SIMPLE TO SEW 3-LAYER N97+ MASK USING TM2020 DESIGN …

[Pages:3]SIMPLE TO SEW 3-LAYER N97+ MASK USING TM2020 DESIGN BY TOMMYE AUSTIN

(See "Aerosol Filtration Effi ciency of Common Fabrics Used in Respiratory Cloth Masks" at for cloth material ratings)

Instructions by Linda Griffith, LCSW, DCSW ? (I'm a TOTAL sewing klutz, so if I can do it, you can do it!)

This mask is intentionally designed to be "roomy" to help dissipate CO2 when exhaling. It is ESSENTIAL that there be no air leaks around the edges when worn. The 9" width of the mask and 13" long elastic is for an average adult sized head. Adjust the width of the three cloth pieces to be wider or narrower than 9" so the edges of the mask are located on your face as shown, then cut the length of the elastic to be longer than 13" by the same amount that you added to the cloth (or subtract the same amount by which you shortened the cloth). Materials ? 1 Layer 9" x 12" 600 thread count cotton (pillowcases will work and are sold on Amazon) ? 2 Layers of 9" x 12" chiffon (90% polyester and 10% Spandex) (Sold at Joann's online) ? 13" long piece of elastic (also at Joann's) ? Bendable closure strip from a coffee bag for nose stiffener ? 2 pieces 1" wide hemming tape each 4 1/2" long (or some other non-fraying fabric. I'm using surgical cloth here.) ? 4 1/2" plastic container lid with 4" circle cut out of center

1) Layer the 3 pieces of fabric together with cotton layer (gray) on the bottom. Use clips (no pins!). The cotton layer should be the outermost layer of the mask when worn.

2) Along one 9" side (which will become the top of the mask), sew a 1/2" hem centering and enclosing the nose stiffener. Also tack down both ends of the elastic by inserting them 1/2" into each side of the hem.

3) Sew a 1/2" hem along the other 9" side (the bottom, under-chin side of the mask)

4) Fold the hemmed sides together with cotton facing out. Mark a small dot 1 1/2" in from each side of the fold so you can later see where the midpoint of the folded fabric is.

5) Pull one side of the folded fabric down and tuck it under as shown to form a 1" high pleat all the way across the bottom, being sure to keep the dots you just marked in place.

6) Carefully turn the folded fabric over and pull down the other side and tuck it under to form a 1" high pleat all across the bottom that mirrors the first one. Make sure the dots are still in place at the midpoint of the fold and that the hemmed tops meet, being the same height from the fold.

7) With clips holding both pleats in place, measure and mark 1" in from the edge on each side of the fold (each mark should be 1/2" closer to the edge than your earlier set of dots). Draw a line from the marks you just made to the top corners of the fabric. Check again to make sure your first set of dots are still where they should be and that the two hemmed edges are still the same distance from the fold and meet equally at the top.

8) Sew along the lines you drew to close each side of the mask, holding the elastic out of the way. Check to be sure that your stitches go the full length of the side and all of them are holding well.

9) Cut away the excess fabric on the sides leaving 3/16" beyond the lines you just stitched.

10) Wrap the cloth hemming tape (or some other fabric that won't fray) around each side edge of the mask and stitch through it to enclose the edges. Be sure to hold the elastic down above the side with the nose stiffener in it so that the edging is stitched over the folded down elastic. (In this example, I used a blue edging strip that was wider than 1" and cut back the excess after it was sewn into place)

11) Bend the overhanging lengths of the edging up onto the underside of the mask (the side without the nose stiffener in it) and stitch down through them to finish the corners. You will be stitching through the elastic folded down on the other side when completing this step. This will further secure the elastic to the mask.

12) Place the 4 1/2" plastic lid (from which you removed the 4" circle) inside the mask to hold the breathing pocket open. Place your chin in the lower half of the mask, pull the elastic up, over and behind your head then press the nose stiffener tight to the shape of your nose and cheeks to prevent fogging and leakage. Pull the bottom of the mask down and back to fully enclose your jaw.

Designed to be worn for long periods of time with very little discomfort, this mask will not only help protect others, but will help protect you from those who are spreading the virus by not wearing masks.

[Note: This design initially used 1 layer HVAC MERV 13 Filtrete filter cloth between the 2 layers of a single piece of Halyard 600 surgical drape to achieve N97+. Using those original hard-to-find and expensive materials, it would be more rigid and slightly more breathable (which makes the original slightly better for people with pulmonary issues, though the materials we're using here are also very breathable). The original materials are NOT washable, whereas the materials used here ARE washable, easy to obtain and are rated just as high at N97+ for protection.]

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