For the past week or so I pulled out the sewing machine and starting researching mask designs. It was becoming apparent that they were in high demand and my Amazon order was not going to come before the ordinance requiring them would be put in place. After a fair amount of trial and error, I made some masks that I felt were comfortable and effective. I chose the Olson Mask Pattern because it was designed by medical professionals to be used when other surgical and N95 masks are not available.
Luckily, I had lots of leftover fabric from making baby quilts so there was no shortage of thread, material, and fabric. All I needed to purchase was elastic and I guess I pulled the trigger at the right time because it was pretty easy to source. Once I had masks made for my family (pictured: my brother, sister-in-law and nephew) I reached out to the friends and neighbors who lived close.
Luckily, I had lots of leftover fabric from making baby quilts so there was no shortage of thread, material, and fabric. All I needed to purchase was elastic and I guess I pulled the trigger at the right time because it was pretty easy to source. Once I had masks made for my family (pictured: my brother, sister-in-law and nephew) I reached out to the friends and neighbors who lived close.
After making about 50 adult and children sized masks, I decided it was time to post on Nextdoor that I was making masks. People were scrambling and I was happy to provide masks to my neighbors for free.
Since I myself am high risk, I had a technique that worked well. After establishing with the first few responses that I needed to know the size: adult/child and the gender (male/female) the requests were being made in that format. When I had made the masks for that person, I put them in a Ziploc bag with their name and sent them this note:
I have made your masks. I’m at <address>. Please text me to <phone number> when you plan to come over and I’ll set them in the Buddha’s hands on my front porch.
Many people commented on the plaque mounted on my steps asking me where I got it. I let them know that I had it custom made. I never thought that this message would be so important then during a global pandemic. Truthfully... it's about as political as I like to get.
To my surprise, neighbors began leaving me gifts in exchange for the masks. John left me amazing Meyer lemons from his tree and so I made lemon bars for my high school art teacher Mattie who is both a neighbor, my mentor, and a dear friend and her wife Sharon.
I met a neighbor named Carol who left me grapefruit from her garden. I hadn't had grapefruit for years... dare I say a decade?? and they were AMAZING. I met a woman named Gai and she had some lovely strawberry starts that she shared and my husband Dave planted them in our garden. I met a lovely lady named Karen who picked up her masks and noticed that I loved flowers and succulents and came back with a beautiful hanging plant for my porch.
Michaele, a nurse, reached out asking if I could make a dozen for the Alzheimer's Center in Berkeley and so I made those and she insisted on contributing so she bought me some thread which by now I was running low on. She later came back asking if I could make some more for the staff at the center. There was a lady named Joanne who took her masks and left behind a lovely almond pastry she had made. Then there was Ellen who left the most magnificent roses in a jar... and Antonio who left me Columbian chocolate and four tomato plants he had started from seed.
I worked during the day - grateful to be employed by Stanford University and made masks at night and on the weekends. I have made over 300 masks and have forayed into on to make surgical caps for my friends and family who are nurses. So needless to say that I have taken a bit of a break from the studio. As an artist producing sculpture, I can say this... right now... my community is my sculpture.
Note from 7/21: During the pandemic, I made over 600 masks for my community. Wow!
Since I myself am high risk, I had a technique that worked well. After establishing with the first few responses that I needed to know the size: adult/child and the gender (male/female) the requests were being made in that format. When I had made the masks for that person, I put them in a Ziploc bag with their name and sent them this note:
I have made your masks. I’m at <address>. Please text me to <phone number> when you plan to come over and I’ll set them in the Buddha’s hands on my front porch.
Many people commented on the plaque mounted on my steps asking me where I got it. I let them know that I had it custom made. I never thought that this message would be so important then during a global pandemic. Truthfully... it's about as political as I like to get.
To my surprise, neighbors began leaving me gifts in exchange for the masks. John left me amazing Meyer lemons from his tree and so I made lemon bars for my high school art teacher Mattie who is both a neighbor, my mentor, and a dear friend and her wife Sharon.
I met a neighbor named Carol who left me grapefruit from her garden. I hadn't had grapefruit for years... dare I say a decade?? and they were AMAZING. I met a woman named Gai and she had some lovely strawberry starts that she shared and my husband Dave planted them in our garden. I met a lovely lady named Karen who picked up her masks and noticed that I loved flowers and succulents and came back with a beautiful hanging plant for my porch.
Michaele, a nurse, reached out asking if I could make a dozen for the Alzheimer's Center in Berkeley and so I made those and she insisted on contributing so she bought me some thread which by now I was running low on. She later came back asking if I could make some more for the staff at the center. There was a lady named Joanne who took her masks and left behind a lovely almond pastry she had made. Then there was Ellen who left the most magnificent roses in a jar... and Antonio who left me Columbian chocolate and four tomato plants he had started from seed.
I worked during the day - grateful to be employed by Stanford University and made masks at night and on the weekends. I have made over 300 masks and have forayed into on to make surgical caps for my friends and family who are nurses. So needless to say that I have taken a bit of a break from the studio. As an artist producing sculpture, I can say this... right now... my community is my sculpture.
Note from 7/21: During the pandemic, I made over 600 masks for my community. Wow!
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