Like a lot of people who sew, I responded to recent COVID-19 directives to wear fabric masks by pulling out my Bernina and threading my needle.
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The rule, courtesy of Hawaii’s Governor Ige, came out on April 17. It mandated that everyone wear a face mask or covering while in essential businesses–or while waiting to get inside.
Darn it. (Oops. Sorry. I guess I should stay “stitch it.”)
I’d been anticipating this. Fortunately, I have been a sewer for years. I am of a generation of females who
sewed throughout high school and, when fashion prices decreased as production moved offshore to China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, embraced high value sewing such as smocked dresses for my daughters and quilt after quilt after quilt. All of this meant that, thanks to the magic of You Tube and Facebook, stitching a face mask would be a straightforward affair.
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Supplies? I had a fabric stash that dated back to high school that, honestly, could benefit from some culling. Elastic? Yards of it. Thread? My cache was overflowing. (Can you spell “pack rat”?) Okay, I could do this, even without a trip to the overcrowded fabric store.
Going through the supplies was a walk down memory lane. There was a piece that went into a jumper worn for my first and subsequent pregnancies. Striped candy cane fabric from my eldest daughter’s first Christmas dress. Depression-era prints for my mother’s quilt. Which to cut for the cause? (That was the hard part.)
It started well. I was stitching away and giving away. My children smiled knowingly when they put on masks made from fabric they had last worn in childhood. Friends quickly learned that I was a friend with benefits; fabric mask benefits, that is. I thanked my favorite bus driver with a plaid mask while telling him how sorry I was to have to work from home and miss our regular chats. Employees at my undergraduate alma mater, Mount Holyoke College, enjoyed a bit of aloha as I contributed two dozen masks made from fabric that was not part of the typical New England fashion wardrobe.
There was no end to the parade of masks that were flying from my machine. But then I came upon a fabric that started me thinking.
The Reyn’s Fabric
You’ve seen it before. It’s the Reyn’s block print that came out in in the early 2000’s. (Remember “pack rat”?) It features images well known to those who know Punahou School: Old School Hall, the Oahu College seal, a lily pond flower, Pauahi Hall, night blooming cereus leaves and flowers.
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Like all Reyn’s fabrics, it was a kettle cloth (today I guess they call it weaver’s cloth) which sews like a dream: easy to cut, durable, wrinkle resistant, and smooth under the needle. Reyn’s was making and selling face masks from their current fabric for $15.99. Yes, this would be a Cadillac of masks.
So I stitched one up. Used some thick yellow palaka for the ties and, wow! It looked great.
And I started thinking.
This was a one-of-a-kind mask. The odds that this fabric would appear in other masks were, well, quite low if not zero. This was something special. So … who would be a one-of-a-kind wearer?
I then thought of our Punahou74 classmates who work in the medical field. Were they not special, one-of-a-kind people? In my opinion, yes! Plus they wear/need masks every day. Despite this not being “medical grade” why not offer it to them?
So I did.
I sent out the emails and, with great trepidation, I awaited the response. Happily, I had many accept my offer … and my efforts redoubled. It was back to the Bernina and off to the post office. Aloha and class pride delivered one mask at a time … plus an extra in buff ‘n’ blue aloha fabric just because.
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The Punahou74 Medical Brigade
Who are these one-of-a-kind wearers who received this gift?
They are doctors, nurses, a dentist and a pharmacist. They are practitioners serving from Hawaii to Massachusetts. Not every single member of the Punahou74 medical brigade but a good portion of it. (And, for those of you who now regret not accepting the offer, just let me know. The machine’s still sitting on the dining room table and the kitchen island is still fabric cutting central. And let me know if I missed you. I may not have known of your occupation or, more likely, did not have an email to write to you.)
Most said that they would happily wear the mask over their “official” medically sanctioned masks and appreciated having a touch of aloha for their practices.
And, who knows? You may find a Punahou74 classmate behind a mask the next time you check into a medical facility. Just look for the Reyn’s fabric!
Who Dat?
Take a look below to learn a bit more about these medically talented classmates and see how they look, Punahou74-mask style. It’s a little tricky with the mask on but I am sure you will recognize each and every one of them. Thank you for your service.
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I’m very appreciative that Hawai’i’s people have succeeded in “flattening the curve “ with the lowest COVID19 rate/death rate in the nation! Mahalo everyone!
