Medieval Death Bird - Updated (masks) - YouLookFab Forum

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Medieval Death Bird - Updated (masks)

rachylou

Veteran

Or: I Made A Mask.

We’re running out of disposables at the bakery! And my boss is coming up with kooky suggestions! I got motivated to get on it.

There is ZERO elastic to be had. I combined the Craft Passion and Marfy patterns to do shoe lace ties and include a replaceable nose piece (my plan is to use bread twisty ties).

It took me, btw, 5 hours to sew this. 4 hours to sort out my machine, then 1 hour to sew with three 10-minute breaks due to emotional exhaustion. Lol. I should just keep my machine out. Adjusting it, looking thru needles and feet, trying to find the manual, winding bobbins - the setup is always an ordeal that takes me longer than the sewing.

Ok. So but listen: I look like a Medieval Death Bird. You know what I’m talking about? I tried pinning an alteration to make it less creepy, but Medieval Death Bird is infinitely more easy to breathe in, more comfortable without cloth pressing on your face. I figure the seal at the edges is most important...

...so I’m gonna wear it to work and scare everybody... it may be a bad idea, but I’m gonna...

UPDATE: Ok. Bird Mask of Death was freaking me out. I did a little hand stitching to blunt that point (third photo). I might try my hand at altering the pattern and do another. The only thing is now, looking at the photos, I feel I look like a foo dog...

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47 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

JAileen

Veteran

Boy do I get the emotional exhaustion! Cute dead bird. Why don’t you try Karen13’s youtube tee shirt yarn?

Kathie

Veteran

I’m so glad you combined those two- that’s what I was contemplating, also with shoe laces. So, now you’ve done the work for me:). I think your print hides the death nose part. Or, at least in these pictures, it’s subtle.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Looks great to me, what's the problem ?

kellygirl

Veteran

This one looks terrific! Love
It.

rachylou

Veteran

I’m serious. Medieval Death Bird

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Bonnie

Veteran

I see it! I googled medieval death bird because I didn't know the term. Wow! I got a fascinating history lesson. Have fun with your mask.

Bijou

Veteran

You look cool, and I know if I had to sew a mask it would take far longer and not look anywhere as good as this. Wearing a mask all day must be hard. So great that you are still helping everyone by working in the bakery. I’m sure your customers are so happy to get some freshly baked bread.

deb

Veteran

one cute Medieval Death Bird!!!

Anonymous

It's intriguing and rather alluring! I'm not scared of it at all.

slim cat

Veteran

Very interesting mask! I need to make mine without the machine - by hand, using old pillow covers.

taylor

Veteran

I use my machine so infrequently now, that when I set it up it can be exhausting. It sometimes takes longer than my project for sure
The mask is a masterpiece!

rachylou

Veteran

Bijou - We’ve gotten a lot of nice emails from customers. We serve the celiac community. It’s a little sad - the run on the grocery stores, when normal bread ran out, people cleared the gluten-free aisle. So those who really need gluten-free were out of luck.

Things haven’t changed actually. 28 days and no tp. I paid $9 for a dozen eggs this week. There were two left after I took one.

rachylou

Veteran

Also, I’d like to mention I raided mumsey’s quilt cloth collection for this project. And She Would Not let me have the prettiest material. It’s not enough to make a quilt and has been sitting in the closet for 20 years!

Also, everything but the shoe laces is ancient. Everywhere is sold out of everything! I went through a whole package of bias tape practically to get pieces that weren’t discolored with age. Lol

anne

Veteran

Rachy I get both your emotional exhaustion and your historical reference!
As a coeliac, I am very grateful to you and all those who have kept working to provide GF bread. I have personally not had great difficulty finding it, but I hear of it from others in the GF/coeliac community.

Jane

Veteran

I do absolutely get the emotional exhaustion with sewing machine set up. It gets to me every time. And then long standing fabric stashes and not being able to use something just in case!

It is a great mask! It looks really good!

kkards

Veteran

I like the medieval death bird look lol.

Good for you for making a mask, I’ve got orders in to 2 different places, we’ll see if either arrives before crisis ends.

ChristelJ

Veteran

Both practical and distinctive, I love it!

Another one here struggling with the rarely used machine. Tension is off and I can't seem to fix it. Still looking for the best pattern after making some that don't fit closely enough.

LaPed

Veteran

My social media is full of plague doctor content right now. I'm sure JAileen and other birders will appreciate these. I'm pretty partial to the puffin and the eider myself.

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pil

Veteran

Rachylou, I used the same pattern and made a second one with a shorter ‘beak’. Of course I shortened it too much and found version two to be a bit smothering. Count me as not knowing of the medieval death bird either.

Preppy Pear

Veteran

Great mask! I would never have noticed the pointy-ness had you not mentioned it, but it looks fun and it looks fairly comfortable. I love the fabric, and your “foo-dog” crack made me giggle.

I’m sorry that you and so many other essential workers have to make your own, though. I hope it helps you stay safe. I don’t sew, so I’ve been doing the no-sew folded fabric with hair ties over the ears, which works fine for quick essential errands but not the greatest.

Helena

Veteran

I see no death bird ... I think this is rather pretty? Has social isolation addled my brain...?

Staysfit

Veteran

I am very impressed! It looks great. Stylish Surgeon, or Rogue Robber is what I see, Medieval Death Bird and Foo Dog work too!

Reading about your effort increases my reluctance to dust off my sewing machine! I haven’t used it since DS was in grade and he’s a 21-year old. Bobbins, feet, threading the machine properly, managing to sew in a straight line! I think I have my machines manual someplace. Doesn’t the machine need to be oiled also! LOL! YIKES!

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Anonymous

Too funny La Ped DH wanted to buy one of those masks, I told him no!
Yours turned out way better than mine Rachy! I tried the no sew (which isn't if you want it to stay put) version-and the elastic won't stay on my little ears :/

unfrumped

Veteran

It looks great to me!

BTW, I ❤️ your hoodie.

nemosmom

Veteran

I share the sewing machine setup frustration! You nailed it! I had my last project ready to go - had collected old denim that I was ready to repurpose, but it took FOREVER to set up the machine, load bobbins, find needles, figure out stitches... by the time I finished with the machine, I looked at the pile of old jeans and said, "screw it."

I don't see a death bird at all - I think your mask is great. I love the contrast twist-tie 'pocket'! It looks really cool with your polka dot hoodie!

Kathie

Veteran

Nice modification on the nose. You’ve inspired me- and, thankfully my machine is still set up.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Your chronicle gives me appreciation for every person who has sewn the clothes I own. And some of them had at such a bargain.

I love the pink strip at the top of the mask, very feminine.

karen13

Veteran

You look fabulous! Very professional looking job!

I will never let go of my beloved 50 year old Elna inherited from my mom. DH has occasionally asked me if I want a fancy new computerized sewing machine and I say heck no. Not just the sentimental value (it was my moms) but I can almost thread it with my eyes closed. That much muscle memory.

anyone pulling out a rarely used machine - google the model. There will be a million you tube videos on how to maintain. Clea it out - it is amazing where bits of thread and dust can gum it up. Oil it - find a video. Change to a fresh universal or woven needle. A blunt or imperceptibly bent needle (or using a ball point on wovens, or a woven needle on knits) causes a lot of the stitch problems.

remember - it doesn’t need to be pretty. Although rachy’s is.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

So. We actually have a plague doctor mask. My husband bought it from a leatherworker at the RenFest years ago, and wore it one Halloween, so we have the hat and gown too. You don't how tempted I've been to wear it grocery shopping.

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