Making a high quality face mask

This mask has two layers of high thread-count cloth and an inner layer of high-efficiency filter material. The manufacturer had the filter material tested. If the tests are reliable, then the filter is as good as the filter layer in an N95 mask.

Lots of masks slip off your nose no matter what you do. There are three ways that this mask is adjustable, and two of them will help keep the mask from slipping down.

The strap for this mask is attached with two alligator clips. You can move them left or right to get them in the best position to pull your mask on firmly against your face.

This mask has an elastic strap that pulls the mask up and back, so it is much easier to keep it from slipping down. You can adjust the tension on the strap by pulling on the slip knot. When you get the tension to where you want it, you can sew the elastic strap down there.

A special feature of this mask is that an inch or so of the top edge is doubled behind the outside surface of the mask. This makes the resultant flap spring backwards to contact the wearer's face anywhere that there is a gap between the top of the mask and the face of the wearer. This flap is intended to help close the channels that form on both sides of the user's nose.

Picture of mask's top edge folded back.

By increasing the amount of cloth folded back at the top of the mask, the height of the mask can be adjusted. By pulling the outer corners down more than the center, the mask can be shaped so that it covers the top of the nose but doesn't interfere with the eyes. That means the folds have to be folded on a slanted line with not so much folded down at the top of your nose. The leftover part of the mask that goes behind the front part will stick out and help prevent air from going up and down the channels on either side of the nose.

Mask showing nose pinch and chin strap

In the photo above, you can see how the fabric has been pinched and stitched at the top center the help prevent the mask from sliding down. The arrow points at the location of the the chin strap tightener. This cord on the bottom of the mask can be tightened or loosened to make just enough space for your chin to fit snugly into

The Filti nanofiber filter, unlike the kind in N95 masks, can be cleaned. Hand wash the mask in some gentle soap or detergent. You can put it through the dryer if you put it in one of those white mesh bags with a pull cord on one end. (The outside is tough enough to go through regular laundry, but I doubt that the filter in the middle could stand up against anything that might try to pull it apart.)

Here is the pattern. It uses a half-inch grid.


Pattern for face mask

                                                                                                                     fold             tunnel               fold                     filter
                                                                                                                           (makes bottom edge
                                                                                                                               of the mask)
                                                                                                                        ↑_the two folds match up _↑
1. Fold and secure the long horizontal seams. (If you don't do this you will have unraveling of cloth edges where the chin tightener strap comes out.)
2. Fold the center line (shown next to the word "tunnel" above).
3. Sew along the outer edges of the green tunnel region shown above. They will be on top of each other after you make the fold, so you only sew one line of stitches.
4. Now that the mask material has been folded once, the black lines marked above will be one on top of the other. Fold along this line so that you have something like a trouser leg with a cuff  at the bottom.
5. Baste or fasten the filter material with fabric glue on the edges only.
6. The cuff that you've just sewn forms the bottom of the mask. It goes under the chin. Put a drawcord through the tunnel, and when you tighten it up you will form a semicircular "shelf" for the chin to sit on.
7. Sew together what are now the vertical sides of the mask (or use fabric glue on them). They are formed by the top and bottom parts of the pattern above. But before you do this you may want to experiment with the fold that determins the depth of the "shelf" that the chin sits on.
8. The top folds down on the same side of the mask as the shelf, i..e, when you are wearing you mask will puff out against youf face. See below for pictures. This part works best if you do some personal fitting.

8.

Here is the produict of a few hours work.


The wings that extend from the sides of the mask can be pinned back. As you can see, there is a great deal of surfacce area for this mask. That shold maake it filter better and be easier to breathe through.