Face Masks for Covid-19

My niece Linda and family.

Since we're in this pandemic 

and I have the time,

I decided to make some masks,

for my family.

After watching videos on YouTube,

lots of ideas and patterns,
I came up with my own pattern,
with a nose wire and pocket for a filter.
The mask is washable, 100% cotton. 
Ironing is recommended and
contributes to sterilization.

I'm sharing it step by step

for anyone who is interested.

*****************************************

I used a cotton tablecloth fabric for the front
and a soft cotton (almost like a flannel) for the back.

Two pieces of elastic 1/8" to 1/4"wide ~ 12 inches long.

The nose wire, I used a garden wire similar to a twist tie.


How I do it

Cut 3 pieces of fabric.
One piece for the front  11" by 8"
Two pieces for the back, 4 1/2"  by 7 1/2"

On the 2 back pieces iron and sew 1/4 hem at one end.

Place front to front on the large piece

 of fabric in the middle, with the hem in the middle.

This will be the opening for the filter.

Stitch the outer top and bottom edge.
(Not the sides)

I zigzag the edge.
These masks have to be strong because they 
should be washed after each usage.
(If you have a serger machine, this would be nice)

Turn the pieces right side out and iron

Now, it's time to place the nose wire.
This is easy...
I use a garden wire, similar to a twist-tie.
 cut 9 inches long and doubled.

Pipe cleaners are good to use also but I
didn't want to go to the 
Dollarstore in this pandemic.

Place wire in the centre and mark with pins
the beginning and end. Remove wire and
and sew a channel, about 1/4 inch leaving one end
open to put the wire in.

Turn the fabric and place the wire in the opening.
Sew up the open end. 

Stitch down the sides of the lining fabric.

Time to make the pleats.

The three pleats should be in downward direction, 
in the front. (The nose wire is at the top)

I start in the middle and pleat, folding
over about 1/4 inch by hand.

About 1 inch from the top,
make another pleat and
make another pleat under the middle pleat.
I make the side approx.  4 inches.

Sew the pleats down.
 I try to sew over the same seam
that I sewed the lining to the front fabric.
Unless you have the same colour thread
and it wouldn't show as much. 

Almost done!!
Turn the fabric over,
I sew on the outer edge about 1/4 and iron
to make the outer casing for the elastic.
Iron the edge up. This makes it easier to fold
up the edge.

Place the elastic near the end
and turn the hem up to meet the
lining fabric. 
The elastic can be threaded in after
the casing is made,  but I find it easier
to do this way. 

Pin and sew.
Do not sew the elastic. 

Tie the elastic in a knot.
The elastic can be adjusted to fit.

~YOU ARE DONE ~

The opening for the filter.

A coffee filter or a tool box blue towel
or non-woven interfacing used for sewing,
are recommended by the experts.

I cut some filters from interfacing and ironed 2 pieces
together and they can be inserted into the masks.

Some others

Special request, I made some white ones.

Stay safe and stay well.
Wear a mask when you go out,
you're protecting yourself and others. 


My niece Caroline

My son-in-law Martin

Thanks for your visit xo

Part 3 ~ The Paintings On The Wall

This is my third blog post on
The Paintings On The Wall.
Paintings and signatures of
graduating classes from 
Richmond Regional High School.
from 2019 to 1983.


If you missed the first blog,
2010-19, click here.

If you missed the second blog,
2002-09,  click here



The borders remain closed between 
our neighbouring country United States.
during this pandemic. 

Our flags joined as one.

Painted as a tribute to victims of a terrorist attack
September 11. 2001, many lives were lost.

I am missing the year 2000,

Some photos got painted over or
replaced with the years.

1999

1998

South Park

   
1997
"When You Wish Upon A Star"

1996
"Our Time is Up"

1995
"Fire Away Into the Future"

Missing 1994

1993

My son, Daniel graduating year.

His hand print is on the right,

half way down in the middle.

His hand print.
Daniel went on to
graduate from Concordia University
in electrical engineering
and is living in Western Canada
with his family. 

