3D Face Mask - Tweaks for Glasses / Filtration / Comfort
I have finally found a face mask that meets all of my criteria:
Comfortable to wear for long periods
Doesn’t fog up my glasses
Easy to breathe and talk
Includes an inner filtration layer
Easy/quick to sew
Having made the Olson mask in a few different ways, I was looking for something that didn’t hug the face so tightly around the nose and mouth, and was also quicker to make. I watched dozens of YouTube videos, and ended up making my own tweaks to the 3D mask with a scalloped top for glasses wearers.
Pattern, Materials & Cutting
The pattern that I used was this Contoured 3D Face Mask from Japanese Sewing Books, which is available in 6 sizes in PDF print-ready pattern, with the scallop. Lots of other 3d mask patterns are either straight edge at the top (not great for fit) or they make you draw it all out and measure - no thanks! But I made the following changes to the Japanese Sewing Books pattern:
Made the lining the same size as the outside layer
Made 3 layers rather than 2 (to comply with WHO guidelines).
The fabric I used is:
Outside layer = high quality quilter’s cotton (100% cotton)
Middle filter layer = nonwoven polypropylene, aka Oly Fun, often used for tote/shopping bags (and also one of the layers on N95 masks)
Inner soft skin-friendly liner layer = linen/cotton blend
I chose these fabrics based mainly on the SmartAir test results for striking a balance between breathability/comfort and filtration power (and what I had). You can see their original tests here and later update here.
In the past I had made a filter pocket and removable nose wire, but having watched the Fabric Patch videos (they made over 167,000 masks!), I followed their method and simply sewed the filter fabric layer and nose wire permanently into the mask. This has made it sooo much quicker to sew, and also sturdier. Just make sure you use a nose wire that doesn’t rust, and that you only hand wash the mask.
For the nose wire, I used:
Coffee bag closure strip (these are officially called tin ties) - a Fabric Patch recommendation
Small piece of batting for extra comfort and a better seal
The method for doing this is shown below.
Stretchy Super Comfy Straps
I also prefer the fit of straps that go around the head and the base of the neck to ear elastic, as the fit is more secure and it’s more comfortable for long-term wear, so I cut up an old pair of opaque (60? 80? denier) tights. Here’s a video showing the approach.
If you cut the loop ONCE (rather than twice shown in the video) the piece is plenty long enough to stretch around the head.
This elastic replacement is a game-changer! It is soooooo much more comfortable than elastic or ties.
Some Alternatives
If you only want to make a 2 layer mask, this video by Jalory is very similar to my approach, without the inner filter layer. And if you want to use removable nose wire, then you can complete all steps aside from those relating to the nose wire, and instead use grosgrain ribbon and a pipe cleaner as advised in this video. But if you like the sound of my mods, step by step instructions and photos are below.
Construction Techniques & Tweaks
I’ll talk you through my construction technique including tweaks from another pattern to make the whole thing go quicker and reduce the bulk on the sides of the mask. Unfortunately, some of my photos are from the first prototype I made, which positioned the nose wire a touch too far down my nose. The photos may not look exactly like your finished result, but the written instructions indicate the recommended adjustments.
Making the Fabric Mask
1. Cut out all 3 layers of fabric the same size as the outer layer in the pattern. We’re going to attach the nose wire and padding before we sew anything else, so put the outer layer aside for now and just work with the filter and liner. Place the liner layer face down and the filter layer on top, and clip or pin the edges to keep in place.
2. Cut your nose wire / coffee bag closure to 9cm / 3.5 inches length, and cut a piece of batting roughly 0.5cm / quarter inch larger than your nose wire all the way around. See Figure A.
3. Position the nose wire on top of the filter layer, so it’s around 1.25cm / half inch from the edge. See the orange rectangle in Figure A. You may stick the nose wire down if you have an adhesive nose wire / coffee bag closure. If you stick it now, you will need to use a zipper foot on Step 5, but it makes lining things up easier. Otherwise, you can stick it down in Step 5 after sewing. If your nose wire isn’t adhesive, see Step 4.
