I promised myself I was not going to get sucked in to the MASK MAKING YOUTUBE VIDEO FRENZY! Every designer and her brother has put out their own YouTube video about making the perfect mask…and I have wasted enough time watching them that I could have made a hundred more masks!
But I have to tell you, the masks pattern that I have settled on is the easiest thing ever! There are no curved seams, no pleating and no elastic! It is made with a filter pocket (Using a Hot Ruler made pressing the 1/4″ hem super simple) and a casing on the sides (I used the hot ruler to fold and press that too!) then I am feeding the T-shirt yarn through the casing with a crochet hook.
My friend Laura Coia from Sew Very Easy has a great You-Tube video about making T-Shirt Yarn out of old, but still mostly good
T-shirts. One long stretchy tie with knotted ends makes this mask so easy to wear! It gathers on the sides so there is no need for pleats, and because of the flat design, it is simple to put filter material inside the back flaps. Super simple, super coverage, nose wire, no elastic!
Here is what the mask looks like when it is on. No gaps and no sore ears! Perfect!
There is no pattern, but if you want my instructions here they are…
Make T-Shirt yarn and wind into a ball, or cut into 44 ” Lengths.
Cut two pieces of white fabric for the lining, 6″ x 8″
Cut one piece of tightly woven cotton fabric for front, 10″ x 8″
Cut 8″ x 8″ lightweight non-woven fusible interfacing to the back side of the front fabric. Use Mistyfuse together with regular interfacing if you don’t have fusible interfacing. I used Quilter’s interfacing with a 1″ grid, it made it simple to cut!
Hem one edge of both lining pieces. Use the Clover Hot Ruler to make this step super easy! It is marked with lines to keep the hem straight. Center on the front fabric, right sides together and stitch with a ¼” seam. Use the hot ruler again to press the lining right sides out.
Fold the side seams in by ¼” (hot ruler again) then in by ¾” (that hot ruler is the best invention ever!).
Sew the two side seams to form a casing for the T-Shirt Yarn Strap. Start in the middle of the casing, and sew to one edge. Back stitch a bunch of times to make it super strong. Pivot at the end and turn to sew to the other end. Back stitch a few times to secure the second end.
Snip a small hole in one end of the T-Shirt yarn. Feed a crochet hook through the side casing and grab the end of the t-shirt yarn. Use the hole you made to grab the tie. Loop the yarn around and pull through the second casing.
Use twist ties or a 6″ length of floral wire. Put wire against top of mask. Straight stitch just under the wire leaving a small opening on one end in case you want to remove the wire when you wash the mask. Just reach inside the filter pocket and pull the wire out.
Voila! Simplest mask ever, and the best coverage!
Ironing board From TNT Quilt Boards. Thanks Tracey and Tim for the adorable bike fabric custom covered Quilt Board!
Great idea on the tshirts! We will remember this year for many reasons, but also for having “The Great Elastic Shortage.”