I have a mask!

[olivermoss]

I sewed it on the machine and everything. It's got wire in a channel at the top so I can shape it over my nose and not fog my glasses.

I have a lot of problems getting bobbins to thread right, but these days there are high quality YT videos to fix that sort of issue. I used to do a lot of sewing with a cosplay group and every time I had a problem someone would thread so fast I couldn't even see what they were doing. They wanted to flex rather than help me. This is part of why I don't sew much, or when I do I hand sew. But, I got the machine out and watched enough videos until I sorted the problem.

Comments

[st_aurafina]

Oh, that's so smart with the wire - lilacsigil made one that's pleated so it domes out, but a wire support would be be amazing.

[olivermoss]

I am really glad I bothered to do the wire bit, and that I had some wire leftover from another project. I did a simplified version of this tutorial without the filter pocket.

[highlyeccentric]

ohhh that's a good idea re the wire! I might take the wire out of my now-reused-too-many-times N95 masks and adapt to fabric masks...

[olivermoss]

I am really glad I had some wire, it really helps. I did a simplified version of this tutorial without the filter pocket.

[james]

Congrats on figuring out the bobbin! I've been making masks but can't find any wire anyplace, not even pipe cleaners. Alas.

[olivermoss]

I'm lucky that I happened to have some. It's from some failed project probably, no joke, about 20 years ago. In the tutorial she uses gardening wire from a hardware store.

congrats on the cool mask

[oldtoadwoman]

Fogging up my glasses is the worst part of trying to go outside in a mask. I'm going stir crazy and lately, I'm even starting to feel physically ill (just exhausted all the time, yet can't get to sleep at night) and I suspect it's due to just constantly sitting around the apartment. I need to get outside and walk, but my janky DIY mask feels awful. (And my neighborhood remains busy with lots of people on the sidewalks so I don't feel right going out without a mask at all.)

Re: congrats on the cool mask

[olivermoss]

Can you go out late at night? Taking walks can relieve a lot of stress. Here at 11 PM it's still a bit of a puzzle to get around people, but it's do-able.

You can also look on Etsy for comfier masks. They'll even let you sort by local to get one quick.

Re: congrats on the cool mask

[oldtoadwoman]

I've already got a mask on order, though it might be worth it to order from a different source as well to increase my chances of actually getting it in a reasonable time.

I'm having weird anxiety about going out late at night and I can't give you a logical reason why. I've gone out late at night before all of this and have never felt particularly threatened in my neighborhood. (I've lived in even sketchier neighborhoods in the past and still went out late at night on occasion.) Maybe I'll work up my nerve another night.

Re: congrats on the cool mask

[olivermoss]

Right now everyone is under a lot of stress and people aren't really acknowledging how impacted they are. Day 1 of shut down this town instantly lost a lot of things. A program by a local charity I'd supported for years was permanently ended on day 1 with no explanation. Social norms and all the things we do to give structure to our time are all topsy turvey.

Mentally, getting out for at least 5 minutes can really help, as long as you can physically do so safely.