It’s September, which means our favorite month has arrived: National Sewing Month!
In 1982, President Reagan instituted National Sewing Month “in recognition of the importance of home sewing to our Nation.” The theme of National Sewing Month 2021 is “Traditional Sewing Techniques. New Sewing Traditions.” More specifically, the National Sewing Month website states:
After a year that found both new and experienced sewists becoming frontline supporters creating masks and other protective equipment, the skills we learned, practiced, used, and taught to others has driven a resurgence in the art of sewing.
If the last year and a half has shown us anything, it’s that home sewing is of the utmost importance, and not just to America, but to the world. So many sewists have poured time, love and money into creating sewn facemasks to protect essential workers, family and friends. The pandemic has been difficult on everyone, but we can’t imagine how much more terrible it might be without our sewists!
Given that the pandemic isn’t over yet and we’re heading into fall and winter and another cold and flu season, donations for frontline workers are still a necessity. We think sewn donatables should be a "new sewing tradition" that our community keeps alive in the years to come. Our dedicated frontline workers deserve to work in style, wearing comfortable PPE that is made with love and care.
Check this link to locate hospitals near you that are still in need of sewn masks and scrub caps, and read on for some patterns you can use to create your donations as well as information about our One Yard Cuts bin. It’s filled with 1-yard cuts of random, mystery fabric that you can purchase for just $7!
Face Masks
We know you likely already have a face mask pattern that you love, but if you’re looking to switch things up a bit or try something new, check out these 5 DIY face mask patterns from SewCanShe.
All 5 patterns are available for free and include the hospital approved Olson pattern, a traditional pleated face mask, a neck gaiter mask (no straps!), adjustable elastic ties, options for including filters, and more. There are even instructions for creating your own fabric vaccination card holder to safeguard your document, and a face mask wallet to protect your face mask!
Check out the blog here.
Scrub Hats & Nurse Caps
From TipJunky.com
Thanks to Tip Junky for compiling a list of 17 different surgical hats and nurse caps! Options are listed by length of hair, with several styles included and tips for making the caps more comfortable and better suited for everyday wear. If you know someone in the medical community, scrub caps are a wonderful year-round gift, pandemic notwithstanding.
Browse all 17 free patterns here.
Nurse Headband
From See Kate Sew
Have you heard of pressure ulcers? Wearing elastic around the head and ears for too many hours a day causes painful chafing and sores. As you can imagine, many doctors and nurses have developed terrible pressure ulcers during the pandemic.
Thankfully, the always innovative sewing community devised a stylish solution to combat the problem. These nurse headbands include buttons on either side near the ears; instead of wrapping their face mask around their ears, they can now secure their masks around the buttons! (Pro Tip: Depending on the design, you can probably add functional buttons to many of the scrub and nurse caps listed above!)
See the instructions for the above pattern here.
One Yard Cuts
Our one-yard cuts bin is a popular feature in the store. For just $7, you can grab a one-yard cut of random fabric to pad your stash. To help you get started on the above projects, we’ve created a listing for our one-yard cuts bin in our online store. This way, in-store as well as online shoppers get access to the bin!
It’s easy if you’re in the store to choose the colors you want out of the bin, but it may be more fun to be an online shopper. If you purchase from the one-yard cuts bin online, we’ll randomly select the fabric and send it out to you. Let’s face it: these are gifts, so it’s less about being drawn to a particular fabric than it is about creating something functional and beautiful. And also, surprises are always fun!
Shop the one-yard cuts bin here and let us know on our social channels: how many masks have you sewn over the last year? What else have you made for essential workers?
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