Make your own Cloth Face Covering

Face coverings!  Something I never thought I would EVER become so familiar with... but having stitched over 700 for Seasalt and another 50 odd for friends and family, I thought some of you may find it useful to use the pattern I have developed and tweaked to ensure I could get one with a good fit!  
I tried a few of the open source patterns and in general the ones that claimed to be unisex were far too big for a female face ( and I have a big head! ) and needed more shaping, so I came up with the following pattern.
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You will need:

Cotton fabric from the outer and lining in a high thread count, high quality cotton, with minimal shrink (less than 5%) or pre-shrunk at 60% before use.  100% cotton twill sateen is ideal for the lining, the kind you line curtains with.  
5 - 6mm elastic (6 or 8 cord woven is ideal)​ - 2 x 20 cm for ear elastics or 1 x 60 cm for head straps
Tools:
Thread
Rouleaux maker or safety pin to thread the elastic
Silcone or other type of toggle
Scissors
Pins

You can download the pattern here - please ensure that your printer is set to print at 100% and that you check the 5cm size box once printed to make sure it is at the correct scale.
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s2s_cloth_mask_pattern.pdf
File Size:	108 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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Construction is ever so simple but to help you along I videoed this quick tutorial which talks you through how to use my pattern to make a face covering with / without a filter pocket and with either ear elastics or head straps depending on your preference and length of wearing. 

​Long term use with ear elastics can cause skin irritation and unless you specifically know you will be wearing for short periods or to go to the hair dresser I would strongly advice the head straps for secure fit and long term comfort!

Good luck and let me know how you get on! 

Why not share your face coverings in my Facebook group Kernow Sewcial?  We're a lovely supportive and buzzy bunch of sewing enthusiasts.... come and join us! Don't forget to tag me @Starttostitch if you're an insta fan like me :)

Oh and below the tutorial is the small print on face coverings and recommendations for care as well as suppliers for components.

The small print:
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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. 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 covering in a plastic bag until you have an opportunity to wash it.

The elastic in this face covering design can be repositioned to make it comfortable for you. You may find that the top elastic sits best over the crown of your head (or hooked above a ponytail if you have one) with the lower elastic sitting around the back of your neck.

To help with fitting on smaller heads, I suggest the use of a toggle which on my face coverings has been attached to the top elastic so that the mask can be tightened securely. I suggest that you remove this before washing to save potential clogging of your washing machine... You can buy theme here

All you need to remove and replace the toggle is a hair pin and a more in depth demo can be found here

Detailed information on the care of cloth face coverings can be found at the American Center for Disease Control here