Sewing has proven to be a very important skill during the current COVID-19 crisis.
And a group of Midland-area residents have proven that time and again with their determination to meet what’s become a growing need for sturdy face masks.
Led by Debby Hull, the group of 37 women has made close to 5,000 masks over the past little while that are also more environmentally friendly than their disposable counterparts.
“Everybody’s excited to help,” said Hull, who lives in Midland. “These people are delighted to be sewing and all feel like in some way, they’re helping. Many hands make light work.”
Hull estimated she and her husband Bill have spent about $6,000 personally on supplies with funding also coming in through donations (email [email protected]) to help offset some of their costs.
“Thimbles and Things (near Orillia) has opened up multiple times for us and is giving us stuff at cost,” she said. “People have just pitched in in so, so many ways. Everybody wants to feel they can help.”
The Georgian Bay COVID-19 sewing group’s masks are made from durable fabrics that means they are washable and, therefore, reusable. The fabric is also prewashed and preshrunk before being cut into shape.
And while the sewers are all women, Bill Hull helps cut the fabric using a radial saw that’s a lot faster than using a pair of scissors to each pattern individually.
“We’re able to cut 52 at a time,” Hull said. "The sewers are all women, however, many women have told me that their husbands are clipping, turning masks and ironing!"
The group’s been distributing the masks at long-term-care homes in Midland, Orillia, Collingwood, Penetanguishene and Beeton as well as at Shelter Now, the Guesthouse Shelter and Chigamik CHC in Midland.
Participants like Donna Thompson said they’re just happy to be able to contribute to the relief efforts in some way.
“It helps me keep my sanity to get involved like this,” Thompson said. “I’ve probably done more than 100 and got about 50 more here ready to go.”
The region also features another sewing collaborative called Homemade Masks for Hometown Heros (Barrie Simcoe North).
“We need to give a big shout out to our sewists,” Tiny Township member Trish Campbell said, adding the dozens of area residents involved in the project, which only began a couple of weeks ago, is awe-inspiring.
To date, the group has created 4,500 masks and 300 scrub caps for medical facilities and long-term-care homes.
“We have depots in Midland, Horseshoe Valley and Barrie,” Campbell said, that allows volunteers to drop off and pick up masks at set points for delivery throughout the region.
“We’re covering Barrie, Orillia, Collingwood, Midland and everything in between. It’s really quite incredible how quickly it grew and how many masks we’ve been able to produce.”
