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| How to get a large-headed, beardy person into a face covering that fits. |
Background
My previous attempts to create a mask that would fit J's deceptively large head have so far been unsuccessful. Which means that the masks to soon be provided by the government of France will likely also not fit.
Design
A second design that I had been contemplating is this one, provided through many different sources. The mask still had to be comfortable, sterilizable, be able to be worn with glasses, and be able to be breathed through.
Implementation
Thanks to a sew-together online crafting session with my friend in Paris, and carefully measuring J's face before I began, I was able to alter the pattern, and create this mask for J.
The red line was measured from ear to ear over the point of the nose. The blue line is measured from the bridge of the nose (where the top of the mask will sit) across the tip of the nose to the point under the chin where the neck starts.
With these measurement, I expanded the pattern from the NYT article. For J, this meant my fabric before pleating was almost the size of an A4 sheet of paper. Then I pinned in the pleats and started sewing.
For the nose piece, I used one of the many short lengths of coated copper wire from our electrical installation. I curled the ends in so they won’t punch through the fabrics, and it runs from about mid cheek, over the nose and back to mid cheek on J.
This version has shoelaces for ties on the corners. I left the sides open so that additional filtering media can be added.
And as with every time I mention these face coverings, I will add my disclaimer/PSA here:
As recommended by the CDC (and most health experts), covering your nose an mouth when leaving your home will help keep your own germs to yourself and remind you to not touch your face. These will not protect you 100% from getting the covid-19 virus. But it's better than no protection at all.
Result
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| A paper model with pleats to ensure it would fit J. |
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| Pleats, ready for sewing. |
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| Showing off how well the copper wire keeps the mask against J's face. |
Resources