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Here I am at work wearing the gorgeous Punahou mask, plus my hardware store goggles and rain poncho which are serving as PPE! Thank you so much again for your thoughtfulness in sending this beautiful and timely gift, and for your diligence in making all of the masks for people!
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Thank you for the masks – they must be very lucky. The masks arrived today and the Dept of Health released guidelines for going back to treating patients. !!!! It is not work for me – too much fun helping people and doing surgery. I will be wearing the masks next week with my N95 underneath.
Not working for eight weeks has been very taxing. We have attended over 200 hours of webinar continuing education but this is enough.
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Thanks so much for all the wonderful masks! You are so very generous and I will definitely be wearing them regularly. Love the Punahou fabric! The pharmacist that covers the week I’m off is also a Punahou grad and we have two pharmacy technicians on our staff too! I’ll see if they recognize the print. I really appreciate all you do for our class! Take care and stay safe!
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I have been on long-term disability since 2011 because of multiple sclerosis. I’m the at-home support person for my husband, Michael Bostwick, who is a psychiatrist at Mayo. Thank you for the masks! It’s fun to have reminders of Punahou and Hawaii.
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Thanks so much for the masks! I read your nice card and was already planning to model it for you. So attached is a photo. Also thought I’d include a link for YouTube instructions on how to make masks, in case you’d like a comparison. You should check it out…. although, your mask fit perfectly and I will wear it proudly outside the hospital because I wasn’t a basketball coach back in the day.
Anyway poor taste aside, I’m weathering this disaster ok. Patients need to be seen so off to work I go. Remarkably, I’ve yet to encounter a positively identified case of COVID19, although there have been a number of patients who have given me concern.
So you keep safe too! Thanks again for the masks. Your were too generous and I hope I can somehow repay you in the future.
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Thank you for the beautiful masks! Although I can’t wear them to work in the hospital, I will look forward to wearing them when I go out in the community.
I am so glad that Honolulu has been spared the severe situation we have been confronting in New Haven for the past two months. I am a pulmonary-critical care specialist and my inpatient work is in the ICU. The severity of respiratory disease from this coronavirus is unlike anything we have seen before. I am struck every day by the unwavering commitment of everyone working in the hospital and their compassion for their patients and for each other.
Thank you again for making the masks – it is the small acts of kindness like this that reaffirm that the human spirit will stay resilient!
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Who dat? Tanya and a sleepy Alika, that’s who. My other fur baby Mele was too shy for the camera!
Thank you for the mask. Nicely done! We have to wear them now. Certainly crazy times these days! We just got word that we’re working remotely until at least June 30.
My sister was planning to go home for her 45th this year and my nephew is graduating from UH. I’m so glad we had our 45th last year.
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Thanks, Lynne, for the beautiful mask. I hope that all of our classmates and their families are healthy and safe during this most trying of times.
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I love the masks you sent! Thanks for keeping me safe. I have been working on and off, whenever the hospital needs my help. My surgery department has been closed temporarily and I have been working with patients and families about hygiene, etc. As I get advanced in my years, I am finding that I actually enjoy speaking to the public. I am looking forward to the next reunion and will do my best to attend.
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Mahalo for the cloth facemasks made exquisitely from Hawai’ian material including the Punahou fabric. They brought a HUGE smile to my face!
I am a Maternal-Fetal Medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Our lives, like everyone else’s have been dramatically changed by COVID-19. We are dedicated to keeping all of our moms and babies healthy. As you know, babies keep coming regardless of what is happening in the world, however, some of our moms have been very very sick with COVID-19.
As health care workers, we are so appreciative of our supporters, and these aloha masks certainly brought a big ray of sunshine and happiness from home. Attached are some images of me in my mask, in a non-COVID ultrasound room as well as images from our hospital including a flyover by the Air National Guard as part of their routine training session. Mahalo!
Hope to be able to come home soon!
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After working from home for 2 months, I went back to the office for a week. Few masks or social distancing were in sight in my work group although I wore my mask & distanced. The following Monday I registered 103 degree fever. Please, please, please wear a mask to protect friends & colleagues from the fear of wondering if they have COVID-19. I eventually tested negative but it was a tense few days nonetheless. This is not likely to end anytime soon.
Wonderful!