Face coverings/masks #2

In the UK it is no longer compulsory to wear a facemask when out in a public space, but I feel much more comfortable wearing one. I like wearing a mask because it gives me peace of mind that if I do catch Covid-19, then I’m less likely to spread it to someone else.

The first facemask design I made last year used a curved seam to fit the mask to the face, and had a paperclip permanently stitched in for adjusting the mask to fit the nose. I also used tie straps, with a bit of elastic (approx 2″) to help with minor fit issues. I made lots of these for friends and family and I posted about how I made them in my Facemasks post previously.

Since making the masks last year I have tried out a few different design changes in an attempt to improve them, here are the things I have done:

• Bought some aluminium strips designed for facemasks, instead of using paperclips. The aluminuim strips are good, but break in the washing machine. To get around this I’ve sewn a channel for the nosewire, so that the metal can be pushed out a small hole in the side prior to washing and then reinserted afterwards.
• Replaced the tie straps with one long piece of elastic so that it can more easily be fitted around the head
• Tried sewing the masks from a square with pleats instead of a curved seam. This is less fabric-efficient and I found that it didn’t fit as closely to my face at the sides, but it is more comfortable to wear.
• Instead of 100% cotton, I have begun to make the masks with silk/viscose as the outside layers with cotton inside. This is based on this research study by Parlin et al. which suggests that the silky fabric generates an electrostatic charge which repels tiny particles. They found it was particularly effective when combined with cotton and almost as good as an N95 mask. If you’re interested, you can have a read here: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239531.
• Tried using elastic to fix around the ears instead of around the head, combined with an ear protector (ribbon with buttons sewn on) to make the mask fit more tightly around the back of the head.

I’ve decided that I prefer masks with the curved seam instead of the pleats for optimal mask fit. I also like the nose-wire channel. However I want to make it easier to take the masks off and put on again. For this there are a few other things I want to try:

• Adding velcro to the straps instead of ties/elastic, I’m worried that this will get stuck in my hair though
• Using snap fasteners to clip the straps together on the head

I’ll let you know how it goes!