Loopla!

Elastic is very hard to come by these days. In the beginning of "hunker down" I made a few masks for my husband using ponytail holders for the ear loops. They are hard to sew because they roll, and I only have enough for about 7 or 8 masks. (I don't know how hard it would be to get more.)

One of my early masks, using ponytail holders

I tried out one of these masks and I found the ponytail holders to be very uncomfortable for more than 5 seconds. Perhaps it was one of my earlier masks. They were quite narrow - between 5" and 6" wide. I am making them 7" to 9" wide now. That would have made a difference in how tight the loops felt.

But working with the Lycra-type fabric gave me an idea. It is so stretchy. I wondered if I could use it in place of elastic. It would be more comfortable than ponytail holders, and easier to sew.

My finished product is this mask, which I have named "Aurora." I had a few false starts and ended up ripping out every seam at least once. But ultimately, it was a success!

Aurora

I wasn't sure how long to make the loops. It seems that there would not be one standard measure because different loop materials have different levels of elasticity. It also depends on the width of the mask and on the wearer's face. 

I started out with 6" x 1" strips of Lycra (unstretched). I made up a prototype mask, basting the seams, and it was tried on, and slight adjustments were made. I ended up with 5 ¾" x 1" strips of Lycra.

Sample zigzag stitches on folded Lycra strip

I also wasn't sure whether to fold the Lycra in half and sew it, or fold it in half where it is sewn into the seam without sewing it, or not fold it at all. I ended up folding and sewing it. It seemed to need the stability. I used a stitch called multiple zigzag stitch or tricot stitch. It was hard to sew a straight line in this stitch on a 1" strip folded in half, but it was good enough for my purpose. The multiple zigzag stitch did not seem to limit the ability of the loop to be stretched. By contrast, a regular zigzag stitch worked poorly. It inhibited the stretching and it caused the piece to curl up.

Close-up of finished loop

The filter pocket on the other side of the Aurora mask

I made a filter pocket for the Aurora mask using a method I had seen on the internet. The method requires two full size pieces of lining that you sew together in the center, leaving a gap in the middle. You then fold the ends of each piece together and you have a pocket with finished edges.

I do not recommend this method for two reasons. First, it is difficult to insert a filter. (Maybe I should have made the gap wider.) Second, when the mask is worn without a filter, speaking seems to open up the gap, resulting in only a single layer of fabric near the mouth. This would be worse with a wider space for inserting a filter.

To recap:

• Lycra loops are a good substitute if you don't have elastic but you do have Lycra.
• They are very comfortable.
• You may have to adjust the length for different masks or different wearers. (Maybe you have to do that with elastic loops, too?)
• They are easier to work with than ponytail holders, especially if you elect to skip the zigzags.