1992

Simply The Best

1991

My daughter Suzanne's grad year.

Suzanne Bertrand, 

Suzanne graduated from Bishops,

Concordia and Harvard Universities,

in business. She is presently CFO for

a visual effects company in Montreal. 

Students Against Driving Drunk

1990

The circle in the middle is the school symbol.

My niece

Caroline Lacombe

I have a few 

From the 80's

1989

1987
"Touch Of Class"

1985
My nephew's Jim Brock's graduating year.
Unfortunately, the names faded away.

1984
Garfield

1983
"Globe"
I like this one.

The End.



Amidst the coronavirus pandemic,  
the students are still at home
and schools will not reopen on May 4th.,
as  previously predicted.
We must stay at home, stay safe and save lives. 

Thanks for your visit xo

The Darkest Part of the Shadow, my niece's e-Book.

My niece Caroline Lacombe published 
this book 4 yrs. ago about 
the aftermath of a pandemic.


For those of you who have an Amazon account (or you can create one for free), the ebook from 2016, The Darkest Part of the Shadow, is free for today and tomorrow on Kindle. It is about a young girl in the future who lives in a gated community, in the aftermath of a pandemic. You can download it and read it right on your computer, or phone, or tablet, as long as you download the Kindle app. 

Your review on Amazon will be appreciated. Thank You.



My blog from 2016

I am pleased to share my niece's e-book.

Available at Amazon.ca.

The story:

     Serafina Severn has felt isolated all her life in Lansdowne, as an only child to a single mother. She has been told she has a rare auto-immune disorder, and has been kept away from other people most of her life. The book opens during the summer of her fourteenth birthday, a time in her life when she is beginning to question the world around her; particularly the enigmatic Dr. Stanovich, who brings his young son to visit every Sunday. After discovering a shrine to a dead woman who looks exactly like her, she decides to find the truth about her connection to this woman. 

Click here to download. 

A futuristic coming of age and adventure....

Caroline lives in Quebec, Canada.

Following in her maternal grandmother's footsteps, 

(My Mom) Caroline has always had a passion for reading,

writing and poetry, from a young age.

She has an English Literature degree from Bishops University,

and has done book reviews for the local newspaper company,

where she is presently employed.

Some of her favorite authors are

George R.R. Martin, Stephen King, Thomas Hardy,

Margaret Atwood, James Dashner, and L.M. Montgomery.

Her favorite books are psychological dramas,

science fiction, horror, young adult and adventure.

My Niece Caroline

I wish her great success with this book.

A special thanks to anyone interested in Caroline's book.
Also reviews and comments on the book would be
greatly appreciated on Amazon. 

Thanks for visiting my blog xo.

A Gathering Of Eggcups

Update a year later:

I did this blog post in 2020, last year.

Easter is earlier this year. 2021.

It usually falls on the first 

Sunday after the full moon. 

The full moon was on March 24th.

We are still in the pandemic.

We cannot gather this Easter.

Hopefully next year it will be behind us,

when most of us will be vaccinated.

2020

We cannot gather for Easter this year.

Our world is different.
We are spending Easter without family.

We have to count our blessings as we 
listen to the bad news, some
are not as fortunate as we are.

I am thinking of the senior homes in
our province,  that have been 
hit hard with this Coronavirus.

I've gathered some eggcups together.
To add some prettiness to this Easter day.
We have to reflect on good things we
enjoy in life. 
My collection and some from my sisters
Annie and Carol.

There are two types of eggcups, single and double.
The double can be used at both ends,
for hen's eggs, duck or goose eggs.

Milk glass

These are the oldest in the collection.
Canton ware ~ Made in England

Marble

The first one " Hotel Ware  ~ Made in England"

Wooden from the mid-20th century.

That's all folks.....

We had a Supermoon last week.

Have a Blessed Easter my friends,
on this 
Resurrection Day.

Stay safe, Stay well
 "no gathering"

Thanks for your visit xo.

💚💛💜