ALEXANDRA DEANGELIS
First off- I hope you are staying safe, healthy & as happy as possible during this crazy time.
Here's a little about my mask making journey ~
At the start of the pandemic I was still going into work; happy to have some sort of normalcy while the rest of my friends & family began working from home. Once the official stay at home order came out- I knew my future was going to change quickly. I was furloughed from my job, left with a lot of extra time on my hands. Being a creative, I knew I wanted to fill my days with something hands on and inventive.
I've always loved to sew & with time on my side I finally had the chance to sit down, sew, and enjoy it. Making masks was the perfect way to help keep my friends, family & myself safe. I also wanted a way to help and give back to my local LA small businesses.
Working in fashion- I knew I wanted my masks to be different ( & cute). My go to is always denim (love a good Canadian Tuxedo), so BOOM, there was my exterior fabric (100% cotton).
With stores being closed I knew it would be a bit of a hassle to gather supplies. I had 3 online orders that were cancelled from Joann Fabrics because they ran out of the supplies I chose. After some digging I found out that ONE Joann Fabrics was still open 30 miles away from LA. That day I took a ride up the 405 to Simi Valley to get my supplies. I must say the drive was SO relaxing- one positive of COVID: NO LA TRAFFIC! Anyways, I was able to get the fabrics I needed, however the elastic shortage was REAL. When I got back home I did some Googling and found an awesome online store with all of the fold over elastic I could imagine: https://www.elasticbytheyard.com/fold-over-elastic/
Thankful to successfully receive all my supplies- I started to cut and sew, a little bit every day over the past month. I've sent masks to my family & friends that are nurses and essential workers & I can't wait to get them out to the rest of my loved ones and to my favorite, local small businesses in LA. See below for how you can get yours!
If you are interested in a mask, I would love to make one for you too- just follow the steps below!
1. Start an email to alexandramddesign@gmail.com
2. Include the following in the email:
a. Full Name (For Shipping Purposes)
b. Shipping Address
c. Quantity
d. Color Choice: The outside denim will be a medium wash, but I currently have a green and cream interior left- so you can choose!
e. If you want to include a note I would love to hear from you! Who you are, how we know each other, what this mask means to you or how it will help you (in an essential job, at the store, etc.)
3. Wait for a confirmation email from me and further steps for payment!
4. Once payment is received I will send out the mask to the address provided!
* MASK INFO: masks are made of 100% cotton. Materials have already been washed once.
Masks are machine washable. Recommended to hang dry.*