I made a mask pattern

I feel a little silly posting a mask pattern, but since I’ve gone to the effort of making it, it might as well be shared for anyone who wants to use it.

We all know how annoying it can be to scroll through the backstory just to get the pattern, so here it is:

(pattern image for those who want to see what they’re getting in the PDF)

My hair/face was definitely not ‘done’ for these photos. Because, y’know, COVID-times and I hadn’t left the house in weeks, so why bother, right?

This pattern is also available as an STL file on Thingiverse if you want to 3D print it for use in cutting out multiple copies.

I expect that most people who would come across this site already know how to construct this style of face mask, but in case you don’t, check out the instructions from Craft Passion, as my pattern is based on her face mask pattern.

To pre-empt sizing questions: Yes, I only made the one size. No, I will not make another size, as this one suits my needs perfectly (but feel free to just experiment with printing it at different percentages to get a larger/smaller version).

Yes, I know my centre seam is crooked. Thanks for noticing 😜

Do we even need a disclaimer that these are not medical quality and won’t necessarily protect you from COVID/other viruses? If so, consider this my disclaimer - in that I do not claim efficacy for anything related to the use of masks made from this pattern or the fabrics mentioned below, other than their fit on my face, and even then, that’s dependent on the skill of the sewist 😜

I’ve found the most comfortable combination of fabrics to be several layers of finely/tightly-woven cotton fabric (e.g. chambray/voile/good-quality poplin) with lightweight interfacing fused to the outermost layer.

I did use a pretty satin lining as the innermost layer for one mask but it didn’t stay put inside the mask and ended up in my mouth more often than not. That might be remedied by underlining it with interfacing/something more stable.

I’ve also found mid-lightweight calico to be an affordable middle layer to give the mask a bit of structure, though bear in mind that it’s a little looser than other weaves, so you should probably combine it with effective filtering layers.

I’ve been using 3 layers (4 if you count the interfacing) and found them quite breathable.

In the images shown, I’ve sewed the elastic in, but I’ve also done versions with casings (using the same pattern) and the mask edge is just further from your ears. I didn’t photograph those though (check my Insta in coming weeks?).

I found lingerie elastic to be excellent for around-the-head elastic; less so for ear loops. I still have a small stash of thin elastic, so I haven’t experimented with using hair ties for the ear loops - will update this post if it ever comes to that.

I used bikini butterfly clasps for one of my experiments (as shown above), and I like it, but I think it confuses most people 😬

Now for the back story, for those interested.

As implied above, the first mask I made was using the Craft Passion pattern, but I found that the side of it ended up pointing to the corner of my jaw rather than my ears. It looked like my family members were having the same issue, so I modified the pattern so it would fit more comfortably around the ears and more snugly against the cheeks, and simplified it for ease of construction, because that’s how I roll/sew.

You can see in the sketch and the folded up pattern piece in the photos below that it took a few iterations 🤣. I ended up making so many minor tweaks that I’m honestly not sure whether it’s more accurate to say I modified the original or that my mask was inspired by it, but I wanted to give credit where it was due 😊

Next, I asked the husband to use his fancy new 3D printer to make some templates (glossing over the fact that he then had to recreate my sketch as an STL file) to allow me to more easily cut them out in batches. Then a friend asked for a copy of the pattern, so I drafted up the PDF that I’ve linked above.

In the last image below, I’ve overlaid the new template on top of the original mask pattern so you can see how my mask differs from the original - it’s mostly in adjusting the angle I mentioned earlier, but I’ve also tweaked the curves and straightened the straight edges out completely, because anyone who knows me knows that I am not going to be diligent with cutting that out, nevermind adjusting the angle as I sew.

I experimented with a bunch of different elastic options, but in the end, the feedback has been that the standard thin-elastic ear loops are the most convenient. My dad and I prefer the around-the-head elastic, but I think we just have funny-shaped ears/heads.

If you make masks using this pattern, I would love to see how it works out for you. Feel free (but not obliged) to tag me on Instagram (@buttonsnkittens) or Facebook (@ButtonsAndKittens). Please also note my disclaimer above - to reiterate, I make no claims about this pattern or the fabrics I’ve mentioned, other than it fits my face and they’re comfortable for me.

If you intend to sell the masks you make using this pattern, please do so responsibly. I wish you well, and there is no need to credit me or anything like that.

Now is probably not the time for me to begin a lecture on the futility of enforcing intellectual property in sewing patterns (especially when it’s been said so well already by others) so let me just say that even if I could, I wouldn’t want to.

For those interested in IP/copyright as it applies to sewing patterns, check out this TED talk by Johanna Blakley: