Comfy and conscientious. Three layer reusable masks for friends and family from my stash of reclaimed and vintage fabrics.

Before PPE was widely available, us sewists scrambled to support our communities by providing them with reliable and beautiful masks when COVID initially hit. I’m keeping this page up as reminder of the amazing sense of coming together for mutual good in such trying and dangerous times. When I sold masks, I sold them at two amazing coffee houses:

Phin Coffee Bar in Hamilton and FIKA cafe in Kensington market, Toronto

After collaboration and research, I settled on these specifications:

• Linen linings for feeling cool even in the humidity

• A flexible nosepiece for good fit

• An inner layer of silk for the electrostatic capture of some of those pesky viral particles smaller than 300 nanometers (see Aerosol Filtration Efficiency of Common Fabrics Used in Respiratory Cloth Masks – yes, I’m also a science nerd)

• Comfy 12″ t-shirt yarn ties (no more sore ears)

• A fetching cotton outer layer to mix and match