Hey Guys, pretty surreal time we are going through atm, we just have to remember we are in this together and will get through lockdown if we follow the advise of the government and stay at home. Sending you all positive vibes! How beautiful is the clapping for the NHS each Thursday, we really are together in this. Despite the scariness and sadness of this situation, the world is with us, no person bigger or smaller is not going through the same as we are, the whole world is united and we all need to really care. listen, respect and help each other.

Image taken from Stylist Magazine Instagram

Business has slowed down all around us, I am assuming because everyone is so uncertain about the time ahead..I mean I am not spending either just on food and my home bills. How about you guys?

So along side making new designs for Quillattire, painting and getting annoyed with my husband who has now set up his work from home desk right next to me and is always on calls (snore), I decided to learn how to make fashion masks with my off cuts, which means they are all sustainable (what a bonus!). The mask are fun and great to pair back with a cool outfit. I don’t know about you but I cover my nose and mouth when going out to the supermarket or for a walk now to avoid people’s germs and my own spreading..and I struggle to breathe with all that fabric on my face, so I thought I could make fashion masks for you guys to make things easier and also to give another option to purchase a mask that is not going into the stock that is needed by our Health care system (NHS for everyone in UK).

Our First Reversible Leopard Print Face Mask

Above our Reversible Leopard print face mask, not bad for our first attempt. We thought we would give you two for the price of one (what a treat), we have made this mask reversible so the other side is black lace. You get two looks in one mask, how cool! Below an image of the other side of our face mask, it will be like have two faces lol

Each mask has elasticated straps to hang over the ears. This mask as an outfit would look dope with our Unisex Leopard print Shell Suit Bottoms and Black, Mint or Red Mount Fuji hoodies- such a cool , happy and colourful vibe which is what we need during this world wide pandemic called Coronavirus. All pieces are above are Unisex home boy clothes, perfect to quarantine and chill in, the masks would be great to gift for Birthdays, or general gifts for family or friends - so get involved. Free shipping for all UK orders, small fee for worldwide.

Our Leopard Embellished Shell suit Bottoms that would go great with your Leopard print Mask ;)

Some of the masks i have made, more dropping soon, click here to purchase :)

If you have any spare fabrics lying around, help yourself and others and make them into masks! I saw a post on Forbes and downloaded the pattern and simply followed the instructions below written by the lovely guys at Free Sewing who sew patterns for the non average people.

The mask patterns come in small, medium and large, what you need to make them listed below:

Breathable Fabric not too thick as you need to be able to breath.
Elastic for the sides to hang from your ears.
A Sewing Machine
Scissors
Iron
Printer to print the patterns

Step 1: Join centRE seam

Join the curved seam that is centre of our mask by placing the good sides together and sewing them in place.

Step 2 (optional): Press the centRE seam

This step has no functional value, it will only make your mask look better. So if you’re not too bothered about that, feel free to skip it.

Press the seam allowance on the centre seam open so the seam lies nice and flat.

As this is a curved seam, it won’t lay flat. But you can approach it with your iron from one side, then do the second half from the other side. Alternatively, you can use a tailor’s hem or cushion to press.

Step 3: Sew the outer to the inner fabric and attach ribbons

Now we will sew the inner (lining) fabric to the outer (main) fabric, and attach the ribbons all in one step.

Place your lining fabric down with the good side up.
Then, place two ribbons on the corners of one side (right in our example) so that they peak out just a bit from the mask, but the ribbon extends inwards.
Now place the main fabric on top of this with the good side town. You should now have both layers of your mask on top of each other with good sides together and two ribbons sandwiched between them
Pin through ribbons and layers to keep them in place
Now do the same on the other side
Now sew around the mask, making sure to leave one side open so we can turn the mask inside-out later.

Step 4: Turn the mask inside-out

Actually, your mask is inside-out now, so turning it inside out will mean we get it outside-out, or regular.

Just reach in through the side your left open and carefully pull the mask through to turn it.

Step 5 (optional): Press the mask

Now that the mask is as it should be, it’s time to press it. Before doing so, make sure to fold the seam allowance of the side we left open inwards, so that we press it flat as if it was sewn.

Step 6: Close open side of the mask and edge-stitch around the edge

Now it’s time to close the side of our mask the we left open to turn it inside out.

We are not merely going to close the opening, but also edge-stitch around the entire mask to give our mask some extra stability, and keep the lining at the back.

Make sure the open side is folded neatly inside, then edge-stitch around the entire mask.

Step 7: NOW GO MAKE YOUR MASK OR MAKE FOR OTHERS!

Our Denim Face Mask with Neon Yellow Back that we have been working on You could wear this for your virtual parties, a trendy trips to the supermarket, somethings telling me even after the lock down masks are still going to be needed. Feeling the pain for the Aries crew who have birthdays that they will be self isolating through :( My birthday was on the 7th April, I was wearing my own sequin mask - self love and all that!

