It hasn’t escaped my notice that whenever I make a trip to the supermarket, the numbers of people wearing face masks increases every week. It’s a strange phenomenon. We’re used to seeing some tourists from the Far East wearing their masks when they visit the UK - but we’re not used to seeing UK nationals sporting covers across their faces.
Whilst more and more governments worldwide are encouraging their citizens to wear face masks as they relax their lockdown procedures, and some are making it mandatory, here in the UK we are still waiting for our decision makers to make their minds up. It feels like they’re taking their time because they don’t want the very scarce supplies of medical face masks to run out completely, and, because they tell us, they’re concerned our mindset will move to thinking that wearing a mask will protect us.
Yet the cultures who embraced face masks well before Covid 19, did so in order to protect other people from their own coughs and sneezes. You only have to look at some of the more graphic simulations of cough and sneeze droplets (I know really hate that word) that the BBC has been showing, to suddenly wonder why you yourself weren’t wearing a face mask years ago. Just after lockdown, my partner and I went on a cycle ride as our exercise for that day. As we neared home, we had to stop for some red lights on a main road. The only other vehicle on that road was another cyclist, in front of us. We stopped more than 2m behind her - and my partner sneezed. One of those sneezes that takes you by surprise. He was probably about 8m behind the other cyclist - but her shock was evident - she jumped, turned round to see how close the sneezer was, and looked terrified.
I think that started me thinking about face masks before they became a topical subject. Yes, I agree with the decision makers - a medical grade face mask needs to be kept for those working in harm’s way. But a home made mask must have some merit in stopping our own coughing and sneezing from reaching people in our near vicinity.
A quick look on the internet showed sales of home made masks are everywhere, and patterns for them are freely available all over the web too. I printed out Sarah Maker’s free pattern (which you can also do by clicking here). I liked it because it has a hidden pocket into which you can insert another layer of fabric, or even a filter coffee paper, for extra filtration. A quick experiment at home showed I could make 2 face masks from one Fat Quarter and considering that Norfolk Yarn has dozens of beautiful Kaffe Fassett fabrics, seemed a real treat to me.
I had to use elastic I already had at home - which has proved too wide. So I’m waiting on the suggested width of elastic to turn up. My partner decided he didn’t like elastic at all - so he put ties on the 2nd one we made. Norfolk Yarn will be selling kits with one or two Fat Quarters, and four or eight lengths of elastic. Until we get these onto the website, please use the Contact Form to get in touch if you can’t wait. We’re waiting on our elastic delivery but we have plenty of fabric.
I will confess now, actually I didn’t make the ones in the pictures….. my partner did…. he’s far more patient when it comes to threading a needle than I am…… roll on getting a new machine that will thread itself. The one in the pictures is almost 30 years old now!
Boo
DISCLAIMER - Neither Norfolk Yarn or anyone associated with it, make any claims that face masks have any medical protection use. Unless the UK Government make them mandatory, we expect our customers to make their own choice based on their own views and research.