To Sew or Not To Sew: You Can Help Supply Face Masks (and other PPE) to LVHN

NOTE:  The following information was published May 23, 2020. For current COVID-19 information, visit LVHN.org/COVID-19.

During the coronavirus (COVID-19) health emergency, personal protective equipment (PPE) is in critical supply. Face masks, a needed type of PPE, help protect our team from droplets that may be expelled by a cough or sneeze as they interact with people seeking care.

If you can sew, make face masks

You – and your sewing skills – can help make a big difference if you can sew face masks that our team can wear, wash and reuse. This helps us preserve our supply of professionally manufactured PPE. 

Use NEW tightly-woven, breathable cotton fabric (preferred) or another tightly-woven, breathable fabric blend, in any color or pattern for the face mask(s) you make. You also will need elastic banding that’s used for sewing.

Sewing Instructions and Videos

You can use any instructions you find online to make two-ply facemasks, but here are some we recommend:

• Facemask tutorial

• DIY mask with replaceable filter

• Printable pattern with video

• CDC tutorial

• Make a Protective Face Mask from Scraps

• Lip Reading Friendly Masks--for those with hearing loss.

Important: To ensure the health and safety of our employees, only healthy individuals with no one in their household experiencing symptoms should consider donating fabric and masks. Masks donated to LVHN will be laundered prior to use by LVHN colleagues

Donate materials that can be used to make face masks

If you can’t sew, or don’t have a sewing machine, you can still help us by donating any of the following materials that can be used to make face masks. We will get them to people who can sew to make more face masks. We need:

• Fabric bolts – NEW tightly-woven, breathable cotton fabric (preferred), or fabric blend, also tightly-woven and breathable, in any color or pattern, can be donated to help us create face masks.

• Cut pieces of fabric – NEW tightly-woven, breathable cotton fabric (preferred), or fabric blend, also tightly-woven and breathable, cut to 6-inches by 10-inches.

• Swatches of fabric – If you have swatches of NEW tightly-woven, breathable cotton fabric (preferred), or fabric blend, also tightly-woven and breathable fabric, we can use that as well.

• Elastic used for sewing – Must be NEW and in good condition.

Donate new, unused PPE

Your generosity is appreciated by every person who works at LVHN. If you have questions, email us at covid19donations@lvhn.org

To stay up to date with information about COVID-19, visit LVHN.org/COVID19.

What to do when you’re home from school? Just ask Luke Boland, 12. He and his mom spent time sewing masks for the LVHN team.