Fabric Masks for the Community—A Chronology
Follow us here for this on-going chronology of our mask-making adventures! For the actual mask listings, please go here.
May 30: Masks are officially sold out, and our campaign comes to a close. We donate $1500 more to the Love TPL Community Campaign and Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre Food Security Fund. Thank you for all your support!
April 25: Lichia releases more masks for the May 1st pre-order. Kitty slaves away at her sewing station.
April 24: Kitty was finally able to procure more elastics. Phew! We are now on track for the May 1 batch release.
April 21: Lichia donates $500 from the sale of the masks thus far to the Michael Garron Hospital's Emergency Response Fund to fight COVID-19. Hurray!
April 20: Kitty delivers second batch of masks! Now it is a waiting game to see if elastics that she ordered come on time. Lichia halts pre-orders for May 1 just in case.
April 15: Lichia lists pre-orders for April 20, which sells out within a day.
April 14: First batch of masks is mailed out and delivered. Kitty and Lichia discuss how to procure supplies for the next batch, especially elastics, which is in short supply across the entire province.
April 12: Lichia lists the first batch of masks on the website. They sell out within an hour.
April 11: Kitty and her daughter model the new prototypes. Kitty sews up a storm.
April 10: Kitty redesigns the nose area of the mask for inserting a reinforcement.
April 8: The two friends work out logistics, fabric selections, and Kitty designs the first prototypes.
April 6: Kitty, a fashion designer and Lichia's longtime friend from high-school days, approaches Lichia about a collaboration: making masks to sell, with the goal of giving back to the community. Lichia is intrigued by the idea.
Lichia & Kitty in 2008. Fact: Lichia was one of Kitty's bridesmaids that year.
March 30, 2020: Lichia dusts off her sewing machine and sews a few fabric masks for family members. She posts them on Instagram stories for fun, and immediately receives requests to purchase. She has no plans to sell them or even make more, but she realizes that there's a need in the community for a place to quickly and safely acquire masks.