Modifications to a Musician's Mask

 Hi!

Not all masks work for all faces! A lot of times, we need to modify a mask to work for your face. This is okay! This is why we have different sizes of clothes and not always "one size fits all". 

Here, I'm going to be talking about how my musician's masks have been modified to fit different faces. Most of these you can do with a simple sewing machine, needle and thread, or even a stapler if you're feeling rebellious.

MODIFICATION 1: Chin Tuck

Sometimes, your mask just doesn't stay under your chin when you open your mouth. You keep having to pull on the chin part to keep it below your mouthpiece. You might need a chin tuck.

You can put your chin tuck on the inside or outside. Folding your mask in half, find the middle of the bottom portion of the mask. Angling from the center line to approximately 1/4", sew a line either on the back or the front of the mask. If you sew with the front fabric showing, the tuck will show on the front. If you sew with the back fabric showing, the tuck will be inside the mask, hidden.

MODIFICATION 2: Nose Tucks.

The mask just doesn't stay flat to your face. It won't settle, no matter what nose piece you try. You might need nose tucks.

Lay the mask flat in front of you. On the sides of the nose piece channel, pinch a bit of fabric vertically about a 1/4" to a 1/2" away from the edge of the channel (shown in red) and lay it along the sewing line on the edge of the channel (shown in blue). Sew this pleat down next to the nose channel, using the nose channel sewing line as a guide. You only need to sew down about a 1/2" and leave the rest of the mask open.

MODIFICATION 3: Ear Loop Change

On a previous entry, I spoke about how to change out the ear loops for a more preferred elastic or tie. This can work wonders for a mask that just isn't working. Some people prefer the more comfortable velvety ear elastics, but these can be one of the more weak elastics. If you need a stronger elastic, try a 1/4" flat elastic. Or even stronger still is the tie loops. Try different ways to hold the mask to your face. You'd be surprised what you discover!

These tiny changes can work wonders for a mask. Each face is different! Don't be discouraged when you feel like something isn't working. We can make it work!