Kitten Stitches
DIY fitted mask pattern with filter pocket
This mask pattern is not approved by the FDA or CDC, and these filter options have not
been approved by any governmental or medical department for mask making
materials. In this PDF we will share links to articles and resources that informed our
design and recommendations.
Your use of this pattern is voluntary. If you use it, you acknowledge
that you do so at your own risk.
Contents Material list ......................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Mask fabric (approx. ¼ yard) ............................................................................................................................................................. 2
Tying option 1 – ties behind head ..................................................................................................................................................... 2
Tying option 2 – elastic over ears ...................................................................................................................................................... 2
Nose clip ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Filter material .................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Printable Patterns ............................................................................................................................................................... 3
Full Size Printable Small / Medium size mask ................................................................................................................................... 3
Full Size Printable Small / Medium filter pocket ............................................................................................................................... 4
Full Size Printable Large size mask .................................................................................................................................................... 5
Full Size Printable Large filter pocket ................................................................................................................................................ 6
Sewing Instructions ............................................................................................................................................................. 7
Prepare the filter pocket ................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Prepare liner and Cover .................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Attach filter pocket to liner ............................................................................................................................................................... 9
Chin darts & base .............................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Nose Clip Channel ............................................................................................................................................................................ 10
Add Side ties and topstitch seams closed ....................................................................................................................................... 12
Mask sizing: which to choose and how to alter the pattern for better fit ........................................................................ 13
Pattern Resizing instructions ........................................................................................................................................................... 13
Credits and notes: ............................................................................................................................................................. 14
Why did we change the SUAY pattern? .......................................................................................................................................... 14
How many masks should you make for each loved one? ............................................................................................................... 14
A note about the side ties ............................................................................................................................................................... 15
Filter Pattern ..................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Nose clip wire details and suggestions ............................................................................................................................. 16
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Material list
Mask fabric (approx. ¼ yard)
1 8” x 8” square front fabric
1 8’ x 8” square liner fabric
1 6.5” x 5” square liner fabric for (optional) filter pocket
Tying option 1 – ties behind head
4 18” long strips for side ties
Side ties can be made from shoestrings, twill tape, bias tape, elastic; anything that works for you.
Tying option 2 – elastic over ears
2 9” elastic (Our testers say: elastic works for short wear but for long wear eventually hurts their ears)
Nose clip
4.5” long wire for nose channel.
We use 16 gauge copper wire, wrapping the ends in “spike” tape to keep it from poking through.
Other options: pipe cleaner, florist wire, twist ties, paper clip
Filter material
1 blue shop towel will make 6 disposable filters
We like toolbox brand blue shop towels
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Cut 1 - cover fabric Cut 1 - lining fabric
Small/MedMask
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Small Pocket
Cut 1 - lining fabric
Fold line for top pocket hem
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LargeMask
Cut 1 - cover fabricCut 1 - lining fabric
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LargePocket
Cut 1 - lining fabric
Fold line for top pocket hem
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Sewing Instructions – ¼ Seam allowance
Prepare the filter pocket 1. Fold top edge down ½ inch and topstitch hem
2. Sew filter pocket darts
a. Pro tip: Darts work best if you sew from outside edge in.
3. Hem side and bottom edges of pocket. Set aside
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Prepare liner and Cover 4. Sew Top Darts on outside panel
a. Pro tip: Darts work best if you sew from outside edge in.
5. Sew Top Darts on liner panel
a. Pro tip: Darts work best if you sew from outside edge in.
6. Outside panel and liner together, right side in. Sew liner & Cover together on the top edge
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Attach filter pocket to liner 7. Open mask
8. Attach filter pocket to liner panel only – right side out
Chin darts & base 1. Sew Chin Darts on outside panel
a. Pro tip: Darts work best if you sew from outside edge in.
2. Sew Chin Darts on liner panel
a. Pro tip: Darts work best if you sew from outside edge in.
Front panel
Liner panel
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3. Close mask right sides facing – this will hide the filter pocket inside for now.
a. Sew bottom seam
4. At this point the side seams are still open. Use them to turn the mask right side out. Your filter pocket can now
be seen on the back of the mask and you should see the basic mask shape.
Nose Clip Channel 5. Once your mask is turned right side out, use your fingers to Turn edge seams inside
a. Do not sew shut yet
b. It helps to pin these side seems in place
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6. Use a sewing pins to mark 1 inch in from turned edge on each side along the top
7. Use these top pins as a guide to topstitch (blue dotted line) a channel for your nose clip ½” inch down from the
top.
Start and stop at these pins
This will make a pocket channel that is open on both sides
8. Feed your nose clip wire through one side seam into the channel
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Add Side ties and topstitch seams closed 9. Insert one end in each of 4 corners,
a. tuck them about 1” into the side seams
b. pin in place
10. Zig Zag Top Stitch side edges. Go over this at least twice – these stitches will take a lot of stress in the future a. Pro tip – this is a lot of fabric for your machine to handle‐ a walking foot works wonders here.
