When did she ever not?
7 Likes
There been some of that for sure, but from what I read, the main issue is that consumer toilet paper manufacturing assumes a certain percentage of your time will be spent pooping on commercial paper[1], and the 2 supply chains can’t merge easily. The TP shortage is going to last a while. There should still be plenty with some planning and purchase limits, but it won’t be the same for a long time.
1 Like
Made my first foray out in weeks using this approach with a bandana (and plastic food service gloves) today.
3 Likes
I made one this morning out of some high thread-count, 100% cotton fabric that I had laying around. There’s so much conflicting information out there about material choice, ties vs elastic, etc, but I figure that any (clean) mask is better than no mask when going out in public.
This one only has 2 layers of fabric, but the next one I make will have 3. Husband requested elastic, I think I’ll make mine with ties and maybe a little narrower?
Birds!
Please ignore the quarantine wardrobe and hair choices.
17 Likes
Quilting cotton? I have tons around, which is what I plan to use and people might want to ask their Nanas (or moms) if they have any fat quarters.
It looks good! Effective? Who the hell knows!?
7 Likes
Thank you! It was marketed as shirting fabric when I purchased it, but honestly feels more like quilting fabric than anything 
The only other cotton I have on hand is some voile, which won’t do a whole lot of good methinks.
5 Likes
You’re welcome! I think we are going to see a new fashion trend; match your mask to your ensemble.
5 Likes
For a second I couldn’t tell if it was birbs or spock hands on the mask! I think I need new glasses when this is over! 
It looks good!
What sort of material did you use for the ear thingies?
4 Likes
I found a couple of N95 masks in the paint supply box in the garage. I totally forgot that I had these. Bought them about 6 months ago to do some drywall sanding.
I feel like I just won the lottery or something.
One minor downside: iPhone face ID doesn’t work.
9 Likes
Birbs! I see the Spock hands, though, now that you mention it.
Here’s a pic of the inside and outside of the mask where the straps are attached. I used 1/4" lingerie strap elastic for the ear loops. I got really into bra-making a while back, so I have a lot of fun colors to choose from for future iterations 
I laid the ends of the straps on the right side of the fabric, sandwiched with bias tape, sewed, then folded the whole thing over to eliminate unfinished edges. When I make another one for myself, I’m just going to make ties out of the bias tape (instead of using elastic) and enclose the edges that way.
6 Likes
It’s an interesting suggestion, but I’m entirely unconvinced by their math, and the circumstances don’t back it up - I’d hazard that people poop at home more than 60% of the time under normal conditions, and say a ~20% uptick in demand would be highly unlikely to deplete supplies. Whilst there is some validity to some of the statements here - we have seen shortages of domestic TP supplies in supermarkets, which are different to commercial supply, the shortages were absolutely induced by massive panic buying before anyone was under quarantine order (orders of magnitude larger purchases from many individuals, not a reasonable 20% or so), so I can’t buy at all that this is simply due to reasonable demand increase.
2 Likes
More than half the population don’t use tp just for pooping. And we pee much more often than we poop.
6 Likes
What? All my neighbors are donating their used kleenex so I can use them in my masks.
Unfortunate phrasing, I admit. Love that BBers dunking on that.
5 Likes
Thou shalt be the PPE-ed Piper of thy neighborhood, and the little children shall follow thee.
3 Likes
Although from the extended rumbling of the toilet roll dispenser in the adjoining men’s room at work, I suspect much more is used for that one job alone.
4 Likes
What I really want is a T-shirt with smallish print that says, “If you can read this you’re too damn close”. That might provide even more protection than a DIY mask. (In the supermarket today the 1-meter lines ruled on the floor had no effect; at the register the guy behind me was almost pressed up against my back.)
2 Likes
A couple more helpful references on materials:
I am making mine with plain T-shirt material on the outside and two layers of hydro-knit shop towels on the inside. My preferred pattern is the Rag Mask.
2 Likes
Start singing the chorus to “Don’t stand so close to me” by the Police?
4 Likes
Don’t think that changes the picture drastically, and I used poop as that was referenced in the previous post.
1 Like
I believe no-sew masks are not a new innovation. They are called Scarves.
2 Likes
