You can make a hand sewn face mask when you don't have a sewing machine. Not everyone has a sewing machine or access to one, and may never want one! Sewing isn't for everyone, that's for sure.
Some of us babyboomers grew up making doll clothes either hand sewn or on sewing machines. After the doll clothes, we made our own clothes and then our children's clothes. The last time I did any sewing it was for my granddaughter during her toddler and preschool years. I had tons of fun making princess dresses and other costumes for her. Now, she's almost ready to graduate high school.....so that was the end of my sewing days. Until the need for face mask arose.
I have had two or three sewing machines in my life and when we downsized a couple of years ago, I sold them. Wouldn't you know, that that I needed one them again I didn't have one. So, it was a good opportunity to pick up on a new one)))
We have a tutorial on the blog that shows you how to make a fabric face mask using elastic, shoestrings or cloth ties. Here's that link: How to Make a Fabric Face Mask
Press the bandana and fold up six inches from the bottom. Cut across the bandana. Then make a second cut up through the center of the bandana at around 10.5" This will provide material for two masks. The extra piece leftover can be re-folded and also cut up for a mask. So, one bandana should yield three face masks.
Thread the needle and knot the end. I did my sewing with a single thread since double threads tend to get tangled more easily.
Start at any corner and make small stitches around the mask. Stitch about 1/4" to 3/8" from the edge. Don't forget to leave the opening so that you can turn it. When you reach the corners, reinforce that area by making a few extra stitches. Make small stitches that will hold better.
Once you've stitched around the edges, turn the mask to get the right sides up. To push your corners out, you can use the handle of a wooden spoon or your scissors, but just be careful that you don't push through the fabric with scissors. A wooden spoon is safer)))
Test your stitches by pulling gently on the seams. If the seams appear to pull apart too easily, you may have made your stitches to long in length or too loose. If this happens, just stitch again using shorter, tighter stitches. You don't want the stitches so tight that it gathers the material, but you do want the stitches snug enough not to pull open at the seams.
Stitch along the tuck and reinforce with extra stitches right at the folds. Once you reach the end turn and stitch again. As an extra measure, insert your needle through to the back of the mask and stitch down that side too. Continue to reinforce stitches at folds.
Remember that area we left open so we could turn the hand-sewn face mask? Well, now you're ready to pin your shoestring right over that area. Just make sure the raw edges are tucked to the inside and pin your shoestring right on top of it.
Sew the shoestring in place using small stitches and reinforce at corners with extra stitches. You can stitch down one edge of the shoestring first, turn and stitch down the other side.
Stitching the shoestring in place like this instead of just using pieces attached to the corner, should make the strings more stable when they are tugged on.
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