It’s more important that this final side stitch be strong than that it be pretty or clean.
This final step simultaneously attaches the strings to the corners and closes the side of the mask
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Mask sizing: which to choose and how to alter the pattern for better fit We tested this pattern on members of our own family.
We found ‐ because this mask pattern was more fitted to the face ‐ that we needed to make some allowance for chin size.
The men in our family needed longer masks to accommodate stronger jaws (or sometimes a little facial hair; CDC recommendations aside, our testers were not clean shaven). We added additional length in the section from the mouth to chin.
The large size was the best fit for men The small size fit women and older children/teens.
Pattern Resizing instructions 1. Print mask pattern
2. To make larger or smaller:
a. Cut pattern at red dotted line below
b. Add / remove length as needed
1. To make wider:
a. Cut pattern at Blue dotted line above
b. Add width as needed
Measurements are inexact, simply an average for which mask pattern fit best
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Credits and notes: This pattern has origins in SUAY face mask pattern.
They are amazing professional designers and we informed our recommendations for filter medium from their tests of
filtration effectiveness. They have graciously shared their design and testing results with the world, and we thank them
for their mad skills and philanthropic measures. Please read the disclaimer on page 2 of the SUAY Pattern & instruction
PDF. We are not lawyers. Play nice with others and don’t sue anyone – including us (Kitten Stitches).
Why did we change the SUAY pattern? The original pattern is good – GREAT in fact. It doesn’t need improvement. But I am not a professional stitcher and found
myself struggling to properly line up and attach the chin gusset in the SUAY pattern. So my brilliant husband suggested
I leave that part attached somehow. I realized I could simply add darts where the gusset was and that would provide the
structure needed for a tight fit in a single piece.
We found that the one size fits all did not work for my smaller face and my husband’s big ol man face with stubble. So
with some fit testing, we added extra space between the lips and the chin for his strong jaw. It worked perfectly. For
simplicity we called the original size the “small” and the larger size created for him the “large”
I decided to curve the top of the pattern down toward the
outside a bit where it went right across our nose and into our
eyes. I looked at other DIY patterns out there with curved top
seams and decided I liked that better.
We had an 8” maximum size limitation on cover pieces: I am
a fabric designer and all my test fabric comes in 8” square
samples. This pattern (both the large and small size) fits
completely within that 8” square. Which allows me to make
masks for friends and family using the hundreds of samples I
have laying around the house as the cover layer. I’m using
plain cotton for the liner and pocket, sometimes cutting up t‐
shirts and bedsheets.
How many masks should you make for each loved one? This is not medically proven advice. I will share links & sources, but if you know differently from a scientist or medical
professional, I defer. We have decided that 4 personal masks per person will work if needed for daily use. The material
of the mask doesn’t really matter. Tight woven cotton seems to be the consensus.
2 layers of tool shop brand blue shop towels ‐ according to various sources‐ can block a large percentage of particles
0.03 microns & larger.
We’ve settled on a pattern for 2 layer cotton masks with an additional
filter pocket. Inside that pocket we’ll place 2 layers of the shop towels.
How did we come up with 4 personal masks? (Remember. NO sharing
masks) Based on the studies in an article I’ll leave in comments, leaving a
mask to dry for 48 hours should be enough to kill coronavirus, SARS, and
influenza A viruses. Leaving masks for 72 hours would be even more
conservative.
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Therefore, we decided a rotating schedule of 4 masks will leave 72 hours for your mask to “self sanitize”. There are some
caveats, so read this article.
That 4 masks would cover 1 mask daily. Right now, people, you should not be going out daily. Stay the fuck home. We
were considering our family members who must go to work or for other reasons, wear 1 every day. If you are isolating
like most of us, adjust your math leaving 72 hours between uses.
We plan on washing our cotton masks (remove the filters before washing) in HOT water and air drying in the sun. If we
can’t replace filters, (which may become scarce at the consumer level) We will leave them in the sunshine (dry, uv) and
letting it all sit for 72 hours between uses.
A note about the side ties We’ve used anything handy that works in 18” long strips.
So far, we like clothesline rope the best (cotton braid, not
slippery plastic).
When we run out of that we’ll probably have to make our
own double fold bias tape by folding 2” wide strips in half
and then in half again to make a .5” bias tape.
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Small FilterCut 2 per mask
Large FilterCut 2 per mask
Recommended filter medium- Wypall X80 Towel- Zep Shop Towel
- Toolbox Shop Towel
Wire: 16 gauge Copper Wire Cut to 4.5” Wrap ends of cut wire in tape to deal with sharp edges
We used “Spike Tape” to wrap; also known as gaffer tape. Duct tape, electrical, medical, painters or masking tape are good options
Other stitchers have used Coffee Bag Tin Ties, Floral WireTwist Ties (for trash bags, bread bags, etc.), Paper Clips
4.5”
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