Tag: volunteer

Surgical Masks for Healthcare Professionals

As the world starts to reopen, healthcare professionals across all avenues of specialties are still in need of PPE. Therefore, these medically approved Fabric Surgical Masks are one way that we craft enthusiasts can help! Due to the CDC recommendations, we set out to find a mask solution for the medical community. 

Our first round of 900 masks was gladly received by local hospitals and healthcare facilities. Now, however, we want to take it one step further by creating surgical masks with slots to add filters.

WakeMed Hospital sent us directions for a Surgical Mask that allows for a filter to be inserted, along with instructions for ribbon ties versus elastic ties. Namely mentioning that these ties will give continued comfortability throughout long-time wear. We used this pattern as a template to create our own step-by-step surgical mask sewing directions for our volunteers.

Check out our new design below! Much love to WakeMed for sharing your medical professional sewing pattern. This adaptation has been proven by our doctors to be efficient for continued use and a successful way to help the environment. Likewise, it allows the use of N95 masks to be kept for high-risk frontline workers.

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Craft Enthusiasts and Volunteers:

Deploy yourselves again! Help us to continue in the fight and push your crafting skills to the next level! Read through our new Surgical Mask Sewing Instructions below, email us at marketing@lanedds.com once you finish, and let’s keep crafting for those that need it most!

Give to a healthcare worker, friend, or return to Lane & Associates to be distributed appropriately. We hope these fabric surgical mask sewing instructions help you to create your own surgical masks for healthcare professionals.

Need materials? Fill out the form at the bottom of this page to request a kit! We would be happy to support as many crafters as possible until supplies run out!

• 100% Cotton Fabric – Cut (1) 10×16 inch rectangle and (2) 2×6 inch strips.
• 4 pieces of 1/4 or 3/8-inch ribbons measuring 18 inches in length
• Scissors or fabric cutter
• Sewing machine
• Iron
• Cotton or Polyester sewing thread
• Sewing pins or wonder clips

 

 

 

Take your 100% Cotton fabric and cut (1) rectangle that is 10 inches wide and 16 inches long. Then cut (2) pieces of fabric into 2×6 inch strips.

With the front side of the fabric facing down (wrong side up), fold over 1/2 inch on the top and bottom (10-inch sides). Press and stitch across both folds.

With the wrong side up, fold the top and bottom edges to meet in the middle and use the iron to press.

On each side of the mask, make 3 pleats. Each pleat should be approximately 1 inch in size with the top two pleats folded down from the top and the bottom pleat folded up from the bottom. These should be centered in the mask, leaving 2-3 inches of flat fabric at the top and bottom of the pleats.

Sew pleats into place.

Fold the lengthwise sides of the 2×6 edging material inwards at the middle and press.

Place the edging material with unfinished sides up and lay the mask front side down. Align the sides to the middle of the edging. Place the ribbon 1/2 inch from the edge corner, pin it into place, and sew across the stitching to hold everything in place.

Fold the top and bottom edging pieces inwards, meeting in the middle. Be sure they cover the raw edges of the mask and ribbon (this may fold the mask inward as well).

Stitch both sides of the edging closed.

Sew (2) 1-inch stitches, approximately 1/4 inch across the top of the mask, so a pipe cleaner can be inserted if desired.

Be sure to finish the ends of your ribbons in some form of fashion. We recommend the quickest approach of safely using a lighter to burn and cauterize the ends. You can also simply roll the ends and stick across.

 

And there you have it! DIY Surgical Masks for healthcare professionals & beyond!

If you would like to request a surgical mask kit to be delivered or picked up from one of our Lane & Associates dental offices, please fill out the form below. Thank you, craft enthusiasts and healthcare professionals, for everything you continue to do for those in need during COVID-19!

UPDATE: An increasing need as of June 2020 is ear-savers for essential workers wearing masks.

Wearing masks throughout an entire day causes stress on the ears leading to headaches and rubbing of sensitive skin. We would love to help use any materials we still have to also create ear-savers for these essential workers. If you would like to request ear-saver sewing kits to contribute, please fill out the same form below.

Here is a great link with instructions on how to sew ear-savers for masks for reference! You can also check out the instructions provided by UNC Healthcare on their ‘Ways to Help page.