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Post by mom on Apr 7, 2020 17:32:10 GMT
I have seen some really cute masks on Etsy - but they are made out of pure linen. Is that an OK fabric to use? I was going to try and make my own but this one is super cute & my style. Is linen an ok fabric for these or would regular cotton be better?
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Post by peano on Apr 7, 2020 17:39:06 GMT
I think they recommend tightly woven cotton. I generally think of linen as a more loosely woven fabric but I know there may be exceptions. Do they have a closeup of the fabric? There’s no way I’d use linen, especially since I’ve got plenty of tightly woven cotton quilting fabric.
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Post by maryland on Apr 7, 2020 18:30:32 GMT
I think they recommend tightly woven cotton. I generally think of linen as a more loosely woven fabric but I know there may be exceptions. Do they have a closeup of the fabric? There’s no way I’d use linen, especially since I’ve got plenty of tightly woven cotton quilting fabric. I am not a fabric expert at all!  So would bandanas be better to use than an old t-shirt or undershirt to make a mask that you don't have to sew? We don't have a sewing machine, but saw an example using a bandana and rubber bands. |
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Apr 7, 2020 18:39:34 GMT
It depends on the weave of the linen. I have some in my stash that will work, so it's not a definitely No. In fact, some of my linen is more tightly woven than my quilting cotton (quilt store quality, not JoAnns).
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Post by malibou on Apr 7, 2020 18:55:56 GMT
I think it looks like a really nice linen, so I bet it is the tightly woven kind. I would be surprised if someone making them to sell isn't aware of the need for a tight weave. That would be a waste of her time and materials.
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Apr 7, 2020 20:07:38 GMT
I am not a fabric expert at all! So would bandanas be better to use than an old t-shirt or undershirt to make a mask that you don't have to sew? We don't have a sewing machine, but saw an example using a bandana and rubber bands. T-shirts or any knit are a NO NO>........ Just bandanas, no, but the folded one should work well! The multiple layers and the uneven fabric would sort of snuggle which would be good. Linen is questionable.... mom |
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Post by maryland on Apr 7, 2020 20:11:15 GMT
I am not a fabric expert at all! So would bandanas be better to use than an old t-shirt or undershirt to make a mask that you don't have to sew? We don't have a sewing machine, but saw an example using a bandana and rubber bands. T-shirts or any knit are a NO NO>........ Linen is questionable.... mom What would be good to use instead? We may have something around the house. |
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Post by gale w on Apr 7, 2020 20:11:16 GMT
bummer. In another thread someone mentioned neck gaiters and I ordered a pack of them. They are knit.
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GiantsFan
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Post by GiantsFan on Apr 7, 2020 20:14:10 GMT
I am not a fabric expert at all! So would bandanas be better to use than an old t-shirt or undershirt to make a mask that you don't have to sew? We don't have a sewing machine, but saw an example using a bandana and rubber bands. T-shirts or any knit are a NO NO>........ Just bandanas, no, but the folded one should work well! The multiple layers and the uneven fabric would sort of snuggle which would be good. Linen is questionable.... mom ON the CDC website they have instructions on how to use a T-shirt to make a mask.. |
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Post by chrispeas on Apr 7, 2020 21:23:31 GMT
I read on line that the blue shop towels called Tool box is a good filter to add to those homemade folded bandannas.
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Post by Merge on Apr 7, 2020 21:38:48 GMT
Hey, question for medical people about huck towels ... we use these in our kitchen in place of paper towels, washing after each use. They are thick and seem to be tightly woven. Would they make an acceptable mask substitute if folded and bound in the way people are showing with bandanas?
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Post by littlemama on Apr 7, 2020 21:45:59 GMT
bummer. In another thread someone mentioned neck gaiters and I ordered a pack of them. They are knit. They are. We got ours today and if you fold them in thirds, no air gets out. Single layer wouldnt work |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Apr 7, 2020 22:02:00 GMT
I think a lot of people are getting confused as to the purpose of wearing the masks or face coverings. They aren’t to keep you from getting sick. You would need an N95 for that. The goal is to prevent *your own* potentially infectious droplets from getting into the air and *any* fabric covering your face adequately is going to catch the bigger ones that would otherwise go into the air and land on surfaces and stay viable for a longer while. In this case anything is better than nothing. The point is if *everybody* is wearing one, everyone is keeping more of their own germs to themselves.
