Community bands together on mask drive

SANDPOINT — With Friday’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation that all Americans wear a mask in public to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, local sewers are gearing up to ensure anyone who wants one, has one.

“We need lots of these masks,” said one member, noting that even though masks can be reused, they will likely need to be changed on a frequent basis.

Community residents have banded together online, sharing tips, suggestions and sources for fabric, elastic and more. Elastic is in short supply, so group members have gotten creative, using everything from seam bindings, elastic from fitted sheets, bungie cords and hair ties that are long enough to loop around the ears.

“There doesn’t seem to be a ‘best’ pattern,” one member told The Daily Bee. “Everybody is picking their own and incorporating everyone else’s suggestions and experience, e.g. a nurse practitioner recommended that each side of the mask should look different, so that when a nurse takes the mask off, she knows which side to put outward when she puts it back on.”

One member shared she has been busy since word went out that clothes masks could help area health care facilities extend existing supplies. She dropped off 50 masks to one facility and is working on 12 Isolation gowns as well.

“I am out of elastic, so will be trying large rubber bands,” she wrote. “Will see how that goes”

Another also said she has been busy making masks, making and distributing 87 masks to community members “ but grocery stores, pharmacy workers and senior center workers have already requested more than I can make,” the woman told the group, including an invitation to anyone who might want to help.

“I would love to get more of these masks out to the people who are working full time in the public and don’t have time to make their own,” she added.

Among those making masks is Liz Evans, who has made 22 masks so far and is continuing to make masks ahead of her expected delivery of elastic. Some of the masks that she is making will be delivered to Percussionaire for workers who are making respirators for the Sandpoint-based company.

Another member just received her shipment of elastic, and once she’s waited a few days before opening the box, she plans to get to work. In the meantime, she said she was keeping busy making isolation gowns for local health care workers. “It was pretty easy,” the member wrote in an email to The Daily Bee. “I made the largest size from a bed sheet and I used the existing hemmed edges to save some sewing. (The Kirkland pima cotton tag is still on it, lol.)”

Another member shared her tip of buying a fitted king-sized sheet — giving her both the fabric and elastic to make masks.

While it required “some TV time” to get through the seam ripping and get the elastic out of the casing, the member noted the sheet netted enough fabric for 10 masks — even though 14 inches of elastic are needed per mask.

Donations of fabric and elastic are needed by groups to continue their efforts, group members said in an email to The Daily Bee. Light-colored fabric with a tight weave is preferred; the light fabric helps show when the mask is dirty and needs to be washed. Cotton fabric is preferred and flannel can’t be used. Fabric should be prewashed and preshrunk since the masks will be going through commercial wash/ing and drying. Among the types of elastic that will work are rope elastic, beading cord elastic, and also 1/8-inch flat elastic.

In addition, a donation box for supplies has been set up at the East Bonner County Library District’s Sandpoint branch library at 1407 Cedar St.

To arrange donations, contact Nancy@350Sandpoint.org or Lynn Pietz at lynnPietz21@gmail.com.

Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.