12.50 GBP
Hi, I'm Molly Housego! I've been a professional seamstress for 30 years (eek!) working on film / TV sets and heritage events. I usually make bespoke historically accurate garments for every era from the bronze age, to Victorian, to modern day too – you can see me dressed as Elizabeth I for filming in my profile picture.
During the coronavirus pandemic my work has stopped, so I have opened an Etsy shop to sell face coverings. There is a lack of properly fitting masks so I have designed the pattern for these so they are not just fashion accessories but fit tightly to the face for peace of mind, and in a stylish manner too! This listing is for one mask in the first picture, but see my shop for more designs and matching accessories. I hope you enjoy these masks as much as I have enjoyed making them.
•Three layers.
•Nonwoven filter interfacing.
•100% cotton, quilters and close weave.
•Integral rustless nose bridge wire.
•Shaped to your face and head size.
•Washable and reusable with no disposable parts.
•Big nose? Tiny chin? I’ll ask you for some measurements and tweak the pattern.
•Crafted lovingly in a tiny village in Norfolk, all by hand and with great care.
— Nonwoven Filter Layer & Materials —
I have sewn in a washable nonwoven filter layer in between the two cotton layers. Recent research has said that nonwoven interfacing:
“was able to significantly improve the ability of the fabrics to filter ultrafine particles without increasing breathing resistance.” – O’Kelly, Pirog, Ward and Clarkson (2020) (full link at end)
This is washable and has the benefit of being cut to the exact same pattern as the face mask and sewn in at the seams, so no area of the mask is left uncovered and you have no extra work or disposable pieces to buy.
The cotton used is all 100% cotton, often designer quilting cotton with a high thread count and a close weave. If I think a particular fabric has a lower thread count than I’d prefer, I include an extra filter layer, making the mask 4 ply, or 4 layered to compensate. To help visualise imagine that cotton forms a grid – the threads – and there are equally spaced tiny gaps between the threads. If you only had grid cotton, chances are that unwanted particles could slip through the holes in a straight line in some places. The nonwoven interfacing is a totally different structure while still being breathable, making it more like a labyrinth if anything unwanted tries to get in.
***
— Fitting —
If you are looking for a tight fitting mask for highest safety, order a mask with elastic behind the head and check your head circumference. You may not want to wear these all day if you are unfamiliar with face masks, but they will provide the tightest fit and reduce glasses fogging.
If you are looking for an all-day mask in a low risk setting, you can opt for a ‘behind ears’ fitting. These are slightly looser by nature but still fit your face snugly. I do not use harsh elastic for the ear loops, these are soft and cosy so your ears won’t hurt.
If you are unsure what will work for you, you can order the DIY package where I will provide you ear loops, elastic, and loose ties so that you can adjust and experiment with what works for you personally.
***
Whatever mask you buy, please remember (for everyone's safety and so you are well informed):
1. Avoid ‘stretchy’ or ‘t-shirt’ cotton fabric. The holes in the weave get larger as they stretch and will be less protective.
2. Avoid loose masks. When you breathe in, the air will come much easier from gaps around the mask instead of through the mask. Elastic behind the head is the tightest fitting, with loose ties second, and ear loops last.
3. Square shaped masks are more likely to have air gaps (they're not face shape).
4. Don't be fooled by plastic or solid masks. This means *nothing* passes through the material (as there are no small gaps), and *all* air breathed in is from gaps around the side, so nothing is filtered.
5. A filtering device is not much use at all if you're inhaling air through gaps around the side.
6. Nothing makes you invincible, so keep well and happy and safe!
DISCLAIMER:
These face coverings are for personal use and not assessed by official health bodies and are not a replacement for medical grade Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). These masks are not a replacement for official government advice and any recommended distancing measures, among others, should still be followed.
Referenced research: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.14.20065375
O'Kelly, E., Pirog, S., Ward, J. and Clarkson, P., 2020. Ability of Fabric Facemasks Materials to Filter Ultrafine Particles at Coughing Velocity – for Home Made and Fabric Face Mask Creation. [online] Available at: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.14.20065375 [Accessed 29 June 2020].
