Mask Maker

Making a Difference I am not a doctor or a nurse, I am not a front-line worker, but 15 weeks ago when the COVID crisis first began, I wanted to find a way I could help, find a way I could make a difference. That was also when public pleas began for homemade cotton face masks. I dusted off my sewing machine and began to sew masks. Masks are easy to make—a simple rectangle—so we, the amateur sewers of the nation thought we could do this. But who thought we would still be doing it into summer? It was supposed to be a distraction, something to help me keep my sanity during my “lockup.” Yet, here we are, more than 125,000 deaths later, and we mask makers are still going strong, still triaging requests for masks, donated fabric, and emails about who has elastic. Elastic was in short supply at first. I likened elastic for the mask maker to toilet paper for a houseful of people. There was a time early on we could not get elastic and had to get creative on different materials to use such as spandex, bias tape, and shoelaces, yes, even shoelaces. In those early days, I would have to stand in line outside the fabric store for an hour because of social distancing, but at least I had a fabric store nearby that was open. Somehow, it worked. Within a couple weeks, hospitals issued guidelines and we had collection protocols. I literally would spend 8 hours working at my job as a Medical Transcriptionist and then 5 to 6 hours a night sewing. Word spread as fast as the virus itself. I even had a retired co-worker call me to donate $200 so I could purchase materials because she liked what I was doing. I have another friend who doesn’t sew but volunteered to pick up masks from the home sewers and distribute them where needed. It really does take a village. After a month or so, we reached cruising altitude. All of the early turbulence—questions about the best pattern and anecdotal input from anyone who knew a nurse—smoothed out. I started hearing that elastic digs into the ears over the course of a long shift, so then when I needed a break from sewing, I would crochet ear savers. I made 100 ear savers and donated them to my comrades at the hospital and was happy to do so. I even had to crochet a few masks for my grand-kids’ dolls and stuffed animals. Anything for the cause, right? I enjoy creating cards, crocheting ear savers, and sewing masks. These projects have kept me semi-sane during my lockup. To date, I have made 740 masks, and honestly, I do not see an end in sight. Tina Foster, CHDS, Medical Transcription