4. Now sandwich the batting in between the filter layer and the liner (see Fig B), lining things up so the nose wire is centred in place where the batting sits. If your nose wire isn’t adhesive, then you can place it on top of the batting and below the filter layer, using pins to keep the layers together until you secure with stitches in the next step.
5. Stitch all around the batting, creating a kind of pillow (see Fig C). If your filter fabric is not translucent enough to see the batting edge, or if your batting is thin, you may want to draw around the batting to give you a line to follow as you sew. You may find a zipper foot helps here if you have already stuck your nose wire down. Otherwise, stick the nose wire to the filter layer after sewing your pillow.
6. Place the outer layer on the bottom, right side facing up. Then place the skin-friendly layer facing down so the outer layer and the inner layer are facing each other. The filter layer with nose wire will be on top (see Fig D).
7. Starting along the bottom edge, sew a .7cm / quarter inch seam almost all the way around, leaving at least 8cm / 3inches along the centre bottom unstitched (see Fig E). Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end. The gap will allow you to turn the entire piece inside out.
8. Before you turn everything inside out, snip the corners off and clip all curves, being careful not to cut too close to your stitches. See Figure F.
9. Turn the piece inside out so the correct side of the fabric is showing on the outside. Press with a cool iron set to nylon setting (cool iron is important if you are using Oly Fun!) tucking the raw edges in at the bottom to create a straight bottom edge (See Figure G). Topstitch all around*, as close as possible to the edge, closing off the bottom hole in the process.
* If you want to save time, you can just topstitch along the top and bottom (the scallops & the long edge with the hole) as the other edges will be topstitched again in later steps.
10. With the liner facing up, sew around the pillow stitches again, to secure the nose wire within the layers. Use a zipper foot if you need to. See figure H.
11. Fold lengthwise at the corners, creating a long rectangle. You may want to press and/or clip the edges in place. See Figure I.
12. Topstitch along the long sides of the rectangle (see Figure J).
3D Shaping & Attaching the Straps
In the next steps, you will attach the straps while simultaneously creating the 3D shape. The easiest way to do this is to do each strap connection and corner fold using single row of stitches, creating a capital N shape by pivoting (see Fig M). This means the straps are caught by 2 rows of stitches, making them more secure. You also have less stop/start sewing. You can see the finished result in Figure L, and then I recommend following the video from Midnight Baker below, starting from 3minute 9 seconds. Bear in mind that she is using ear loops, so if you’re doing head straps then you will need to remember to connect top to top and bottom to bottom straps instead, as shown in Figure K rather than the same strap on the side. If you’re making a mask for yourself, I recommend you connect one side’s top & bottom straps, then hold the mask up to your face to measure the lengths for the head and neck straps before securing the other side. This gives a perfect tailored fit. If you’re making for someone else, have them take these 2 measurements and then use 2/3rds of that length to allow for stretch, as per Fabric Patch recommendations.
START AT 3:09 for Instructions for attaching straps
13. Fold the top edge so the tip aligns with the long edge of the rectangle, and the short edge of the fold is parallel with the side of the mask.
14. Tuck the top head strap into the triangular pocket that is created, and clip in place.
15. At your sewing machine, start your stitches at the top corner where the inner lining is exposed, beginning with a back/forward stitch, then run straight down. Pivot, run along the hypotenuse of the triangle and pivot, then start the long straight edge along the side, but then backstitch over the strap and then come forward again (doublestitching over the strap for security), pausing once you are roughly 1/3 of the length of the side.
16. Now do the fold along the bottom, tucking the bottom neck strap in as you did for the top.
17. Continue sewing down the side, back/forward stitching over the strap, pivot, straight, pivot straight and finish with a securing backstitch.
18. Measure your straps & cut, then repeat steps 13-17 on the other side.
You’re done!
The padded nose area makes it really comfortable and offers a better seal, and the soft straps make for a very wearable but still protective mask. Hope you like it!
