The Canadian Government and the U.S. Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) are now officially recommending that people wear a face mask when venturing out in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies). This is a time for us work together to make masks available for everybody!

This is a triple win community initiative where we will pay sewists at home in need of a revenue to make 100% cotton masks for willing customers who need masks and want to support a company they love (us!) at a time when sales are dwindling and our future is uncertain. You win as a customer by getting a high quality, plastic-free face mask, our sewists win by getting a temporary source of revenue at a difficult time, and we win as a business by generating a source of revenue that helps keep us afloat.

Our instructions to our selected home sewists are detailed, but depending on the thickness of the fabric, the masks are made with either two or three layers of tightly woven fabric (as suggested by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention). The masks are made of 100% cotton in a colour that is a shade of white, with ties on each side to adjust the fit. They can be washed and re-used repeatedly. They should be washed after each use. They are made as one-size-fits-all with adjustable ties to ensure the mask will fit your face. It is important that the mask fit snugly around the nose and chin with no large gaps around the sides of the face.

We have screened the sewists for their experience and we are confident the masks will be well made and meet our high standards. If the mask does not meet your expectations, please let us know of the issue, take a photo of the problem and the tag that identifies the sewist, and we will replace the mask.

If you love your mask and love this community project, please share photos of your mask on social media and make sure to tag the sewist to thank her or him for her or his hard work!

The black dot on one corner of one side of your mask serves to distinguish between the front and back of your mask.

This is a small child-size (7 to 12 years old).

** Orders containing these masks will be shipped all together once the masks arrive. 

PLEASE NOTE:  These do not contribute to the global shortage of face masks as these are reusable and hand made. Social distancing remains the best way to prevent the spread of any virus.

VERY IMPORTANT HEALTH NOTE:  These cotton masks are unregulated and do not provide the same health protection as regulated N95 respirators or surgical masks. For more details on N95 respirators and surgical masks see this information provided by the US Food and Drug Administration: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/personal-protective-equipment-infection-control/n95-respirators-and-surgical-masks-face-masks

ONE MORE IMPORTANT NOTE: Like anything you receive online, make sure you wash your mask before first use. For added safety, you may soak it in a 10% bleach solution and rinse very well.

Additional information:

Small size: 15.8 x 7 cm / 6.25" x 2.75"

Materials: 100% cotton.

Care Instructions: Wash before first use. Machine washable. The fabric is not pre-shrunk, so best to hang dry. Shrinkage may occur if the mask is put in the clothes dryer. Masks should be washed after each use.

Country of Manufacture: United States or Canada, depending on the location of the sewist.

Health and Environment: Plastic-free, zero-waste, BPA-free, phthalate-free, PVC-free, lead-free.