Face Mask Update

At the start of the Covid pandemic I posted instructions on how to make face masks. I thought that would be the ONLY face mask tutorial I would ever have to do. But …., as time goes on and Covid “does it’s thing,” things change and we will probably be wearing face masks for a LONG time yet to come!

At least the kids are able to go back to in person school, wearing a mask of course! And my grandkids are no different! Again, I have been making masks for them, for myself (we all need a new wardrobe every once in a while, even if it is face masks!) and for other adults.

Over the last year and a half, I have found a new way to make face masks, which, IMHO, is far better than what I showed before.

A friend of mine posted this video on FaceBook, I watched it, made a mask or two, and tweaked the pattern a bit.

To view the original video Click Here

Here are my “tweaked” instructions on how to make this mask.

Fabric – 1/4 yard of printed fabric will make at least one, probably two, adult size masks and 1/4 yard of lining fabric. I used washed muslin for the lining.

We will talk about the ties in a little bit. I have a variation which works really well.

Here is the pattern, which is just a tad different than the pattern in the video.

Click on any photo for a larger view. Click on the text at the bottom of the photo and the photos will scroll.

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  Adult size pattern

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  Child size pattern

For child size instructions, see the bottom of this post.

Cut one pattern of the printed fabric and one pattern of the lining fabric.

Place right sides together and stitch around all sides, leaving an opening at the bottom. Turn right side out and press well. Top stitch around all sides, stitching across the bottom (formerly open) area. Your mask should look like the photo below left.

Insert Nose Bar – Lay your nose bar at the top of your mask and mark / note how much space you need for it.

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  Mask is stitched, turned, pressed and top stitched

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  Measure for nose bar

Turn the mask to the wrong side and stitch a line across the top to make a casing for the nose piece. The casing I made for my nose bar was between 1/2 inch and 5/8 inch wide.

Make a small cut in the lining fabric ONLY and insert the nose bar into the casing.

After the nose bar has been inserted and centered, stitch the ends of the casing closed.

See photos below

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  Make the casing

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  Insert nose bar

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  Stitch ends closed

Note – I have found some EXCELENT nose bars at my local quilt shop, Running Stitches, Kent, WA. To see the nose bars I use Click Here

Lay the face mask, wrong side up on the ironing board. Fold the top and bottom edges towards the middle having a 2 inch “flap” of the right side of the face mask at the top and bottom. The “middle” of the face mask is about 2-3/4 – 3 inches wide. See photo lower left. Your face mask now looks sort of like a burrito! See photo lower right

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  Measure and press on both sides

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  Pressed mask

Stitch along the folds at the top and bottom of the middle section, about 1/8 inch away from the fold. It doesn’t matter if you stitch from the right or the wrong side, as long as these folds are stitched into place. (Note – the stitching is not shown in the photos above. )

Here is where things get interesting.

Step 1 – Move the bottom flap out of the way. Place a ruler so that it is 1 inch from the side edge. If desired, draw a line with your marker of choice.

Step 2 – Fold the flap UP so that the edge of the flap is even with the middle stitched line. Keep the ruler in place. See middle photo.

Step 3 – Bring the diagonal fold to the edge of the ruler and pin in place. This is going to “twist” the fabric and you will think you are doing something wrong. This is correct!

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  Step 1

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  Step 2

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  Step 3

Now we are going to repeat this on the other flap

Step 4 – Fold the remaining flap UP and place the ruler 1 inch from the side edge

Step 5 – Fold the flap DOWN so that the edge of the flap is even with the middle stitched line. Keep the ruler in place.

Step 6 – Bring the diagonal fold to the edge of the ruler and pin in place. This is going to feel really wonky, but it is the way it is supposed to be!

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  Step 4

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  Step 5

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  Step 6

Step 7 – Take the mask to the sewing machine and stitch along the side pinned edges. See photo below left. I like to start my stitching at the top edge, backstitch, stitch along the fold, go across the “plain” fabric, then continue stitching along the bottom fold, backstitching at the start and end of the folds.

Now turn the mask 180 degrees and do Steps 1 – 7 on the other side of the mask.

