CLoth Face Coverings for Seasalt Cornwall

There are some commissions that come along that I would never have imagined making when I started to sew seriously as a teen and 700 + cloth face coverings with a very tight turnaround during a global pandemic for the iconic Cornish brand, Seasalt is one of those commissions! It has been great to get my teeth into something that is so useful to people, and in such lush fabrics too!

Getting a decent fit is critical on a face covering which is going to be worn all day everyday whilst serving customers and running a store, and we worked hard to create a shape which is comfortable, adjustable and fit for purpose, whilst remaining stylish and true to the brand which it represents. 

In order to give the widest possible options for fit across face shapes and head sizes, we decided to use a nifty silicone toggle to take up any elastic slack for smaller faces.  It is super easy to attach and remove but must be removed before washing.  A hairpin is provided in each pack of face coverings in order to do this.

​Watch this video for a quick demo of how to do this.

​You can see on these photos of my colleague Adele (right) wearing the face covering how there is slack in the top strap, whilst the same face covering on me (left) is a tight fit with no slack.
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Only a week ago we were prototyping and developing the pattern, and now we are about to hand over the first 500. In that time we have also sourced and sampled a series of bits for the construction as well as designing the packaging for them. There have been some long hours put in, but i do love batch making, the process, the rhythm of it and there is something so satisfying about a large quantity of identical items that have all come off my cutting table, packaged up and ready to go!

And all this has been going on while I've been launching the next group of intermediate sewers in the new on-line course format in this Corona virus age. 

When researching this project I tried and tested so many patterns but all of the unisex fit face coverings were too big on a female face. So with a little bit of a tweaking I arrived at the one in the photo's above. So, when this commission is complete I will add the pattern to my website so that if you are in need of a cloth face coverings for going to the post office or what-not, you can make your own at home.

I'll share it into Kernow Sewcial which has become such a buzzy social sewing group through all this isolation and has kept us all together and chatting  - do pop in and join us if you're not in there already!
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DISCLAIMER: Wearing a Face Covering

A cloth face covering is NOT PPE. They are not intended for the personal protection of the wearer – they are designed to prevent people who have COVID-19, but might not know it, from spreading it to others. In simple terms, if I wear one I protect you, if you wear one you protect me.

A cloth face covering can be very simple. The important thing is that it should cover your mouth and nose while allowing you to breathe comfortably.

Face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing or washing your hands regularly – and they need to complement these behaviours. Wash your hands or use hand sanitiser before putting it on and after taking it off. Try not to touch your face, or the face covering while you are wearing it.

Once removed, make sure you clean any surfaces the face covering has touched. Regular household cleaner works fine.

After wearing them store your worn face coverings in a plastic bag until you have an opportunity to wash them. You should wash a face covering regularly. It can go in with other laundry, using your normal laundry detergent. It does not need to be a hot wash ( though your mask can be washed up to 60 degrees) , it’s the detergent which destroys the virus. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-to-wash-cloth-face-coverings.html)