Surgical mask pattern?

[Roxanne C.]

Has anyone seen a good pattern for a medically sound/quick to make surgical mask out there? I saw a news item last night that nurses were sewing their own masks to use at work. Hospitals are clamoring for supplies and I feel like doing something productive.

[Helen W.]

Roxanne, I don't have any info on making face masks but I just googled it and there are you tubes on line. This screen shot is of one
video if you just type the title and the word you tube you will get it. If you look to the right of the main screen it looks like there are others.
Let us know if it works for you and where you are sending them. HelenW

[Nancy R.]

Hi Roxanne -

Here is a link to a pattern:

mask pattern

You should probably double-check with whoever you are making these for before doing anything to make sure that these meet their needs. These do NOT protect anyone from COVID-91, but are useful in other areas where they need less protective masks, which are unavailable. There is a group on Facebook called "Relief Crafters of America" that is organizing an effort to make the second mask at this link (the one with the insert) for specific groups that are in need of the masks. If you are looking for a place to contribute your efforts, this is a good place to go. They are not only organizing getting needs met, but are also working with the organizations to make sure that they don't get inundated with more items than they can handle, like happened to some places in Australia.

Nancy

[Helen W.]

Roxanne, Kathy McNeil, famous quilter and ex critical care nurse, put up a post asking for masks to be made. She includes directions for making masks.
I took a screenshot of her email.You can go to her website and it is in her newsletter.



HelenW

[Anne B.]

I am a x-ray tech and I work in a small rural hospital. It was just announced yesterday afternoon that the hospital is running out of all PPE, personal protection equipment, which among other things, means masks. I decided that on my way home I was going to make some masks for my co-workers. I made 5 mask last night. They don't take long and they will be used. I received the e-mail from Kathy McNeil last night as used as that my pattern, with a few changes. Check out the skeleton fabric left over from Halloween, how cool is that!

[evelynspaulding]

See courier press.com or deaconess.com. This is the pattern that my doctor son-in-law gave me when he requested that I make some. His hospital is running out. It has to be double layer of 100% cotton. Can use ties instead of elastic if elastic in your area is gone. There has been a run on it with people making these masks.

[Wendy G.]

I am making masks for our local hospital and working with an Anethseologist on what they need. I have bought Home air filters (like for your heater) to use as the filter - the box will be cut away and the filter taken apart and laid out flat like fabric to cut a pattern a tiny bit smaller to go into the mask. The filer has a MERV rating of 13, most home filters have a MERV 9-11 rating and are considered excellent. If you put a filter in - put a note on it that says what the manufacturer and rating is.
They have asked me to leave one side open so they can "reuse" the N95 masks and slip them inside.
A few other ideas:
Make one side light and the other dark
If you can't get elastic - use ties about 16" long
The wire at the nose - I used 18 gauge, 10 lb aluminum wire - cut 3 1/2" long and the ends curled back to the wire (no sharp edges) - the hospital was cutting up pie tins!, paper clips broke easily, and this wire molded to the face nicely.
I put batches of 10 masks in a plastic bag, with a label if they have filters, note manufacturer and how they rated it or that there are no filters

The pattern is easy and there is a tutorial at Sewitonline.com if you have questions. TQS also posted a blog with more options. Good Luck!