When finished folding and stitching the other side of the mask, the inside of the mask will look like the middle photo and the outside of the mask will look like the photos at the right.

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  Step 7

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  Inside of the mask

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  Outside of the mask

The body of the face mask is completed, now we have to work on the ties.

I have seen many different ways to put the ties onto a face mask, all of which don’t seem to fit well or need a lot of adjusting. I have found a different – and much easier – way of putting ties on the mask, and it makes wearing the mask a LOT easier.

I do have to give credit to my sister, Sharon for showing me this a while back.

I have been making fabric ties from 2 inch strips of fabric (cut from selvedge to selvedge). One strip of fabric 36 – 40+ inches x 2 inches wide, will be enough for 1 face mask

Fold the tie in half lengthwise, wrong sides together and press. Open the tie and press one side to almost the middle (pressed) line and press. Repeat for the other side.

Now fold the tie in half again – no raw edges are showing – and press. Stitch close to the double folded edge. I like to use a three step zig zag stitch, but a straight stitch will work just as well.

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  Pressed, ready for folding

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  Folded, ready for stitching

I am assuming that you have a folded and stitched tie that is at least 36 – 40 inches long.

From this cut 2 – 4 inch pieces and cut the remaining piece in half. You will now have 4 cut pieces of the tie.

Take one of the short ties, fold it half, and snuggle it between the bottom outer side folds on the mask. Note – the mask edge with the nose bar is the TOP of the mask. Stitch in place, backstitching at the beginning and end of the tie. See photo lower left. The middle photo shows the loop that is made with the folded tie.

Take the long tie and snuggle it between the TOP outer side folds of the mask. Stitch in place, backstitching at the beginning and end of the tie. See photo lower right. Repeat on the other side of the mask with the remaining ties.

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  The short tie stitched in place.

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  The loop made with the short tie.

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  Long tie stitched in place

Take the long, upper tie and put it through the lower (tie) loop as shown below left. Repeat for the other side.

Take (cut) ends of the long ties put them through a “barrel lock.” Here is a source for all sorts of these “locks” and all sorts of other wonderful things. You can get these locks at Strapworks.com For a direct link to the barrel locks I used Click Here (Note – these barrel locks come in all sorts of colors!)

Sometimes it can get a little fiddly to get the ties through the barrel lock. I will use a plier to hold the lock open and then push the tie through the opening.

The photo below right shows the ties through the barrel lock. After the ties are through the barrel lock I like to tie a knot at the end of the tie.

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  The long tie through the bottom loop.

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  Barrel lock

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  Long tie through the barrel lock.

Now your face mask is finished. But wait, there is more!!!!

I really don’t like making the fabric ties and I kept thinking there has to be a better way. Then I had the idea of using RIBBON instead of fabric for the ties! And it works!!!!

I have used both gross grain and satin ribbon, the 3/8 inch width) and cut the pieces as follows – 2 – 4 inch pieces and 2 – 18 inch pieces of ribbon. After I cut the ribbon, I put a little dab of Fray Check on the ends. The Fray Check REALLY works and keeps the ends of the ribbon from fraying out, even after washing!

Put the ribbon into the mask the SAME way as the fabric ties and put a barrel lock on the ends of the ribbon. It is MUCH easier to put the ribbon through the barrel lock! Tie an knot at the end of the ribbon and your mask is done!

To wear this mask, have the nose bar at the top and put the mask over your head so that the barrel lock is at the back of your neck. The (long tie) loop goes over your ear and you can adjust the tightness of the mask with the barrel lock. See middle photo of my granddaughter Maddie wearing the mask.

Adjust the nose bar and proudly wear your mask!

If you don’t need your mask, take the loops off your ears and the mask will hang around your neck and it won’t get lost!!!

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  Ribbon ties

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  Long tie loops around the ears

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  Proudly wear your mask!

The child’s mask is made exactly the same way as the adult mask. Use the child size mask (see first set of photos), the top and bottom “flaps” are 2 inches. When making the side (diagonal) folds, place the ruler 3/4 inch from the side edge.

I hope you enjoy this tutorial and if you have any questions, comments or anything else about this, send me an email at longarmu@aol.com or leave a comment below.