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Post by gale w on Apr 7, 2020 22:03:19 GMT
My daughter said she might see 2 or 3 people all day wearing masks, and they have all been health care workers.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2020 22:06:14 GMT
Is it lined with something? I'm making mine with two layers of quilting fabric and each layer lined with an iron-on, non-woven interfacing. That makes it more impervious.
In any event, if you have a mask and aren't sure if it will filter enough, double over some paper towels to provide additional filtration. People in Asian countries have been doing that for a long time. It's not perfect but it's absolutely better than nothing.
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Apr 7, 2020 22:10:58 GMT
I think they recommend tightly woven cotton. I generally think of linen as a more loosely woven fabric but I know there may be exceptions. Do they have a closeup of the fabric? There’s no way I’d use linen, especially since I’ve got plenty of tightly woven cotton quilting fabric. I am not a fabric expert at all! So would bandanas be better to use than an old t-shirt or undershirt to make a mask that you don't have to sew? We don't have a sewing machine, but saw an example using a bandana and rubber bands. T-shirt fabric is better than most bandanas. |
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Post by refugeepea on Apr 7, 2020 22:13:07 GMT
Has anyone been able to just buy a pack of disposable masks at a reasonable cost? I've looked locally. I'd much rather go that route. I'm so sick of laundry.
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Post by malibou on Apr 7, 2020 22:19:10 GMT
Hey, question for medical people about huck towels ... we use these in our kitchen in place of paper towels, washing after each use. They are thick and seem to be tightly woven. Would they make an acceptable mask substitute if folded and bound in the way people are showing with bandanas? Yes. I just read about using those. |
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Post by malibou on Apr 7, 2020 22:22:16 GMT
T-shirts or any knit are a NO NO>........ Linen is questionable.... mom What would be good to use instead? We may have something around the house. In all honesty, vacuum cleaner bags are awesome. A bit fiddly to make a mask from, ask me how I know? However, it would make excellent filters. |
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Post by librarylady on Apr 7, 2020 22:23:32 GMT
Has anyone been able to just buy a pack of disposable masks at a reasonable cost? I've looked locally. I'd much rather go that route. I'm so sick of laundry.
I think all those masks have been out of stock ever since this pandemic began.
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Post by leftturnonly on Apr 7, 2020 22:26:16 GMT
I think a lot of people are getting confused as to the purpose of wearing the masks or face coverings. They aren’t to keep you from getting sick. You would need an N95 for that. ... True... to a point. Anything that keeps your mucous membranes from being exposed to an infected person's normal spray of spit (etc.) will give you some protection from becoming sick. The problem with masks - all masks, homemade, surgical grade and everything in between - is that regular people (non-healthcare, non-construction, etc) aren't used to wearing them. They don't adjust them snug enough. They pull them aside. They touch all kinds of surfaces then touch their mask, and they continue to touch their face even as they wear a mask. In other words, it can lead to a false sense of security unless you become very consciously aware at all times that you're wearing a mask and need to keep your hands away. If you do wear something that snugly fits and you are careful to keep your hands off of not just your face but also your mask and wash your hands before you remove the mask, you will add a huge preventative to keeping yourself from contracting this virus as well as the flu. What would be good to use instead? We may have something around the house. You want to create multiple layers of tightly woven fabric. There are some really good videos online about how to make decent masks with paper towels. You could also take something like a bandanna, double it up and line it with a paper towel or two between the cloth. |
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Post by leftturnonly on Apr 7, 2020 22:28:00 GMT
I'm making mine with two layers of quilting fabric and each layer lined with an iron-on, non-woven interfacing. That makes it more impervious. Have you made sure you can breathe easily through them? |
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jazzcat
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Post by jazzcat on Apr 7, 2020 22:28:15 GMT
I was doing some mask research today and read that high thread-count sheets are better than regular cotton quilting-type fabric, so if you have any old sheets sitting around...
