for construction solely on a serger/overlocker. The advantage is that the seams are finished without additional assembly steps and that most sergers stitch faster than domestic sewing machines.
Adult mask-
9 x 6 inch quilting cotton x 2.
Half inch wide bias ties, ribbon, or twill tape; 2 yards, cut into 36 inch lengths.
Arrange fabric rectangles wrong sides together.
Create a large box pleat on each short (6 inch) side, leaving 1/4 inch free on each side of the pleat.
Serge both short ends securing the box pleats.
pardon the camera artifact
Align the center of each tie with the center of the long (9 inch) sides of the mask, all raw edges facing out. Pin or clip in place, if desired.
Serge in place, starting at the end of one bias tie, all the way across the mask, continuing to the end of the tie. The thread tails from the short sides are clipped during this step.
The only thing left to do at this point is to clip the thread tails and knot the end of each tie.
Masks for children-
Cut fabric to 7.5 inch x 5 inch fabric; 5 inch elastic for ear loops.
For safety, do not use long ties or elastic that can fit over the child’s head, especially for children under 3.
I spent a good chunk of my day making these masks for close friends and family.
Feedback is always welcome and I’d love to hear about any modifications you make to this approach.
Previous posts on sewing cloth face masks:
Sewing and Uncertain Times, Update on Sewing and Uncertain Times
