{"id":22480,"date":"2020-04-19T13:02:13","date_gmt":"2020-04-19T19:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyhinews.com\/?p=64274"},"modified":"2020-04-19T15:53:09","modified_gmt":"2020-04-19T21:53:09","slug":"local-designer-shares-mask-making-process-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/local-news\/local-designer-shares-mask-making-process-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Local designer shares mask making process, tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Abbey Samuelson started making fabric face masks on March 21 and has since sewed thousands of the reusable protective gear that Colorado is recommending residents wear when outside the house.<\/p>\n<p>Samuelson, owner of Winter Park boutique Lavender Elephant, Rocky Mountain Design House and Rocky Mountain Repairs, said when she shut her boutique down as nonessential she transitioned into sewing face masks full-time to help address the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201c(Wearing a mask) reduces your hand to face ratio, you\u2019re respecting your neighbor, it keeps the awareness that the six foot rule is serious and it keeps it front of mind that there\u2019s a virus out there that we\u2019re all trying to keep from having,\u201d Samuelson said.<\/p>\n<p>What started with 3 a.m. nights and a single seamstress has since evolved into a five-person volunteer production line to help keep up with the demand for face masks locally and regionally.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\">\n<div class=\"row shn-donation shn-donation-mobile p-0\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.skyhinews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/shn-logo-2x-wht.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.skyhinews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/shn-logo-2x-wht.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-xl-8 p-3 text-center\">\n<h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyhinews.com\/donate\/?utm_source=article&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_campaign=donation&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=mid-article\">Donate<\/a><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>So far, Samuelson said companies including City Market, Silver Stem, IgadI, Elevation Pizza, Heritage Title Company and Winter Park restaurant Strip and Tail have ordered in bulk to supply masks to their employees.<\/p>\n<p>She\u2019s also given masks to local fire departments and the county\u2019s COVID-19 response team. With so many requests, Samuelson agreed to share her process on how to make a face mask for those interested in giving it a go themselves.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 1:<\/strong> First, you\u2019ll cut your fabric using a pattern (Samuelson used the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.makershabitat.com\/blogs\/the-maker-s-habitat-blog\/diy-fabric-mask-tutorial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">dimensions in this video<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i>). For the mask, you\u2019ll need an exterior cotton liner, two interior cotton liners and a filter. Samuelson suggests using a mix of tight weave cotton on the exterior, loose weave cotton on the interior and pressed fabric, like a reusable grocery bag, to allow for function and breathability.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNon-woven is where you don\u2019t have a horizontal or vertical weave of a fabric at all, so it\u2019s more pressed\u2026 so airflow is minimized,\u201d she explained. \u201cYou look at airflow when you\u2019re trying to reduce contamination.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2:<\/strong> Next, you\u2019ll place the interior cotton liners in the center of the exterior liner and pin in place at the center. It should look similar to this:<\/p>\n<div class=\"p402_hide\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.skyhinews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/DSC_5829-1024x586.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-64275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.skyhinews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/DSC_5829-1024x586.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.skyhinews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/DSC_5829-300x172.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.skyhinews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/DSC_5829-768x440.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.skyhinews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/DSC_5829-1536x879.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.skyhinews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/DSC_5829-2048x1173.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption>DSC_5829<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Step 3:<\/strong> From there, you\u2019ll attach the interior liners at the top and bottom of the exterior liner and then surge the edges of the interior liners using a sewing machine.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4:<\/strong> Using an iron, press the fabric, especially the seams.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 5: <\/strong>Probably the hardest step, particularly for beginner sewers Samuelson said, is pleating the mask. Her tip is to start with the top pleat, then pleat the bottom and, finally, fold the middle pleat. Then pin the pleats in place.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s easy to lean into the aesthetic and lose the value of the mask,\u201d Samuelson said. \u201cRemember this is not a design feature but a function of the mask, so it doesn\u2019t have to be perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 6:<\/strong> Then, you\u2019ll press the pleats in place using an iron.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot only does pressing holds things in place but it fuses the fabric&nbsp;together,\u201d Samuelson said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 7:<\/strong> With the pins still in place, use a sewing machine to surge the sides of the mask to cement the pleats.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 8:<\/strong> Next, you\u2019ll fold the sides over to create a pocket on either side to thread the elastic through and straight stitch the pocket closed. Samuelson noted that non-commercial sewing machines may have a hard time getting through the several layers of fabric, so you might need to hand stitch.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 9:<\/strong> Almost done! Using the pockets you just created, thread a piece of elastic through either side.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 10:<\/strong> Take the filter you cut during step one and put it inside the interior face mask pocket. While the mask is reusable, Samuelson says the filter should be single use, so you might want to make several.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 11:<\/strong> One of the most important parts is to adjust the mask to your face. Try tying the elastic different ways until you find the most comfortable one and stretch the pleats over your nose and chin to make sure it fits.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 12:<\/strong> After each use, Samuelson said to wash the mask and throw away the filter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStopping the spread (of COVID-19) is the most important thing and just wearing your mask in public,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>If the process sounds like too much, Samuelson is selling her masks for $12.50 each, two for $25 or in bulk of over 20 for $10 each via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lavenderelephant.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lavenderelephant.com<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i>. Masks can be shipped or picked up curbside.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-sky-hi-news\"><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyhinews.com\/news\/local-designer-shares-mask-making-process-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Sky-Hi News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Abbey Samuelson started making fabric face masks on March 21 and has since sewed thousands of the reusable protective gear that Colorado is recommending residents wear when outside the house. Samuelson, owner of Winter Park boutique Lavender Elephant, Rocky Mountain Design House and Rocky Mountain Repairs, said when she shut her boutique down as nonessential [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-22480","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-20 09:54:35","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KRKY Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22480"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22484,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22480\/revisions\/22484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}