I Made a Kimono-Inspired Face Mask

Let's face it, we're probably all going to be wearing face masks for the foreseeable future. And even if the coronavirus goes away one day or we get it under control globally, it never hurts to whip out a mask next time we have the sniffles and want to be considerate of our fellow humans. 

No one said those face masks had to be garish surgical looking garments - enter the fashionable face mask.

I picked up several cute ones from Target once it felt safe to venture out in small increments, but I quickly developed a preference for a certain fit and style - the pleated style works well enough, but I wanted something more contoured to my face. I needed something that would charitably hug my large Polish nose - and to be honest, Target wasn't selling many of those fitted styles in fun colors or patterns.

So I made my own!

There are a lot of face mask instructions and patterns out there: I highly recommend this one and this one. I took a different approach, because I'm difficult like that. I actually dissected another face mask I had (don't fret, it was actually it little too small for my face, so I figured it would make the perfect pattern) and repurposed the elastic strings into this gorgeous NEW mask.

The fabric was a bargain bin Walmart find and I've had it for years, unsure of what I wanted to do with this 1/2 yard of kimono inspired material. Once I realized I could make my own face masks, I knew exactly how to use it. 

Would you believe I sewed this entirely by hand? If you look closely you can see all the stitching, but so far it's held up really well and I definitely want to use the rest of this fabric to make a few more one day. 

Do you prefer aesthetically pleasing face masks or would you rather wear a plain colored mask? Let me know your preferences in the comments below!