I’ve been reluctant to talk about making masks here as all my energy is going to keeping my business running during this global crisis. While I feel it's beneficial that so many small textiles businesses like mine have been able to redirect their resources and provide non-medical grade, reusable cloth masks during this pandemic, the production of masks can place a hefty strain on business owners like myself. In my case, making masks consumed me for two weeks in March, taking my focus away from other production needs of my business during a peak moment of my financial year. It was a time consuming process as I set aside some fabric remnants for mask making, developed a pattern I thought was most functional, and looked at best practices for production and distribution. In early April, it became obvious that positioning the business to survive this pandemic needed my full attention and it was difficult for me to split my time between making fine linen products and making protective face coverings in volume. In order for me to fulfill the many masks requests I had waiting in my inbox and all my other orders, I realized I needed to hire some help. Thankfully, I was able to hire two people I was in touch with before lockdown that are able to safely work from their homes. This small, hard working team has helped me redirect my creative energies back into the rest of my business. I feel good that my business structure is able to provide income to a new crew, to offer our work to others, and to continue to produce sustainable products for your home and kitchen. 

Initially, I resisted offering masks for sale on my website because the need for masks is so great that I was only able to fulfill orders for friends and family. Now, I’m able to offer masks more widely because of the newly hired members of my team. The masks we are making are made entirely with remnants from our other products. They are two layers of linen, one layer of cotton shirting, and they tie around the head with eco-friendly cotton ties. Each mask is one of a kind, so we cannot take color request orders, but they all are beautiful, sustainable and practical. Masks are available for a sliding scale of $15 - $18 apiece, but for $21 - $24 (only an extra $6!) we will provide a mask to someone in need free of charge. For now, we are prioritizing free masks to people who are working hard on growing, preparing or distributing food in Philadelphia. It is important to me to place value on the time it takes to manufacture textile products and to recognize the importance of those helping to feed us. Please support our business during this difficult moment and know that when you are ordering a mask, you are helping grow a small, but mighty community.