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Book Review and Flip Through Video – Easy Masks to Make

November 11, 2020

Need more ideas for Masks? Here’s a new book all about Easy Masks to Sew!

This book was originally published in Japanese by Boutique-sha, and now translated into English by Zakka Workshop. You can find patterns for simple masks, pleated masks, contour masks for sizes ranging from kids to adults. There are also super cute bonus patterns that will make mask wearing a little more fun and bearable for the little ones. Let’s have a look!

Disclaimer : This book was gifted to me by Zakka Workshop in exchange for a review, but opinions are my own. 

The book starts off with the simplest type of masks. Perfect for beginners and upcycling since it only requires a small rectangular piece of fabric. You can hand stitch it easily even if you don’t have a machine.

The pleated masks are more similar to the typical surgical masks, the pleats allow you to adjust for best fit, and you can even insert an optional nose wire inside!

If you are a beginner and worried about not being able to make these, don’t worry because there are very detailed step by step photos included. I love that the measurements are provided in both imperial and metric systems because I can skip the conversions :P.

I find the pleated masks comfortable as it fits easily and allows me to speak without it sliding off. The are also very quick to sew up and easy to mass produce. I made two with Liberty fabric contrast binding.

Next up are the contour masks. These are great for fit as well and you can see on the right side of the photo, finished sizes are provided to help you gauge which size to make.

There is even a section for fabric ties since prolonged wearing of masks with elastic bands is rather uncomfortable. Use your tiniest scraps to make these for a no waste sewing project!

If your kids hate wearing masks, especially the younger ones who don’t really understand why they have to keep it on, then maybe these cute masks will help! The puppy, cat and bear masks are based on the simple mask templates.

While the panda and duck masks feature a roundish rectangular base, which I’m sure creative mummies out there can use this as a starting point to make other cute creatures as well!

If you have difficulty finding elastic bands, the book even comes with free elastic bands enough for 3 masks! There is about 2yds in total.

This book is a wonderful resource for both beginner and advanced sewists alike, and true to the book title, these are all easy projects to make, but stylish at the same time.

And now for the book flip-through video

Book title : Easy Masks to Sew
Author : Boutique-sha
Translated and published by: Zakka Workshop
ISBN No: 978-0985374747

You can  buy this book on Amazon.com (affilate link)


Or try your luck at winning it in our giveaway! This giveaway is kindly sponsored by Zakka Workshop and is being held on my Instagram. Head on over to take part now! Click here to go to Giveaway post.

Free Patterns Sewing Tutorials Sewing Videos

Free Sewing Pattern and Tutorial – Surgical Mask Case Patterns

July 7, 2020

As promised, here is the sewing video and pattern for the Surgical Mask Case Pattern. This is a very simple surgical mask holder pattern inspired by the many pretty ones I’ve seen on IG. I keep this in my bag and it provides a quick stowaway for my mask when I need to take it off for a meal.

Link to PDF pattern

Free Surgical Mask Case / Mask Holder Pattern
(1 sheet of A4/letter paper required)

All seam allowances are included, refer to the video for seam allowances. Remember to print at 100%/Do not scale, and to check  your test square after printing!

I have included the stitch line on the template so if you need some visual guidance to sew neatly, you can transfer this marking using carbon paper and a tracing wheel and sew following the line rather than referring to the seam allowance (because that will depend on how precise your fabric cutting is).

Other Patterns

There is another 3D Mask Case Pattern, designed for the free 3D Face Mask Pattern. Click on the links if that’s what you are looking for instead!

Do tag #JSBMaskCase on social media if you make this so we can all see your beautiful works! In the meantime, Mask up and stay safe!

Free Patterns Sewing Tutorials Sewing Videos

Free Sewing Pattern and Tutorial – Mask Case for 3D Face Mask

July 7, 2020

Thanks for all the lovely feedback for the 3D face mask! I’m glad many of you have tried it and actually took time to send me personal messages about how comfortable it fit for you. I’m so glad that it helped! It has been at least 6 months since the first case was detected here in Singapore and it shows no signs of going away.

Now on to the mask case pattern designed for these masks. Short story this time 😛 So the reason why I had to make this case is because in Singapore we are now allowed to dine out in small groups of 5. Our first visit to our favourite Japanese restaurant and when we took off our masks to eat, we had a erm… where should I put down this mask that I will be wearing again later. Certainly not on the table? In my pocket? In the bag? Well, you get the point. This is a one mask storage case for a quick temporary storage.

Pattern download here

Free 3D Mask Case Pattern

The pattern is made up of 3 pieces of A4/Letter size paper joined together. Please check that the printing is set to 100% / Do not scale before printing. Check the size of the test square (on pg1) after you have printed the files.

Do tag #JSBMaskCase on social media if you make this so we can all see your beautiful works! In the meantime, Mask up and stay safe!

