As an oncology nurse, I often have patients in protective isolation because they are neutropenic. Their immune system is depressed, so they have to be extra careful to avoid germs. Part of this protection includes every visitor to their room wearing a mask. The masks where I work have started to give me a rash on my face, so I set out to make a homemade and reusable version! This could also be useful for surgical nurses or techs, any nurse working in a hospital setting, or for anyone with a family member or friend with a depressed immune system!
Here are the pieces of the mask!
It's important to iron all the wrinkles out of the fabric to start!
These are all the measurements for you to cut out your fabric.
1. Iron a 1/2 inch fold on the wrong side, on the bottom of your main mask piece.
2. Flip the fabric over and fold the same 1/2 fold up on itself. Iron in the crease.
3. Flip the fabric again and now fold a 1 inch crease. Iron in place.
4. Flip the fabric and tuck down a 1/2 inch fold.
Now you're just going to repeat! Fold up 1 inch on the wrong side, the tuck and fold a 1/2 inch on the right side! It's easier to do than it is to put into words. Follow the pictures. You're making an accordion fold.
5. Make and iron another 1 inch fold on the wrong side.
6. Tuck and iron another 1/2 inch fold on the right side.
Keep going until you get to the top of the fabric. You will end up with half the original length: about 4 inches.
7. Now grab one of the 7.5 x 2 inch pieces. Fold in the short sides 1/2 inch, and iron in the crease.
8. Now fold it the long way, and iron a crease. This crease will be a landmark.
9. Now fold each long side toward the center. It should end up looking like the picture below.
10. Finally, fold this in half again, and iron.
11. Repeat steps 7-10 with the other 7.5 x 2 inch fabric.
12. Repeat steps 8-10 with the two 4 x 2 inch pieces of fabric.
Now you should have all the pieces you need! They should look like the picture below.
13. Now, pin one of the 4 x 2 pieces to the right side of the mask with the open side facing out.
14. Slip the elastic into the fold near the top and bottom.
15. Pin into place and sew.
16. Repeat on the left side.
17. Now take the 7.5 x 2 inch piece with the open side facing inward.
18. Pin and sew into place.
19. Stand back and admire your isolation mask!
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