I think we can all agree that staying at home is incredibly important right now, but that it definitely has its challenges. Finding things to occupy our minds and those of our friends and family can feel like a full-time job in itself. My other half, Tim, and I, seem to be inventing new games for our two girls to play on a very regular basis. We need to fill the gaps unoccupied by schoolwork, Lego, Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol and play-times, but we aren’t complaining though and we’re rising to the challenge. It’s also great to see that so many of you have risen to the challenge too and are making your own creations. It’s been a busy time at Faberdasheree HQ so far this year as a result.
Tim and I are lucky that we can carry out our day jobs from home, and so our time out of the house is strictly limited to some daily exercise in our neighbourhood, the weekly food shop and a few, well-planned trips to the Post Office to fulfil your orders. All in accordance with the UK Government’s current requirements of course, which include social distancing. It’s all about reducing the chances of catching the virus and then passing it onto others. We are now using the Post Office’s Drop & Go service to reduce the time queueing (Thanks to the ladies behind the counter for suggesting it!)
It also means wearing face masks when either of us leaves the house. We all know that our National Health Services are struggling to get hold of the right amount of PPE, so we are going to try and do our bit to help. We have begun producing some non-surgical face masks which you can find in the handmade shop right now. They aren’t a replacement for PPE and we don’t make any claims about the level of protection they offer, but we hope that they can help in some way, and it does seem that they can. The UK government's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Witty said “wearing a face covering is an added precaution, that may have some benefit in reducing the likelihood that a person with the infection passes it on."
I spent sometime deciding on suitable designs and settled on two styles of mask. There’s a flat mask with pleats and removable metal nose bridge which lies flat against the face similar to the ones you see our fantastic healthcare heroes wear. There’s also an ergonomic mask that sits a little away from the mouth. Both masks are made from 2 layers of 100% cotton fabric, with a different design on each fabric, so you basically get two masks in one! The masks can be ordered with either 2.4mm diameter elastic cord that fits comfortably over the ears or with 10mm wide cotton flat braided cord that is simply tied behind the head.
I think that most people would prefer the elastic cord so masks will ship like that, but anyone who buys one can leave a message to say if they’d prefer the flat cotton braided cord. The adult versions of the mask come with a removable metal nose bridge and another fabric or filter material can be added between the two fabric layers. The masks are washable, just make sure you remove the metal nose bridge before putting it in the wash!
The flat masks are available in four sizes:- (dimensions are for the fabric and are approximate)
1) Toddler (160mm/6.3" wide by 70mm/2.75" high)
2) Child (175mm/6.9" wide by 80mm/3.15" high)
3) Adult (185mm/7.3" wide by 90mm/3.5" high)
4) XL (190mm/7.5" wide by 90mm/3.5" high)
The ergonomic masks are available in one size which is suitable for older teenagers and adults. The fabric measurements are 15.5cm from the nose to the chin and 26cm from ear to ear. The elastic cord is 20cm long around the ear and the flat cotton braided cord measures 35cm long on each side.
You’ll find them in the handmade section of the shop. That's here.I really hope you like them as much as I’ve enjoyed making them. If you do, then please feel free to like, comment and share this post with your friends and family. You can even subscribe to the newsletter. It really helps our small business.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Stay safe!
Kat x
Comments