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial, get in contact with us if you have any ideas for your very own custom, personalised Face Masks! Stay tuned for our next blog post where we will be talking about being Self Employed, having your own business and the struggles that the Coronavirus has caused us all and then a talk about the go to series on Netflix ‘Tiger King’!:) Stay safe people and if interested in any masks click here. :)

Have you seen our Limited Edition Black Mount Fuji Hoodie made from Organic Bamboo? It is a dope hoodie with bespoke graphics and embroideries all designed in house, so nobody will have the same.

The hoodie is unisex so sizes fit both men and women! So his and hers gifts at the ready, perfect for Valentines, an Anniversary or even a wedding gift. Parents if you’re unsure of what to buy your children, niece/nephews this is the perfect go to and they will not be disappointed. Lets talk details and why this hoodie is all the rage.

The moto of Quillattire is ‘I am who i am. Your approval is not needed’, which is printed down each sleeve in white, its subtly placed but stands out against the cool black hoodie.

The front of the hoodie has Japanese text written in an artwork that we have created and embroidered in black thread onto the black hoodie. The Japanese transcript translates into english to say ‘I am who i am’. The cord from the hood is black with matte black cord ends to top of the minimalist and modern styling to this hoodie.

Black Mount Fuji Thumb Holes and printed piping around the internal hood

Who else does a cool hoodie with thumb holes for that extra protection, no one, just us! The cuffs have a discreet thumb hole so you get that extra coverage on your hands, with only your fingers on show. Imagine having gloves attached to your hoodie, its a win win in the current climate where limited contact is needed due to Covid 19 virus. There is only a limited edition of these hoodies so get buying!

Each hoodie has a bespoke canvas piping around the internal hoodie edge and back neck which reads ‘I am who i am. Your approval is not needed’. The Black and Red hoodie piping is in black and the mint hoodie piping is in white, all these details for such a good price.

Turn the hoodie around and you have a bespoke in house designed graphic of the Mount Fuji from Japan. We have travelled to Japan a couple of times and always inspired by the culture and beauty everywhere. One memory always comes to mind which is hiking up Mount Fuji and from the ground watching night fall with all the pretty purples and blues in the sky and the amazing Mount Fuji like a huge shadow amongst all of this. We used this inspiration to create the Mount Fuji Graphic its subtly placed at the back with Japanese text on the side of the graphic translated in english to read ‘Approval not needed.’

As a brand we believe in encouraging to be true to yourself in the way you dress and not confining yourself to what society is always posting on the IG. Be comfortable being yourself and dress how you like, this is where our moto ‘ I am who i am. Your approval is not needed’ came from, you will see it translated into different languages through out work as we believe everyone is equal and our differences are all beautiful and should be celebrated.

On the hood of the hoodie you have you our logo printed onto canvas, when you wear the hood down the branding is right side up and when on it will be on the top of your head. A good fitted hood, we wore it on holiday and it started raining, the hoodies kept us warm, and protected us from the rain and we had the discreet gloves hidden in the cuff of the sleeve to keep us extra warm in the windy conditions. The storage was amazing at the front and hidden side pocket for valuables which also has a matte zip to secure all those valuables.

If you like what you have seen and read about this hoodie so far, it comes in three colours Black (click here), Mint (Click here) and a One off Red (click here). Each also has a front kangaroo pocket at the front for more storage and hand thermal needs and an additional added hidden side pocket with a matte dyed to match zip! So you have one visible pocket and one hidden zipped pocket for any valuables you have, so you get gloves discreetly disguised in the cuff and a hidden pocket on the side!

The best bit about these hoodies is that they are Sustainable, they are made from an Organic Bamboo that we sourced on a trip to Sri Lanka. A few facts about why bamboo is great for the environment and to be made into a garment.

Antibacterial - keeps you odor free and feeling and smelling fresh
Highly sweat absorbent (Pulls moisture from skin for evaporation - moisture wicking) - keeps you dry
Powerfully insulating - keeps you cooler in summer and warmer in winter
One of the softest fabrics on the planet you'll love the way it feels
Naturally UV protectant - protect yourself from skin cancer
Hypoallergenic - natural bamboo does not cause allergic reactions
Most eco-friendly fabric on the planet - help save your planet
Bamboo needs minimal amount of water to grow
Bamboo grows naturally and does not need any pesticides
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world
Bamboo is cut up right and not up-rooted so its good for the soil

So many benefits from such a unique hoodie. So click the links below for your hoodies before they go as they are all Limited Edition.

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Self Isolation, nothing to do ---> How to make a Mask at home...