My friend-inspired response to COVID-19 is to SEW, SEW, SEW!

After breakfast, before the yard work, I look at Facebook (usually just to check out notifitions - really! 5 minutes, tops!). Well, one day after our shelter-in-place began, my BFF's husband posted that his wife was busy making face masks, and to message him if you wanted 2 or 5! Trust Michelle to come up with an awesome way to help other people! Included in his post was a link to an organization which connects those who make masks with those who need them, and a YouTube video tutorial on how to sew a face mask how-to-make-medical-face-masks, and a pattern amanda-perna-face-mask-pattern-1585259501.pdf. This post is to show you, based on that video where she made one mask start to finish, my method for making many masks!

First of all, don't use the pattern, pin it on two layers of fabric, and cut out one at a time. Fold your fabric twice lengthwise so there are 4 layers, and using a cutting mat, rotary cutter and a 9 1/2 inch square ruler cut out as many 9" x 8" rectangles as you can from that piece of fabric. Fold your interfacing in half lengthwise, and, again using the mat, rotary cutter and ruler, cut a corresponding number of rectangles (two layers of interfacing for each mask).

Layer your fabric rectangles, right sides together, with two pieces of interfacing (if using fusible interfacing, place fusible side facing out), and sew down both long sides.

The easiest way to do this is with what I call chain sewing. Sew down the first side without backstitiching (which is really unnecessary for these masks since the edges will be encased in the bias tape) and sewing one after the other without cutting the thread. Then gather up the pile, and sew down the other side, one after the other, until all are sewn. Now you can cut them all apart. This method will save you lots of time!

Now you can turn them all right side out, as shown in the photo above. 

I pressed the seams from the right side, and then pressed again with the seams on the long edges.

For the nose clip I ended up using these gardening ties. They are plastic covered wire, 8" long. I folded them in half, and pinched the fold with the pliers.

Feeling through the layers of fabric, I inserted the wire and centered it next to one of the lengthwise seams.

 I then sewed around it as shown on the pattern.

I DID backstitch at each end. I did not want the nose wire to slip out with use and washing!

Now I'm finally using the pattern to mark where to fold for the pleats on each side.

I am finally using pins as well, to pin the pleats in place. 

Sew the pleats in place on each side.

 Now you're ready to sew your 36" lengths of bias tape to each pleated side of your mask. First find the center of your bias tape and pin it to the center of the pleated side.

Begin sewing at one end, then over the pleats to enclose as shown, and continue to the end of your tape. Repeat for the second side.

Voila! You have one finished mask! I repeated each step I have shown you for all the masks before moving on to the next. It just seems easier and faster to me to do the same thing 30 times than to completely finish one mask, then another, and another, and another... 

Happy sewing... for a good cause!!