Mask-a-palooza, fabric mask pattern roundup and review
I’ve been awfully resistant to wanting to make masks. In the beginning of SAH orders all the creative wind went out of my sails. There was a lot of doing nothing. I hated using sewing, this thing that brings my joy and balance and pleasure, to make something that so heavily reinforced the reality of the pandemic. I resented the calls to home-sewers to make masks for medical professionals, at-risk individuals and everyone else.
5 months down the road, though there is no clear end in sight. Minnesota, the state I live in, now has a state-wide masking requirement. I needed to find a way to enjoy creating these things that will be part of our lives for a good, long while. So today I bring you… MASK-A-PALOOZA!!!
More than telling you which were my favorite, I wanted to gather a range of styles where you can see the pattern, the finished mask and the mask-on-body. I made no adjustments to published sizes and used quilting cotton or poplin for all samples shown. I hope to share what I’ve learned and help you on your own mask-making journey!
The Protohaven Ally Face Mask looked pretty… odd. But that was part of the point of rounding masks up. I was looking for patterns beyond the basic, pleated style and the clean-fit 2-pc masks I saw everywhere when folks started cranking masks out.
The Ally boasts of its simple construction that any beginning sewer can conquer. No curves, no complex construction. Seeing it on the site I doubted it would be comfortable or all that functional for me. But I was heckin’ wrong. This one’s my favorite!
Construction is easy and quick. It can work with ear loops, continuous ties or elastic. I find it provides a good, sealed fit even without a nose wire. It folds completely flat and is easy to thread ties or elastic through (which will make washing less complicated). I had my dude try one on and he liked it, too but was too short for him. I made 2 rounds of size mods and we now have one that he likes, too. It was super easy to adjust. I can get at least 2 full masks (outer and lining) from a fat quarter. I can accordion fold for cutting but can squeeze more out if I
Dhurata Davies mask is the absolute darling of the sewing world right now and I was super excited to try this one. It comes in a range of sizes and features nose and chin darts to give a clean and tidy fit. I made the size large with my husband in mind, actually. It’s an OK fit for him and I think I will give it another try for myself.
I didn’t love sewing this one. You need to sew, trim and press out the darts for each layer before assembling and then need to clip curves and trim corners to turn it out. The more mask styles I have tried the more I have gravitated toward easy-sew/assembly. It folds flat neatly and would be easy to wash and care for without a nose wire.
Anna’s Vet Mask from Fabric Ninja!
My friends at Knit and Bolt turned me onto this pattern. Similar to the Dhurata Davies pattern it has a shaped nose and straight front from nose to chin. I love the story of how this one was made with input from the creators colleagues in the field of veterinary practices.
The construction is included in simplified steps right on the .pdf, which is pretty great. It was easy to assemble and I tested the fit with ear loops. The size is a little big for me but should be easy to adjust. It folds flat neatly and would be easy to wash and care for without a nose wire.
The Create to Donate mask without pleats tutorial is a super simple pattern and I was excited to try it. I like the idea of a gathered edge (vs. pleats) and the shaped nose bridge excited me, too. As I gathered patterns I was the MOST excited for this one, it felt like the most promising combination of features I was looking for.
The assembly is very easy and clear, the tutorial is really well done (so many are, people have given so much of their time making these available to the public!) My husband tested it out for a day and for him I would make two small changes: add a wire in the bridge and add an inch in length (his head is larger than mine. If you are average-to-petite the original size should work just fine. This mask might be the easiest to adjust for size in this roundup.
My favorite bits about this one are the gathered sides and simple shape which will make it very easy to wash and maintain. A solid pattern and my second favorite in this roundup.
This pattern from Sewing Mellow is one of the first “complex” masks that I tried. I’ve had it saved in my pins for a few months; it looked so clean and precise, which I really dug. It fold flat and compact, also highly appealing. The pattern comes from Sewing Mellow and has a wonderfully clear tutorial. Despite how clear the tutorial is I found the mask fussy to make. The tutorial has you cut the pattern apart to use as a guide while you sew. I did not love that. And ultimately, when I finished the mask, it is too small for my comfort.
Some of the folks on my Instagram talked with great love about this Japanese Sewing Books pattern. Similar to the Sewing Mellow pattern I loved the idea of the finished shape with it’s clean and tidy flat panel across the front. It folds neatly and compactly. You can make it work with ear loops, continuous elastic or ties. The bridge of the nose is gently shaped and helps keep fabric away from the bottom eyelid. AND, it comes in multiple sizes, big win.
The construction is more straightforward than the Sewing Mellow mask in that the pattern informs the steps a bit more and doesn’t require that you cut it down as you go. In order to make this pattern work with continuous ties or elastic I would recommend adding maybe an additional 1/4” to the sides so the channel at the end is easier to thread. Again, the finished size isn’t a great fit for me. Given that it does cover a lot of my face already I think the trouble is the depth.
Wrapping up I want to say I have learned a lot by making each of these patterns. I struggled early on to find any joy in making something that so clearly screamed “There is a PANDEMIC upon us!!!”. Several months in I can start to see my own personal light again. It’s not the same as the light at the end of the tunnel but there are things I can do to take care of myself, my family and that I can inject some tiny amount of fun into.
I’m glad I kept trying new patterns. When popular patterns didn’t work they way I expected or spark any joy in making it was important to have other ideas to try. ALL of these patterns could work for me with some tweaking. They are beautifully drafted, documented and shown in tutorials. I’m grateful to have multiple options and styles that work for me and for my family. I love seeing what everyone’s made. Let me know if you have any questions about the styles I covered!