Sew ready to stay safe: Clever hacks make face coverings more wearable

by Donica Kaneshiro | March 1, 2021

When the pandemic began and the marketplace couldn’t keep up with demand for face coverings, some employees took it as a challenge to learn a new skill to help keep their friends and families safe.

After nearly a year of wearing face coverings, these novice sewers have become pros and have some tips to share for those who want to try to customize their safety style.

Project analyst Joy Nagata makes face coverings for her family in prints that match the personalities of each member of the ohana. She said that it took a lot of trial and error, but found she prefers a pleated style.

“You can speak without sounding muffled and never have to pull the mask back up over your nose. Pleats also allow someone who can’t sew straight (like me) make some presentable masks!” Joy said.

Lead protection engineer Allen-Charles Pascual also went through a few iterations before settling on a pattern. He said he started off making a “typical ‘Mortal Kombat’-style mask,” but altered the design to keep the fabric away from his face when he’s at the gym or teaching dance. He also added a nose wire to prevent his glasses from fogging up.

Allen-Charles said to keep the face coverings from becoming boring, it all comes down to fabric choice.

“I’m pretty excited to make more masks, not because of profit, but to be able to see them smile behind the mask,” he said. “At the end of the day, I just needed to make sure that the people that I make masks for can go home safe back to their families.”

As in inexperienced sewer, asset data operations supervisor Christine Flores searched for patterns and tutorials online. She found an article that mentioned Los Angeles-based clothing manufacturer Suay Sew Shop had released their face covering patterns on their website for free.

“In this process I learned a whole lot about sewing!” Christine said. The design features three layers of cotton, a filter pocket, a nose wire and an ear-saving strap that holds the mask in place.

For those who don’t have the time or inclination to take to the sewing machine, Fleet system administrator Ashly Morrow recommends getting that custom look on Etsy, where she found this “Schitts Creek” mask that lets her show off her favorite pandemic binge-watching show and support small business.

Now that face coverings have become must-have accessories, clever face mask hacks help users to stay safe while keeping comfortable, stylish and, above all, make face coverings more functional.

Camille Au, ITS director, doesn’t dine out without her mask lanyard, which keeps her mask nearby and clean when she needs to remove it periodically. She got one that features Totoro, one of her favorite characters, at Nature Republic for about $7.

One face covering hack that is going viral is how-to videos on eliminating the gaping sides of a surgical mask. Watch the video here, or refer to our step-by-step instructions.

• Step 1: Fold in half lengthwise and knot straps at base nearest to the mask
• Step 2: Tuck and flatten the inside edges near the knots

Microsoft News offers tips on preventing glasses from fogging, including washing the lenses with dish soap or shaving cream or slipping a facial tissue into your face covering to absorb moisture from your breath. The slideshow also offers some phone users a tech solution to have face ID recognize a person wearing a face covering.

Nebraska Medicine has compiled a list of hacks that would make “MacGyver” proud. Coffee filters, paper clips, twist ties, buttons and shoelaces are the answers to your face covering dilemmas in this list.

Learn more about the merits of doubling up protection and other tricks to increase the effectiveness face coverings in recently published article by NPR. The CDC also recommends doubling up on your face coverings.

Among the tricks is using a hairclip to secure ear loops to create a tighter fit or covering a surgical mask with a length of nylon cut from a pair of pantyhose, a trick the article says boosts filtration by 80%.

Whatever your style, be sure to always wear a face covering when you are within six feet of others to stay safe.

Donica Kaneshiro is a communications consultant at Hawaiian Electric Company.