Studio Davina

After I made an estimate of how much assiut I have available, I calculated how many masks I could make with my in-house supply of scraps, parts, and leftover pieces.  I estimated I could make about 50 masks, so I took orders up to that point, and then started a “wish list” just in case I hand enough for a few more.

Once I gathered all of the necessary materials and supplies, it was time to get to work prepping the various bits and pieces to streamline the construction process.  If I’m making one piece, or a few things, I will often just cut, sew, and finish all in one flow.  But because I am making more than 50 masks, I wanted to prep the materials in a batch. Planning an assembly line for these masks will reduce the number of times I have to change the thread color in my machine.

Wire Prep

To help these masks conform to the unique contours of each face, I use a length of wire in a casing that goes over the bridge of the nose. I’ve experimented a bit with the wire I had on hand and decided that 1mm or 18 gauge silver-toned jewelry craft wire works the best. I ordered a large spool via Amazon. I chose solid aluminum that will be easy to handle and resists tarnishing and rust.

After examining my samples, I decided that 6″ was not only a comfortable length, it was easy to cut using a 6″ ruler and a pair of side-cutting pliers. I have large hands, so I have a pair similar to these pliers.  Once all 50 pieces were cut, I used a large pair of round nose pliers or rosary pliers to put a loop on both ends of the wire. This helps the wire move smoothly through the casing and prevents it from poking the wearer.

If you don’t have jewelry tools in your arsenal, I recommend starting out with a simple affordable kit like this one or this one.  A cheap and cheerful set will allow you to experiment and figure out what you really like and need.  I started with an affordable kit from Michaels that I still keep around for when I have friends over.  But I’ve slowly upgraded to more premium quality and larger sized tools over the years.

Elastic Prep

The next mission was to prep the elastic for the ear loops.  For my adult size pattern, I use 5″ elastic for the loops.  I already had a large spool of 1/4″ or 6mm black elastic on hand so I just grabbed out the spool and started cutting. When it’s time to restock I’ll just repurchase this 50-yard spool.  My brother who runs Wicked Mojo Designs uses this same size elastic for his wooden finger cymbals and he prefers to search out deals on eBay.

Cutting Cotton Base Fabric

The next project on the agenda is cutting out the cotton base fabrics that will line the assiut masks.  While I’m going to fussy-cut the assiut to get the maximum amount of silver into each mask, the goal with the base fabric is to maximize the number of masks, minimize the waste and still preserve the appropriate grainline.

The tools I use for cutting include:

• Pattern – I cut a fresh pattern from a manilla envelope so the edges are nice and smooth for a precise line.
• Chalk – I prefer to use classic tailor’s chalk to mark my cotton fabric. I keep an assortment of colors available which will come in handy as I move through this project. I recommend investing in a multi-color chalk set like this if you do a lot of sewing.
• Ruler – Essential for positioning the pattern pieces on the optimal grain line.  Although I’m including an Amazon link for this ruler, I got mine from Joann’s with a coupon!
• Scissors – I’m using my good Gingher shears to cut the cotton.  For the assiut, I’ll be using the black-handled Kai shears that I’ve dedicated to cutting through the metal stitches in assiut.
• Pins – My pin box actually holds pins and I prefer to use yellow-headed Dritz quilting pins.  They are long and easy to spot when working on projects.

Not shown is a rotary cutter and self-healing mat that I use to trim and modify the assiut pieces.

Next Step – Next Post

In the next post, I’ll be sharing my order of construction for this project.  I’ll also share some of my strategies for planning the layout of the assiut patterns, piecing, and fussy-cutting to use the materials to the best advantage.  In the meantime, I’ve got a bunch of cotton to cut!

If you’re interested in joining the conversation about sewing, costume, business, and design, follow this link to my Facebook group.  Or catch me on Instagram.

I hope that all of your sewing and costuming
adventures are fun and fruitful!
Best of luck in all things,

Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Friday, July 10, 2020

PS – if you follow and use any of the Amazon.com links I really appreciate it!  These affiliate links help keep the content on this blog free and flowing.  Thank you for your support!  ~ Davina.

