No matter where you live in the US, it’s safe to say we have adopted mask culture. I’m personally happy to wear a mask. It keeps other people safe from me if I am potentially sick and don’t know it, and me safe from others if they happen to be sick. It’s an easy way to take care of one another and ourselves, and there is no reason we can’t make them a part of our ensembles!
Once I started going out more, I knew I wanted to make masks in different fabrics to match my outfits. Each time I made a new garment, I always added on a mask so I had something cute to match! It’s a little extra, but you would be shocked how many compliments you can get on a coordinating mask!
Now that I have made so many masks in so many different forms, I think it’s safe to say these two mask patterns are the ones I reach for the most to wear and make. For a while I didn’t have access to elastic, so I made a ton of the tied masks. These were great because they can be adjusted for anyone’s head and really do feel the most secure. When it comes to convenience, though, the elastic around the ears is where it’s at. The pattern which looks the most like a surgical mask is by far the fastest and simplest to make. I make these constantly. The pattern with a flat front and top and bottom flaps is really nice looking, but does take a but more effort. I have also tried the masks with a seam down the front, but for some reason these really don’t stay up well on my face.
The only thing to note on these patterns is that I struggle to find elastic that is so stretchy that Kyle and I can wear the same masks interchangeably. His face is larger than mine, so I end up adjusting the length of the elastic for him, so make sure to measure the elastic out on your own face to make sure the fit is right.
As a bonus, this tutorial also includes instructions for making a scrunchie to match your mask! I told you I was a little extra… Take a look at the mask sewing tutorials on Fabric Wholesale Direct’s website!
