I used the bedding that my Mum would no longer need as she had gone into Aden Lodge Care home in the December because of her Dementia, & I am so glad I did, I lost my Mum to COVID on the 3rd of December, she’d contracted COVID in the home & I had been unable to see her. She would have been pleased to know of her contribution to her friends & family.

In addition I had difficulty sourcing elastic, nothing could be received on line until later in May and so I put out a plea to all friends I had locally to raid their sewing boxes, elastic pieces came in from as far afield as Leeds, an Auntie of a friend!

I interlined the cotton quilt fabric, I chosen a dense weave and a light weight interling. Which I believed would be a barrier. I read that there was evidence that Hoover filters could act as sufficient filter and I used my Mum’s miele supply, she came to the rescue again!! A friend threw her spares in as well. I left the masks with an open edge so that the filter could be removed & I made sure that all elements were completely washable for re-use.

The nose clip I made from straightened out paper clips wound with plasters.

I felt delighted to protect my friends this was a skill that I was able to put into use, my husbands cousin in the North East worked in a supermarket & at the time she was offered no protection and it felt brilliant to be able to send my mask to her to protect her. I sent them over to Ireland to family there, and to elderly friends of my family members.