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Post by elaine on Apr 7, 2020 22:47:34 GMT
My daughter said she might see 2 or 3 people all day wearing masks, and they have all been health care workers. Wow. It is so different here. Very few people not wearing masks. |
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Post by used2scrap on Apr 7, 2020 22:52:33 GMT
T-shirts or any knit are a NO NO>........ Just bandanas, no, but the folded one should work well! The multiple layers and the uneven fabric would sort of snuggle which would be good. Linen is questionable.... mom ON the CDC website they have instructions on how to use a T-shirt to make a mask.. The US military are being told to use T-shirts to make their own mandatory masks. |
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Post by artgirl1 on Apr 7, 2020 22:58:27 GMT
In all honesty, vacuum cleaner bags are awesome. A bit fiddly to make a mask from, ask me how I know? However, it would make excellent filters. Vacuum cleaner bags are treated with chemicals that are not healthy. You will be breathing through the mask and you really dont want to suck those chemicals into your lungs. |
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Post by maryland on Apr 7, 2020 23:22:21 GMT
T-shirts or any knit are a NO NO>........ Just bandanas, no, but the folded one should work well! The multiple layers and the uneven fabric would sort of snuggle which would be good. Linen is questionable.... mom ON the CDC website they have instructions on how to use a T-shirt to make a mask.. Yes, I goggled and found it. Thanks! |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Apr 7, 2020 23:35:09 GMT
I think a lot of people are getting confused as to the purpose of wearing the masks or face coverings. They aren’t to keep you from getting sick. You would need an N95 for that. ... True... to a point. Anything that keeps your mucous membranes from being exposed to an infected person's normal spray of spit (etc.) will give you some protection from becoming sick. The problem with masks - all masks, homemade, surgical grade and everything in between - is that regular people (non-healthcare, non-construction, etc) aren't used to wearing them. They don't adjust them snug enough. They pull them aside. They touch all kinds of surfaces then touch their mask, and they continue to touch their face even as they wear a mask. In other words, it can lead to a false sense of security unless you become very consciously aware at all times that you're wearing a mask and need to keep your hands away. If you do wear something that snugly fits and you are careful to keep your hands off of not just your face but also your mask and wash your hands before you remove the mask, you will add a huge preventative to keeping yourself from contracting this virus as well as the flu. What would be good to use instead? We may have something around the house. You want to create multiple layers of tightly woven fabric. There are some really good videos online about how to make decent masks with paper towels. You could also take something like a bandanna, double it up and line it with a paper towel or two between the cloth. As someone on another thread pointed out, the air you’re breathing in will take the path of least resistance, coming in through all those little gaps where the masks don’t seal tightly, and that air could have micro droplets of the virus so it won’t matter so much if your homemade mask has a filter or not. If the air can’t easily get through the filter, it’s going to come in any way it can. Also, unless you have something completely covering your eyes, it could get in that way too. If everybody wears a mask and keeps more of their own germs contained, there is less infectious matter floating around in the air overall to begin with waiting to infect others. It’s more important to have some kind of covering than to worry about what to use as an extra filter, etc. especially if it makes the thing harder to breathe through and less comfortable. |
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Post by PEAcan pie on Apr 8, 2020 1:55:12 GMT
Not an expert, but what I did was order a mask with a pocket for filter. Then I ordered Blue shop towels ( I read tool box is best). blue shop towel I plan to use the shop towel as a filter. When I get out of the store, I throw the mask in a bag then disinfect in washer (disinfect setting) Not saying it is the best, but until supplies are plentiful for all, this is what I will use. I do not touch my face at all in the grocery store, and I carry disinfect wipes with me the whole time and disinfect as I go along. When I get to a station with disinfectant, I re wet my towels (I bring at least 5 with me) I dispose of all but one on my way out and use one to open my care door. My hands are paying for it, but it makes me feel better lol I will say I went to the store today to shop for Easter dinner and some essentials. I could not get a pickup time from anywhere until a week out. I live in MI and in hotspot County. Most people were good about distance, but there were quite a bit that did not care and just acted like there was no reason to be spaced apart. Including a family with several children taking up the entire aisle! I had to turn around. I also went to get gas and a lady pulled up right next to my pump and were the ONLY CARS AT THE STATION with 4 lanes! I was shocked, I asked her to move over one and she said "Oh I forgot" REALLY? How can you forget and why would you pump right next to the only vehicle there? SMH |
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Post by malibou on Apr 8, 2020 2:14:53 GMT
In all honesty, vacuum cleaner bags are awesome. A bit fiddly to make a mask from, ask me how I know? However, it would make excellent filters. Vacuum cleaner bags are treated with chemicals that are not healthy. You will be breathing through the mask and you really dont want to suck those chemicals into your lungs. That info came from a research team that was testing various household fabrics for people to make diy masks. They gave it the highest rating amongst tested fabrics. Since I'm a seamstress, I tried making one. Didn't turn out great, and I have others that I wear. If someone decides to try it, you should check out what artgirl1 says. |
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So would bandanas be better to use than an old t-shirt or undershirt to make a mask that you don't have to sew? We don't have a sewing machine, but saw an example using a bandana and rubber bands.
