Citizen Mask Pattern 2: Pleated
These patterns were created in the early part of our enterprise when we had hundreds of volunteer sewers working hard to provide masks for local people in need. The patterns were linked to in hundreds of places around the world. People are still sewing their own masks and making them to give them away, so we leave the instructions up.
If you don't want to sew your own, please check out our beautiful, professionally made masks in the Mask Store
If you don't want to sew your own, please check out our beautiful, professionally made masks in the Mask Store
We have a new video for Citizen Mask 2! Thanks to hobby sewist Geraldine Dinkins of Brevard, and Marisol Jimenez of the Coping with Corona Collective. Watch it here.
The Citizen Mask 2 pattern is all straight seams and there is nothing to print. Materials needed:
1. Cut fabric to size, elastic, wire. NOTE the pictures show 2 different wires in the steps, either type (floral wire and garden wire) will work. If ends are sharp, bend them over.
2. Fold, press and stitch 1/4" hem on the long side of the B pieces.
3. Lay B pieces on top of A piece, right sides together, long edges to long edges, raw edges to raw edges. Center the B pieces on the A piece with the finished edges of B pieces overlapping. It does not matter which B piece is on top. Sew top and bottom edges together with 1/4" seams.
4. Open the flaps, wrong side up and press the seams open. Press the top and bottom edges of the wings too (see arrows). Fold wrong sides together and press mask.
5. Center the 4" cut wire against the top edge of the mask. Mark the length of the wire plus ¼” on each end, with straight pins. Sew a line between the pins, 1/4" down from the edge. The wire channel should be 4.5" long. Close one end of channel by making a 90 degree left turn and sewing up and off the mask. Insert the wire into the channel through the side. Push the wire to the closed end so you have room to sew up the open end.
6. Sew the channel closed with a short seam.
7. Top stitch remaining sections on the top edge of mask, including the pressed and folded ends of piece A. Skip the area around the wire to avoid breaking your needle. Top stitch the bottom edge of the mask all the way across.
8. To make sure the final mask is the right size (so the filters will fit) we recommend making a paper guide for the pleating: Draw two lines across a piece of paper that are 4.5" apart.
9. Pin the top and bottom of the mask to the paper, edges aligned with the guide lines.
10. Gather three horizontal pleats, about 1/4" each, roughly equal distance apart, and pin fabric to fabric (don't pin to the paper).
11. Remove mask from the paper. Sew up the sides of the inner layer (the B pieces) to lock the pleats in place. Press the pleats. Fold and press over 1/4" on the raw edged sides.
12. To make the elastic channel, fold these ends over the raw edge of the inner layer and top stitch in place. Thread the elastic pieces through the channels and tie in loose knots. Use a safety pin if you need, to get it through the channel.
Check your sizing - This mask should be within 4 to 4.5" tall by 7 to 7.5" wide, edge to edge, when finished, not including the elastic. This is so the precut filters will fit correctly.
- One 10.5" x 7" rectangle (piece A) and two 7" x 5.25" rectangles (B pieces).
- Two pieces of 11" elastic.
- One piece 4" wire.
1. Cut fabric to size, elastic, wire. NOTE the pictures show 2 different wires in the steps, either type (floral wire and garden wire) will work. If ends are sharp, bend them over.
2. Fold, press and stitch 1/4" hem on the long side of the B pieces.
3. Lay B pieces on top of A piece, right sides together, long edges to long edges, raw edges to raw edges. Center the B pieces on the A piece with the finished edges of B pieces overlapping. It does not matter which B piece is on top. Sew top and bottom edges together with 1/4" seams.
4. Open the flaps, wrong side up and press the seams open. Press the top and bottom edges of the wings too (see arrows). Fold wrong sides together and press mask.
5. Center the 4" cut wire against the top edge of the mask. Mark the length of the wire plus ¼” on each end, with straight pins. Sew a line between the pins, 1/4" down from the edge. The wire channel should be 4.5" long. Close one end of channel by making a 90 degree left turn and sewing up and off the mask. Insert the wire into the channel through the side. Push the wire to the closed end so you have room to sew up the open end.
6. Sew the channel closed with a short seam.
7. Top stitch remaining sections on the top edge of mask, including the pressed and folded ends of piece A. Skip the area around the wire to avoid breaking your needle. Top stitch the bottom edge of the mask all the way across.
8. To make sure the final mask is the right size (so the filters will fit) we recommend making a paper guide for the pleating: Draw two lines across a piece of paper that are 4.5" apart.
9. Pin the top and bottom of the mask to the paper, edges aligned with the guide lines.
10. Gather three horizontal pleats, about 1/4" each, roughly equal distance apart, and pin fabric to fabric (don't pin to the paper).
11. Remove mask from the paper. Sew up the sides of the inner layer (the B pieces) to lock the pleats in place. Press the pleats. Fold and press over 1/4" on the raw edged sides.
12. To make the elastic channel, fold these ends over the raw edge of the inner layer and top stitch in place. Thread the elastic pieces through the channels and tie in loose knots. Use a safety pin if you need, to get it through the channel.
Check your sizing - This mask should be within 4 to 4.5" tall by 7 to 7.5" wide, edge to edge, when finished, not including the elastic. This is so the precut filters will fit correctly.
