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Being a painter, Malissa Goff Baker is used to creating. So when Gov. Jim Justice issued his mask mandate Monday, the area portrait artist set her sights on how to help the best way she knows how. But she’s not commissioning custom face coverings, rather she is sharing a pattern and providing instructions so anyone can make their own at home.
And while she is a proficient sewer, Baker stresses you do not need fancy equipment or to be particularly skilled to pull off this pattern.
“I’d love to help anybody learn how to make one,” she said. “I drew a grid on regular paper with a ruler. Anyone with a ruler or a tape measure can do it.
“I’m no expert, but I’ve made several functional masks that I have used to go to the store or work. … And they stay on and get the job done. I’ve made them from scraps of fabric.”
She said the first few she made by hand-stitching. And because she didn’t have an actual iron, she used a flat iron.
“We have washed and worn them plenty, and they are in great shape,” she said.
What you will need:
- Fabric
- Fusable sheerweight interfacing (this is used to help with structure, but can be substituted with additional fabric)
- Scissors, sharp if possible
- Elastic or ties
- Sewing needle
- Pins
- Thread
- Iron
Instructions:
Use pattern to cut proper pieces of fabric and elastic/ties.
Position fabric as you like and join halves and rounded edges.
Pin, then stitch.
Pin the lining and outer fabric, right sides together.
Sew top and bottom, leaving the short sides open.
Turn the fabric right side out and tuck the ends in.
Slide ends of elastic into place, pin them then stitch (an X pattern works well). If you need cording for ties, you can cut strips off of a piece of fabric or an old T-shirt. Then stitch the rest of the ends closed.
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