The surgical mask case pattern will be released soon. Check back on the blog later!

Free Patterns

Free Mask Pattern Download – Contoured 3D Face Mask

June 20, 2020

After testing out many different mask shapes and materials, I’ve finally found the best shape and fabric combination. I will elaborate further on how I decided on this but as I personally hate wading through long grandmother stories before getting to the pattern, I will post up the video and Free Mask Pattern Download links here first before getting to the details. How does that sound?

Free 3D Contoured Face Mask Pattern Download Links

All patterns include a test square (please check!), and all seam allowances are included. Please follow the video for the seam allowances for different parts of the mask.
If you make a mask using my pattern, please tag #JSBfacemask so I can see it!

Free 3D Contoured Face Mask Pattern All sizes – This is a layered PDF pattern which allows you to select the sizes you want using Acrobat Reader (Free software)

If you prefer to download separate sizes here are the links

XS – Fits preschooler approx 2-4yrs old

S – Fits preschooler approx 4-6yrs old

M – Fits Primary school student 7-12yrs old

L – Fits Teens/Ladies

XL – Average Men’s size

XXL – Fits Men with larger faces

The above description are based on average sizes so I think for clarity here’s the finished measurements for the face mask. On the right column you will see the approximate length of elastic band to cut for the different sizes.

Depending on the size you choose and the face size of the wearer, you may need to trial and error and make some adjustments.

Recommended fabrics

  • Outer layer – A medium weight cotton such as quilting cotton, oxford, Japanese soft canvas, nothing too soft as there are no gaps around the mask and if you fabric is too soft.  it will stick to your face as you breathe in and out as I discovered when I tried this pattern with 2 layers of Liberty Lawn.
  • Lining Layer – I used quilting cotton, or you can use a thinner tightly woven cotton such as Liberty Tana Lawn (very cool and comfortable).

Ok now for the grandmother story of how this pattern came about. I know I’m really late to the mask tutorial game on youtube, some have been sewing since February. To be honest there wasn’t a real shortage of masks in Singapore especially due to the initial recommendations by the Govt not to wear them unless you are sick. I think that was a big mistake because the community spread worsened and we were forced to go into a circuit breaker. It was only sometime in April that they made it mandatory for everyone to wear a mask.

Sometime during then I started making masks for donation. This is an ongoing a nationwide effort appealing to home-sewists to help make masks for a wide range of beneficiaries. Then it was announced that it is now compulsory for everyone to wear a mask when leaving the house, or risk a fine. That was when I started making some of the standard cup shaped masks for myself, as I was getting an allergic skin reaction from wearing surgical masks especially when it gets hot and I start perspiring. It is really uncomfortable and the breakout takes a few days to settle with steroids.

With the cup shaped masks it was better, but I found it very uncomfortable to wear for long periods because the fabric gets stuck to my face when I breathe in and out and sometimes it feels like I can’t breathe at all. The other problem was that if you had to talk, the cup will slide off as you talk. So I started trying out other designs, and finally saw this contoured design on a Spanish Instagrammer –  ateliermaryribeiro She makes the coolest and most fashionable face masks I’ve seen, but I couldn’t find the pattern anywhere (maybe it’s there but I couldn’t find it because I can’t read the language :P)

Then I discovered this video from another youtuber Romilda Dias and this was where I learned  how to draft the pattern. But there was only one size and I wanted to make them for my kids as well, so I transferred it into my pattern drafting software, and using the measurements from store bought masks as well as my kids measurements, I came up with 6 sizes. The other difference is that in her videos she used a different way of attaching the elastic band. Her method saves more elastic, but it was not adjustable, which I found out when I sewed some too long and in order to shorten it I had to unpick the stitches to replace it. This was a problem if i had to sew for other people that are not staying with me as I won’t be able to adjust it to fit. So I sewed a casing for the elastic as well.

Why 6 sizes? Well, in Singapore kids above 2  yrs old have to wear masks the minute they leave the house. I find it quite ridiculous honestly, because it is really hard for them to keep it on or to wear it properly without touching it 62374 times a day. But the law is such and I can’t change it so I hope this will come in useful for those who need it. As for the XXL size, I have heard some feedback about the standard largest size not fitting the larger Mens faces. So I just graded it one size up hope it will work!

If you make a mask using my pattern, please tag #JSBfacemask so I can see it!

Giveaways Japanese Fabrics

Win a bolt of nani IRO 2020

February 27, 2020

It’s the time of the year again for the release of a new range of nani IRO fabrics, and you all know I’m such a big fan of Naomi Ito’s designs that I look forward to this every year. This year’s range is a mix of old and re-worked old favorites, and some new substrates for the first time. I will be sewing up some garments/bags from this year’s collection and will blog about them as I go along. To view the full range of this year’s design, you can go to the official nani IRO website or buy them from Nekoneko.co

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