What about those masks?

I mentioned in yesterday’s blog post, about the masks that my dad asked me to make, but I didn’t finish, because I got on a facebook stalker rant.

Will I wear a face mask? I suppose I will, if the situation warrants it. One crafter got an earful from an Instagram blaster (those people who live only to post negativity on strangers’ feeds) saying she shouldn’t be trying to sell her cloth face masks. Why the heck not?

This is a soapbox for another day, but this goes back to the age old opinion that if you know how to sew, you ought to be willing to do it for free for those who don’t.

No. You don’t have to. I don’t go to a lawn service and ask them to mow my yard for free, because they have equipment and know how to mow so well. I don’t walk into a store and ask for everything to be free, because obviously, the store is great at procuring goods.

If it is on your heart and in your mission to sew face masks (yes, yes, yes…they are not medical grade, never will be, and yes, yes, yes… they are really to protect others from your spit, not so much the other way around and yes yes yes yes…your BEST defense against this Covid19 virus, is washing hands with soap and water while you sing the alphabet song and keeping your distance. Okay… disclaimers present) where was I? If you want to make hundreds and donate them, do.

But, here’s where I get my hackles up. When some negative, ignorant person, sitting behind a screen tells someone they shouldn’t get compensated during a crisis? Again, I say…why the heck not? It’s their time, they bought the fabric and elastic, and they have bills to pay too.

That’s my soapbox for April 7. If you want to sew and donate, do. But, if you want to sew and sell, be proud of that. You should be compensated for your time and materials. If someone says you shouldn’t, that’s their perspective.

I will say, from a marketing perspective, don’t overstock your etsy shop with masks. This time will pass. And unlike the memes that say we will all be changed after this, I don’t agree. I think those who take something from it, and decide to change, will. Others, once the crisis is over, will gradually go back to the same way they lived before. It’s always a choice.

My last soapbox on this will “air” tomorrow. It’s regarding the meme telling quilters that finally, they are using that stash. Oh, it’s a good thing I’m all alone here on my blog. And I don’t swear. Not out loud.

Your friend,
Anne Dovel