---
title: "Florence: FreeSewing's Face Mask"
sidebar_label: Florence Face Mask
---
<DesignInfo design="florence" />
## Designer Notes {#notes}
When the COVID-pandemic swept the globe in early 2019, and a shortage of PPE
followed, it became obvious we were going to need a lot of face masks.
So I set out to design this pattern, and also ended up making a whole bunch of
them for the local university hospital. Because I was rather early to fill
this need, it was picked up by a variety of publications, such a Forbes, the
New York Times, and a bunch of others.
As a result, this simple design probably did more to let people know
FreeSewing exists than any other thing I've ever done. Which is something I
try not to think about too much.
Obviously, these kind of home-made mask are no substitute for professional PPE,
but you knew that.
joost
## What You Need {#needs}
To make a Florence face mask, you will need the following:
- Basic sewing supplies
- About 15 cm (6") of a suitable fabric ([see Fabric options](#fabric))
- About 15 cm (6") of lining fabric
- About 1.6 meters (1.8 yards) of ribbon cut in 4 equal parts
## Fabric Options {#fabric}
The goal of our mask is to stop droplets. So you want to go for something that
filters those out. Then again, you need to be able to breath through your
mask, so we want fabric that breathes, without letting droplets through.
In addition, we want the inside to be comfortable on our skin. So here I'd
suggest a tightly woven cotton or viscose/rayon. For the outer fabric, cotton
again, or a tightly woven wool.
:::note
Note that fabric that is _breathable_ is not the same as fabric your can breath
through. There's many so-called waterproof breathable fabrics — or MBFs — that
are used for outdoor gear because they repel water and are _breathable_ but
would make a poor choice for a face mask. Look no further than your umbrella
for an example. Chances are it's more from a fabric you can breath through, but
only with substantial effort, which would not work for our face mask.
:::
## Cutting Instructions {#cutting}
Florence only has one part, the _mask_. This is half of the mask, so we will
need two of them. In addition, we want an outer and inner layer of fabric, so
we'll need four in total:
- **Main fabric**
- Cut **2 masks** parts
- **Lining fabric**
- Cut **2 masks** parts
If you're using the same fabric in and out (which is fine) then simply cut **4
mask** parts.
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