A NEW RECORD!!! OVER TEN THOUSAND HITS!! THANK YOU!!

 I am overwhelmed to learn that I now have over 10,000 hits on this blog ... 

I want to say thank you to each and everyone of you for checking out my blog;  for sharing it with your friends and family; for supporting my custom sewing business.

My love to sew has been a life long passion among the various other hats that I have worn!

With 2021 fast approaching, I am looking to have a monthly posting of the growth and development of Alice's Sewing Shoppe ... always a new adventure!  

All suggestions, requests and questions are answered  in a timely manner ... 

Once again, my sincerest thank you for stopping by ... 

Alice

TO MASK OR NOT TO MASK ...

It's no longer an open question ... with government regulations in place, as of today, July 31, 2020, this is the day when masks will be required in public places ... 

So, I take you beyond the debate ... 

What's in a mask??

According to the CDC, non-medical masks should consist of 100% cotton - one of these layers should be pillow ticking - a tightly woven fabric that prevents feathers from poking through a pillow!!

As a mask maker, (one of the many designer hats that I wear), I pre wash and dry all the fabric that I use for masks - actually, I pre-treat most of the fabrics that I work with so that my customers will enjoy the easy care of their finished products!  I have redesigned my masks to give more coverage, closer more comfortable fit and the best protection possible.
Fabric masks react differently than the industrial made masks when the facial muscles move and they therefore require a different fit to provide sufficient coverage and protection.

Polyester and poly-cottons are, in my opinion, poor choices for masks ... they are too hot to wear and not as breathable as 100% cottons.

The wires I use in the nose band of my masks are made of brass!  They are antibacterial, self-cleaning and they are good for your immune system!!!  I use a strong 20 gauge wire that is flexible enough to be shaped - and to hold that shape!!!  It does help a little to prevent glasses fogging up ... but if you're talking a lot or breathing heavily, you might find your glasses hard to see through.  However, I have read, that if you fold a piece of tissue and use it to line under the top of your mask, it does wonders to prevent your glasses from fogging up!!  

In addition to inserting the brass wires, I also curl and protect the ends - much like the end of a bobby pin is protected - in order to ensure that none of my customers are in danger of being poked with the end of a wire!  This is labour intensive, but I feel it's a necessity to keep my customers safe!

Filters .... I have done extensive research and to date, I have not found any filters that are safe, breathable, wearable or comfortable!!!  The CDC does not recommend filters.  I would like to add that coffee filters prevent breathing and they are not safe! ... vacuum filters were meant to filter small dust particles, not viruses ... people are not meant to breath in chemicals or micro fibers from filters and they do not provide the protection that you're looking for!  Because I feel so strongly against adding filters, I do not even include a filter pocket in my masks ... I believe in taking a stand and protecting my family, friends and customers therefore, until there is a safe, breathable,wearable, comfortable filter out there, I will not include them in my masks.

It is currently recommended to have 2 masks - one to wear and one to wash... but of course, you can see where it could become a fashion trend ... there will be many who will want to have fun with different fabrics, prints, styles - from very simple to the most elaborate!!  And, let's not forget the party masks with the flip up spot for your straw! 

At present, I am making 2 styles of makes - with pleats and without (or fitted) - and they come in several sizes, adult to toddlers!   I offer a choice of fabrics to ensure my customers get the right mask for them!  

... I custom make many masks based on individual requests and I will always alter or adjust to ensure the most perfect fit!

As a designer who strives to provide haute couture quality to my customers, my masks speak for themselves in design and quality construction!