Back in April, I started making cotton masks for my friends and friends here in the Bay Area. At that time, we had no idea how long we would need to wear these trendy fashion accessories.  I wrote a blog post about it and included a link to a pattern and some basic directions. Click on the photo to the right or read the past blog post here

However, as time has passed, it’s become clear that we will be wearing masks for quite some time and perhaps it’s time to glam it up a bit!  So I pulled out two bins of parts and pieces, scraps and off-cuts from past costuming projects.  The result, enough assiut scraps to make quite a few masks!

Making Assiut Masks

I recently shared a photo of a group of masks I made on commission. Several folks in social media noticed this lovely purple assiut mask.

First one, then a couple, and then many people have inquired if I have assiut masks for sale. After much thought, and knowing we will be wearing masks for a long time, I’ve decided to press ahead and take some mask commissions.

Over the next weeks, I’ll be taking you along on the process of planning and organizing a new product.  

Product Ideation

The first step is coming up with the idea. This is the first step for every project I create. This spring, as I watched the unfolding health crisis, I wanted to help in some small way, so I designed and made a mask pattern.  My goal was to made masks for my family and friends. But as I worked, I decided that to share the mask pattern with everyone. If you need to make a mask please give this pattern a try.  You can use as a starting point for creative exploration, to perfect their own cut and fit, and if you are inclined, to use to make your own masks for sale. I released my pattern to the public domain. You can find the pattern and a .pdf with basic directions. They are available for download here.

In a nutshell, here is the process:

• Identify a Need – In this case, it’s cotton masks for health protection.
• Design Research – How areother people making this product?
• Draft a Pattern & make samples to perfect the fit.
• Make a Test Batch, give to beta testers to get feedback.
• Refine the Pattern – Use the feedback to perfect your final pattern.

Materials List

Now that I’ve decided to make a large batch of masks for sale, my next step is choosing the materials and supplies for the project. These are not “medical grade” masks, and offer the basic protection that 100% cotton masks can provide.

• Assiut Cloth – Using Scraps from past costuming and sewing projects
• Cotton Backing – This layer needs to be 100% cotton in a coordinating color
• 18 or 20 gauge Wire – This wire will go over the bridge of the nose for a customized fit
• 1/4″ Elastic – These masks are designed for over the ear wear
• Coordinating Thread – Check to make sure that all colors are in stock

Inventory & Shopping List

After I figured out what fabric, supplies and notions I need to produce this product, I conduct an inventory.  The mission is to use as many supplies on hand to clear out my studio!  The only things I need are:

• Cotton Backing – I need to pick up some colors I don’t have on hand and I’m choosing to shop at an independent local store – Eddies Quilting Bee.
• Thread – I need two colors of thread that I don’t have on hand and I hope Eddies has the colors I need in stock, otherwise, it’s off to Joann’s
• Wire – I have a lot on hand am not sure if I will go use my stash.  I’m leaving it on the list as a potential need.  If I do need this, I will look for a coupon and pick it up at Michaels.

Other things I need include a box of Thank You cards to use as my primary shipping method.  I can send a mask in a gift card for only 1 first class step with an additional .25 extra ounce stamp.  For the people who wanted to pick up a book at the same time, I already have mailers in my stash.

Calculating Pricing 

Once I have a list of the costs of materials, I work through a sample as a time test.  I use the product log that comes as part of the Studio Log.

I pay attention to how long it takes me to make several masks and I find the average time and mark it down to calculate my labor. Each mask takes me approximately 45 minutes to go from layout and cutting to ready to mail.  I calculated these masks on a $20 an hour rate, making my labor costs $15.

Since I’m using upcycled scraps of assiut, I’m not including that cost in production.  But I am including the cost of all the other basic supplies that I will need to purchase for the studio.

You can see that I’ve included in the “Expenses” section the shipping supplies.  I picked up a pack of 48 Thank You notes to ship individual masks.  And I’ve already got a bunch of stamps but I know I will run out and buy more.  When I am ready to purchase stamps, I’ll be sure to note that in the Product Log.

In the next post, I’ll share the next phases of this project!
Best of luck in all of your design projects,
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
July 1, 2020