So like the rest of you, Covid19 hit and my life got flipped upside down and I had to figure out a new plan for the year. The ski hill closed, my gym closed, my boyfriend lost his job and day after day all my shows got cancelled.

I was bummed, to say the least. How do I run a clothing business in a pandemic? How can I help? What shall I do?

Do I make masks?

Then people started wearing masks, the government kept changing their opinions on whether we should be wearing them and everyone kept asking if I was making them.

What to do? I want to help, but I do not want to be part of the problem. I was very worried that people would start wearing masks and then think they are invincible and forget all the social distancing rules. I did not want my business, my name, my masks to be a part of making the situation worse.

A very different world all of a sudden

Then I got a heart-wrenching email from Diane, my boyfriend's sister who is a physiatric nurse in Regina, Saskatchewan. She wanted me to make her some masks because she was super worried about going out in public to get groceries without being protected. She wanted to protect herself, her family and everyone around her but she didn't want to take a medical-grade ones, because they were so limited at her hospital.

I have fabric, I have the skills, I have the time and I can do something to help, I just had to figure out a safe way of doing it.

The plan

So my boyfriend and I got to work researching everything there is to know about masks and how to make them. As always we got lost down the YouTube rabbit hole reading the millions of ways to make masks. Jeff's sister was a great help as she wears masks every day telling us what she liked and didn't like.

Then we started sewing. We made over 30 the first week and sent them to Diane and her work colleagues. The response was huge, I was so happy to be able to help and do something positive during all these sad times.

The positive

Then I wanted to help more people, but like I said I did not want to make the situation worse and encourage people to start gathering again and ignoring all the rules. So I decided to make them only for people on the frontline. People who still have to go to work, older people and those who are immunocompromised.

I did a post on my Instagram and Facebook pages offering my masks for free and felt good about my decision. The orders came flooding in and we got to work. We ended up making over 500 masks in 2 months. Jeff was amazing, I could not have done it without him. He was cutting, sewing, bending nose pieces and anything else I needed.

Now…

The orders have definitely slowed dramatically I think because now everyone is selling them, so I am happy to get back to making pretty dresses.

I am so glad about the decision that I made. I learned so much and it was amazing to help in a small way. I don't know what's going to happen now. I think we all know deep down that this is not over and there is a huge chance there will be a second wave. 

I can now make masks and will always make them for those in need. Stay safe everyone and remember this is not over so please keep following the rules.

Need a mask or want to find out more information on how to make them please send me an email info@untamedfernie.com