Face mask with bound edges - FREE pattern and tutorial!

Hello everyone, 

It seems that the UK has inevitably caught up with the latest face mask sewing trend and I've seen lots of them made and posted online in the last few days.

I can imagine most of you know by now that fabric face masks or 'face coverings' are not medical grade masks and are only to be used by members of the public according to the relevant government advice in an effort to contain the spread of the virus. Here in England, they will be compulsory in shops from Friday 24th July. If you use public transport or go shopping then you will need them, so please try and make them yourself (it's really much easier than it seems!) or buy from a local small business. You can reuse fabric face masks multiple times after washing them. Please avoid buying single use surgical ones which create harmful waste for the environment. We have enough of it as it is!

Having said that, I was playing the other day with a slightly different version of the original #DDfacemask and thought you might find it useful if I show you how.

If you've been making lots of them recently, you probably feel like mixing it up a little and using up different sewing supplies and techniques. For me, it was an effort to use up some colourful jersey leftovers and various types of binding I had in my studio. This is not an upgrade or a better version of the original pattern which I designed back in April, just a slightly different one that I thought some of you might like as an option, especially if you like bound edges (any quilters onboard this ship?). If you'd rather stick to the original pattern, please carry on as usual!

Otherwise...keep reading!

I used one outer layer of jersey for this version and one layer of woven fabric as lining. I wouldn't recommend doing it the other way around. I used double folded bias tape for one and jersey binding for the other and they both worked equally well. You will see in later pics how these turn into split ties. This is a somewhat simplified version without many options (no nose wire, filter pocket or elastic loop options!), but you do have to be familiar with bias binding for this. 

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A COUPLE OF THINGS TO MENTION BEFOREHAND:

This pattern is free for personal use only and its reproduction or commercial use is prohibited! It is my intellectual property to which I own the rights and you should not sell face masks made using this pattern. I have made it available for you to make masks for yourself and donate to others who might need them, but you should not profit from my good will and the horrendous situation we've all found ourselves in. 

In addition to this, please know that I will not be granting a licence or permission to anyone wanting to use this pattern for commercial use no matter the reason or personal circumstances, so please do not expect me to reply and explain this on endless emails as it is truly time consuming. 

I hope you can appreciate this and will understand the reason why I've had to add it here so clearly. 

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PATTERN FILES AND OTHER INFO

- Please note that this is a modified pattern from the original one to suit this style with bound top and bottom edges and split ties. You can download these files by clicking HERE!

- Print the pattern at 100% scale or actual size, (not scale to fit or any such setting on your printer). This will print on both A4 or US letter size. You do not need to print both pages as the pattern is exactly the same. I provided the two pages on metric and imperial grid for those of you unable to print it at home, in which case you can use the grid to draw the pattern yourself on a piece of paper.

- Sizing and size guide are the same as the original tutorial which you can find  here

- Please use the hashtag #DDfacemask2 and #dhuratadaviespatterns when posting on social media so others can find it.

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CONSTRUCTION OF FACE MASK WITH BOUND EDGES 

Cut two layers on the fold - one out of jersey for the outer and one out of woven fabric for the lining. (time saving tip: if you cut them from the wrong side, they'll be ready for the dart construction)

Dart construction is the same as the original #DDfacemask so please check the original blog post for the instructions on this... then move on to the next step down below.

After sewing the darts on both pieces, place the two layers with right sides facing, align and pin the side edges only.

Sew with a 1cm (3/8 of an inch) seam allowance.

Turn it the right way out and press the side edges flat.

Align the edges of the two layers along the top and bottom and baste/tack to keep these in place during the next step.

I used 2cm wide double folded bias tape for this one and jersey binding for the other one. You need 2 x 80-85-90-95-100cm pieces respectively for the various sizes.

If making your own woven binding, which I did, it has to be cut on the bias (diagonally) as it needs to stretch when attaching it in the next step... so it can't be a strip of fabric cut on a straight grain. You can use ready made bias binding, too, if you happen to have any available. I do prefer using up different colours and patterns from my own fabric scraps though.

Jersey binding is usually cut on the grain as it's naturally stretchy. It is available from lots of shops on Etsy. I don't make that myself, I draw the line there I'm afraid, just too fiddly! (although, just writing this last sentence feels like I'm setting myself a challenge...)

You can use clips if you have them or regular pins, both will work just fine. Start by finding the middle of the bias tape, align with the nose dart and sandwich the raw edges of the mask in between the tape. Pin or use a clip here then slightly stretch the tape as you work your way towards the sides. Repeat this with the other length of tape for the bottom of the mask.

Use a medium zig zag stitch on your machine to sew them up, starting from one end of the tape to the other.

If you want to neaten the ends of the tape, just fold the short edges in...

... then fold the tape back together and stitch. Not the end of the world if you don't do this, btw!

They will hopefully look something like this when you're done. As you can see you end up with split ties - top set goes over your ears to be tied at the back/top of your head, and bottom set to be tied at the back of your neck.

Let me know how you get on and try to enjoy the process.

Take care, stay safe and keep sewing, Dx