DIY Mask/Neck Warmer

 Strange times call for strange sewing!

I made a series of these neck warmer/face masks for Tim, my sister and my brother... warm and protective!

Tim had a neck warmer made by a local company that we often use when snowboarding, hiking or snowshoeing. It's just a triangle made from flannel, lined with polar fleece, fastened with velcro at the back of the neck. 

It's great for neck-warming, but less great for wearing as a mask when you encounter other folks on the trail, the lift or about town... not enough room or shaping for the nose!

I took the neck-warmer and decided to smash it together with a mask pattern I've been using that has a dart at the nose, adding the nose shaping to the top of the triangle. 

I also lengthened the ends of the triangle to give a bit more room for the nose and the head when the mask/warmer is pulled up.

I included a piece of wire at the nose bridge, inside the seam allowance, for extra protection from glasses/goggle fogging.

These are a good scrapbuster: Tim's is made with flannel (left over from this top) and lined with fleece (left over from this sweater). 

My sister's is a scrap of teal brushed tencel twill lined with the same fleece as Tim's. I thought she might like the neck warmer when blowing the snow off her driveway or picking up animals from their cars at the veterinary clinic where she works. 

My brother's is two layers of the perfect UPS-brown flannel from Joann. He's a UPS driver and I thought the mask/neck warmer combo would be well suited to cold days in the truck. 

I think these worked out pretty well! Very functional as a face covering and quite warm for those bitter cold New England winter days...