Mary's masks

Photo by Paul Bestock
Photo by Kimberly Ivy
Photo by Mary DeFelice Bartley

About the masks:

As someone who wears both glasses and hearing aids, my goal was to make face masks that resist fogging and can be worn without getting entangled with hearing aids.

These face masks are not medical grade, but consist of two layers of quilting cotton with a stiffener over the nose, quarter inch wide lacing and a toggle to cinch it up.

They are pre-shrunk and washed in fragrance free detergent.

We find that a KN95 or surgical mask fits nicely underneath, providing the benefit of double masking when desired.

Available masks listed below sell for US$10.00 each plus mailing costs. Custom ordered masks are US$15.00 each. Sales tax is included in that price. We accept payment by cash, check (made out to Mary DeFelice), or via Zelle or Venmo (we'll send our ID when you're ready to pay).

Our friend Joanne has kindly made a video demonstrating donning a Mary mask here: https://youtu.be/SXKDUy9QMnY.

Key to sizes:

To determine your size, measure the area you want the mask to cover, top to bottom (near the bridge of your nose to tucked under your chin) and side to side (over the highest part of your nose). If you're trying to choose between two sizes, bigger is better.

How to order a mask:

You will find no way to order a Yellowcat mask online. This is intentional. We want to keep our sales volume small and the transaction personal. Here is how you order:

Masks available now (as of this update)

These masks are already sewn and ready to order. Each entry is a single mask in the size indicated. Additional or different sized masks are by custom order.

Jump to: MEDIUM LARGE

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Size SMALL

Sorry, we have no small masks in stock. Contact Mary for custom orders.

Size MEDIUM

Sorry, we have no medium masks in stock. Contact Mary for custom orders.

Size LARGE

Sorry, we have no large masks in stock. Contact Mary for custom orders.

Fabric available for custom ordered masks

Masks can be made on request from these fabrics. Specify the size and, if desired, preferences regarding toggle color (which I will try to accommodate).

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Music fabrics

GTB: Gold treble clefs on black
JIB: Jazz instruments on black
KPA: Large piano keys aslant
MBD: French horn, violin, piano keys and music in creams and reds
MIB: Musical instruments in brown on black with some teal
MIT: Musical instruments in color on teal
MNC: Music notes in color
MNY: Music notes and clefs on yellow
PKC: Colorful swirly piano keys on white, piano keys lining
PKG: Piano keys and guitars
PMT: Pianos and music symbols on teal

Animal fabrics

CB: Cats in browns
CC: Colorful cats
CLD: Laurel Burch cats in dark blues
CLH: Laurel Burch colorful cat heads
CLM: Laurel Burch colorful stripey cats
CAB: Cat angels on black
HC: Holiday cats
LCH: Laurel Burch colorful horses
LGH: Laurel Burch galloping horses
LHP: Laurel Burch row of horse heads in purple/gold/rust
ULW: Undersea life in blues with whale, gold dots on blue lining
ULB: Undersea life in blues with turtle, gold dots on blue lining
LFB: Laurel Burch fish on blue
LFG: Laurel Burch fish on bright green
BFB: Bird and flowers on blue
BPB: Batik paw prints in brown on black
BPG: Batik paw prints in green on dark green
GAQ: Giraffes on aqua
BGT: Butterflies in groups on teal

Other fabrics

BLP: Batik leaves in purple/gold/greens
BLG: Batik plants and leaves in greens on purple/pink
DHG: Art Deco small hearts in greens/red/teals
FGB: Gold lined flowers on brown
GPB: Gold metallic petals on black
GSB: Gold metallic swirls on black
GSF: Gold snowflakes on blue with some green & red
HOT: Hearts on teal
MSB: Suns and moons on blue
MSN: Suns and moons on navy
OPR: Olive/purple/red designs on black
PDG: Purple w/ gold dots
PB1: Colored peppers on black
PB2: Colored small peppers on black
SPM: Spirals on maroon
TGY: Trees in greens & yellows on blue
TMB: Trees, moons and stars on black
TMT: Trees, moons and stars on teal
TOB: Teal ovals on brown batik
VSM: Squashes and melons

User Manual with Tips and Tricks

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  • Your mask has one of two different nose stiffeners, which is written on the card that comes with the face mask:
    • If it has a double wire twist-tie, put the flexible wire top piece across the bridge of the nose and press down on each side so it forms a good seal.
    • If it has a stiffer aluminum piece, before you don the mask for the first time, bend the nose piece in a curve approximately the way it will fit over the bridge of your nose (one client bent it around the tube of a guitar stand), then turn the ends up so they won't cut into your cheeks. Then put on the mask and play with it until the fit is snug over your nose. You should not have to adjust it again.
  • After each use, hand or machine wash in cold or warm water. If machine washing, put in a mesh bag and use delicate cycle; hang to dry. Washing by hand will extend the life of the mask.
  • They can be ironed.
  • If the toggle in the back of your neck bothers you or is too hard to reach, you can position it on the side of your neck or wherever you feel more comfortable.
  • They are technically not reversible because the nose stiffener can crack if bent inside out a bunch of times, but if you can turn the nose stiffener around in the casing, as one person told me she did, then go ahead and wear it inside out.
  • The 1 1/2 yards of lacing can be replaced with whatever else you might prefer, like shoe laces or elastic.

Shout Outs

Huge thanks to:

Photo Gallery

Very much under construction. More photos to come.