Making Cloth Masks at Home
Dublin Core
Title
Making Cloth Masks at Home
Description
President Donald Trump and the Centers for Disease Control waited until 3 April 2020 before they announced that everyone should wear cloth face masks when out in public, as a voluntary precaution to help prevent spreading the COVID-19 virus to others through coughing or sneezing. Members of the public are told to refrain from trying to obtain medical-quality masks, since these are needed urgently by medical and emergency personnel. Instead, we are to sew or improvise cloth masks for ourselves for this purpose.
The wearing of masks in public -- which has been enforced in many Asian countries for weeks -- had been anticipated in the US for at least some days. Two days earlier, on 1 April 2020, the New York Times published a pattern for making double-layer, triple-pleated cloth masks at home, and this is the pattern that is in the photo (taken 5 April 2020), together with two completed masks, and the cut-out fabric and elastic for several additional masks.
We all need several cloth masks (densely-woven 100% cotton is recommended), because they must be washed and bleached after each use. I used cotton fabric scraps and elastic to make these.
The wearing of masks in public -- which has been enforced in many Asian countries for weeks -- had been anticipated in the US for at least some days. Two days earlier, on 1 April 2020, the New York Times published a pattern for making double-layer, triple-pleated cloth masks at home, and this is the pattern that is in the photo (taken 5 April 2020), together with two completed masks, and the cut-out fabric and elastic for several additional masks.
We all need several cloth masks (densely-woven 100% cotton is recommended), because they must be washed and bleached after each use. I used cotton fabric scraps and elastic to make these.
Creator
Martha Carlin
Date
April 5, 2020
Files
Reference
Making Cloth Masks at Home, Martha Carlin, 2020