Daily life as we know it has drastically changed. Terms like ‘social distancing’ and ‘flattening the curve’, unknown just a few months ago, are now part of our everyday reality. In the face of catastrophe, it can feel scary, overwhelming, and most of all, frustrating. We are crafters. We are makers. We are doers. And right now, there doesn’t seem to be a lot we can do to help our families and communities. But with new recommendations from the CDC, that say we should all be wearing masks when leaving the house, and with hospitals across the country putting out the call for handmade cloth masks, we makers have been given a mission:
OUR MISSION - Protect each other, and protect those on the front lines, by making masks & caps.
The Details:
You may craft masks for yourself, your family, your neighbors, or hospitals & healthcare workers. It does not matter who they are going to; they all count.
Some hospitals & health care workers are requesting scrub caps or similar hair coverings. These are quite welcome in this challenge.
You may enter this challenge as many times as you wish, in batches of 1-3 masks. If you wish to make just 1 mask, that will count as one entry. If you make a set for you you & your spouse, that counts as 1 entry. If you make a set for your kids, you may count that as one entry. If you make dozens for your local hospital, you can submit them in batches of 3 per entry.
You must post all your entries here in this thread. If you have posted them elsewhere on LC in the last few weeks, you may repost here in the Craftalong Challenge. I will count anything made since March 1, 2020.
When posting an entry, please use the header below, so I can make sure to count all your submissions, if you make more than 1.
Your entry may not be submitted for any other contest in this community.
All entries must be posted by midnight on April 30th.
Each submission will get you 1 entry into the prize drawing.
At the close of the Challenge, I will use a random number generator to draw two winners from all submissions.
The winner will be announced on May 1. I will contact you via Private Message, after the announcement.
If cheating of any sort is discovered, the applicable entry and votes will be disqualified.
The winner of the Lettuce Help Our Communities Challenge will receive a $25 gift card to Joann Fabrics, and the other will receive a $25 gift card to Hawthorne Supply Co, to replenish their fabric stash after the pandemic has ended!
Answers to some FAQ: You said I can submit in batches of 1-3. Does that mean if I make 50 masks, I can submit each one individually and get 50 submissions in the contest?
No. I’m asking everyone here to be thoughtful in what they submit. Think of this in terms of grouping your masks. A set for you & your spouse can be a group. A set for your kids can be a second submission. If you make a few for your next door neighbors, that can be a submission. If you make 50 masks for your local hospital, please submit them in batches of 3. So you could do 16 submissions of 3 masks, and 1 submission of 2 masks, giving you a total of 17 submissions.
My hospital/health care worker friend is in need of scrub caps. Can those count?
Absolutely.
Can I use stash fabric?
Yes. You can use stash fabric, elastic, and bias tape. Please check with YOUR hospital that you are donating to, for their specific guidelines on what they are accepting
Do I have to use a specific pattern?
No. You can use any pattern you wish for masks for friends and family. If donating to a hospital, please follow their specific recommendations & guidelines though. They have them in place for a reason, and need to be able to easily clean and sterilize masks & caps.
I have an awesome pattern to share. How do I do that?
Awesome. Just post the link here, and I’ll add it into the list above.
I want to help, but don’t know where to look. Do you have any patterns for me?
I have linked 3 patterns above in the first post, and will continue to add to it.
Great challenge! I am not much of a seamstress but have a pile of fabric (that I bought TEN YEARS ago while visiting @kittykill and @MareMare lol) waiting for me to work on. My hoarding instincts pay off once again
I tried out the HKMask tutorial but the pattern only scores a 7/10 from me, to be effective the seal around the face has to be more secure so I’m trying some other patterns out. I’m going to make a few styles and decide on a fave.
Here’s my first batch of 3! One for me and one each for Mr. Road and his brother. The elastic isn’t “closed” on the one for my BIL so he can adjust the fit accordingly.
@Magpie, is your HK Mask from hemp pockets an actual submission for the Challenge? Or just a random or progress pic of what you’re working on? Since it doesn’t have the header, I’m unsure if I should add it to the list of finished entries.
Title: Fake Batik back up
Masks for: Me, in case I lose my fancy mask
Pattern Link to Share: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U0W0mxja8E - measurements in the video for making your own.
I added jewelry wire on the nose bridge instead of twist ties because the ones I have are not strong enough to get the mask “sealed” on my face to prevent glasses from fogging up.
Made from home decore fabric sample from my stash.
I started making masks around the second week of March due to what i saw as a need for my family. Since then I have helped form a local mask making group that is now a part of a state-wide organization run by some very talented and motivated folks in Alabama! Here is my first mask! I have made close to 25 so far. I am working online as a college instructor as well, so my time to sew and craft is limited. But here I am!
Thanks to a generous donation from 
