Area woman makes for a good match — prayers and face protection
Deanna Anderson
Cedar County News
COLERIDGE — In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, a local woman has stepped in to help with the shortage of face masks.
Beth Fiscus, Coleridge, is using her sewing skills and knowledge from working in the medical field to make protective face masks.
Over the last two and one-half weeks, Fiscus has made close to 150 fabric face masks, with many being donated to medical facilities in the local area.
“I first thought about doing this when I heard there was a shortage in our area. It is a moral obligation for me,” Fiscus said. “I have the supplies here at our house. I could not let people working in medical facilities go without having protective equipment.”
Fiscus found a pattern and instructions for making the face masks online at The Turban Project. Most hospitals and health care facilities request this type of masks according to Fiscus.
The face masks are made by sewing a layer of interfacing between two nine-by-six inch rectangular pieces of cotton fabric. Strips of elastic, which will wrap around the ears, are sewn on each end. Fiscus likes to use cord or 1/8 inch elastic.
“Cotton material is used for the front and back of the mask. Non-woven polyester interfacing helps filter out the germs,” Fiscus said. “Right now, the difficult part is finding interfacing and the elastic. I use a medium weight interfacing. If we can’t buy the elastic, we can make fabric ties for the face masks.”
It takes approximately 15 minutes to make one face mask. Fiscus works on the face masks when she has some free time or in the evenings after her kids have gone to bed. Sometimes the kids pitch in and help with the work. A rotary cutter is used to cut the material into rectangular pieces. If it is needed, they also tie knots in the ends of the elastic.
Fiscus donates face masks to medical facilities and healthcare professionals in the local area where ever there is a need. If they offer to pay something for large quantities of the masks, she does not turn them down. When she has requests from the general public for face masks, she has asked for a $5 donation to help cover the cost of the materials.
“I want our health care workers to be covered,” Fiscus said. “I want to do something that will help keep people safe.”
Fiscus has added one other important factor into making the face masks.
“While I am sewing, I say a prayer for the person who will be wearing the mask,” she said.
Fiscus works as a nurse at Park View Haven in Coleridge.
She grew up on a farm in the St. James area and graduated from Cedar Catholic High School.
Her husband, Brandon, who is also a nurse, works at the Human Services Center in Yankton, S.D.