Would you have imagined, how much a face mask would become a part of your daily accessories just like the watch you wear or your jewelry, etc. I bet many of you must have observed a sea of a difference after wearing masks (apart from the funny memes of how our ears will look or the unfriendly tan on the face dividing the face into night and day). Yes, you heard me, lesser allergies. I think most people living in metropolitan cities will continue to wear uniforms to save themselves from the evils of pollution even when we will be triumphant against our battle with this deadly virus.
As we are seeing a catastrophic second wave in our country, it is more than important now to get serious about masking up well and staying indoors as much as possible to support our healthcare workers and our municipal administration. Since it is imperative, you might as well wear something that is breathable and what fun it will be if it is DIY! Yes you can sew your own masks at home. Sewing also allows you to show off your own personal style ;). It is also good to have a few spare, as it is advised to wash the fabric face masks after every use. So keeping a good batch at home is a great idea for making sure you have enough for your and for your near and dear ones. Instead of going out and buying more, you could save money and sew your own. There are plenty of face mask tutorials online which will allow you to DIY.
But before you get into this exciting DIY-mode of Sew Your Own Face Mask, understand the main ingredient first – and that’s the fabric that you will use to make your masks. Always remember, a face mask needs to be soft, comfortable, has inherent filtration property – and most importantly – breathable. So, we think it is a good idea to brief you a little about the best fabrics for face masks.
There is a wide variety of face masks in the market at the moment – many are polyester based, especially the fancy festive ones. You may love to have one matching your exquisite dress, especially at a party or wedding function but can you really wear a polyester-based mask and then breathe freely? Obviously, assuming you think wearing a mask is as important as attending the wedding function!
We suggest you go in for the B (breathable) M (maskne-free) C (comfortable) – qualities for your mask. Our five top choices are all cellulosic in nature so they have the inherent comfort and breathability properties. We also recommend opting for natural colours or white bases as you can avoid the colour fading after regular washes and also of course stay clear of chemical dyes that are used to make coloured fabrics. More so natural, earthen hues never die out of style and always look chic and classy.
- Cotton: the most basic and a natural choice is cotton. It is a proven fabric for its fabulous comfort it lends to practically anything it is woven into. Blend it with linen, hemp, bamboo, viscose and even polyester in small quantity and you get a fabric woven with not only comfort but with a personality!
- Linen & Linen blends: our all time favourite! (yes, yes more than cotton!). That polyester mask for a party, remember! Completely replace it now with linen and you will be thanking us later. Linen is not only comfort but it is simply luxury. It looks elegant, timeless and linen also has the inherent property to be anti-bacterial so you can say bye-bye to the maskne forever 🙂
The most beautiful part of linen is that with every wash it becomes more comfortable and soft just like that old pair of jeans.
- Bamboo: Bamboo fabrics are touted as environment friendly and yes, it is true. Not only is bamboo eco-friendly but also it is wonder fibre as it is anti-bacterial and like cotton it also absorbs and evaporates sweat, making it a comfortable experience. But remember to buy a fabric that is blended with cotton to improve its longevity as a fabric.
- Hemp: Linen and hemp are a lot similar in properties and both have a luxury feel to it. It also wrinkles like linen so looking at again a blended fabric can make it more appropriate for mask-masking. It is super comfortable with a style statement of its own. Can be a great base for your personalisation with accessories or even embroidery or patchwork.
- Viscose blends: Fibre derived from wood pulp is viscose. While all the other recommendations above are natural fabrics, viscose is a man-made fibre and has super properties of all the above and makes a super-soft fabric for making your own masks. However, due to its flowy nature, you may require some backing to give it body. Go in for a cotton backing, in case you select a viscose fabric to experiment with.
Feeling inspired to sew your own face masks? Why not get started by ordering one of our fabric swatch packs? Your fabric will be with you in a matter of days and then you are all set to get creative.