DIY Surgical Mask for Costume - Tutorial

Kiki wanted to be a surgeon for Halloween this year. It was easy enough to find her some scrubs and a stethoscope but she said she needed a surgical mask to complete her costume.

Here is a tutorial for a realistic looking play surgical mask. This is a one size fits all kind of mask; you just make the straps longer or shorter.


Here is what you will need:

Scrap of white flannel or cotton fabric, 5.5" by 6.75".
1/4" wide white double fold bias tape
White thread


First, cut out your 5 1/2" by 6 3/4" rectangle of white fabric:

To give your mask shape you are going to be pressing in some folds, kind of like accordion folds. Here is a chart with how to fold your mask:

First, using an erasable fabric pen, mark a line 3/4" from the top and 3/4" from the bottom. Mark a line every 3/8" between those lines. Now you will make the pleats in the mask. As marked on the chart, bring the line labeled A to the other line labeled A. Match B to B, C to C, and D to D.

Press each line with a hot iron to set the folds.

Pin the pleats to hold them in place.

Here is what it looks like from the side.

Now stitch across the narrow ends of the mask, like this:

Now cut a piece of bias tape just barely longer than the narrow end. Unfold the bias tape and pin it over the end of the mask, right sides together. Stitch on the fold closest to the edge.

Repeat for the other narrow side of the mask. 

Now trim the seam allowance a bit and fold the bias tape over the seam allowance. Pin well.

Top stitch along the edge of the bias tape. Repeat for the other side.

Trim the ends of the bias tape even with the edge of the mask. Cut two long pieces of bias tape, long enough to tie around the back of your head or around your ears. My mask ties around the ears.

Unfold the bias tape and pin it over the long edge of the mask, right sides together. Repeat for the other edge.

Stitch on the fold closest to the edge:

Now trim the seam and fold the bias tape over the seam allowance. Pin well.

Stitch from one end of the bias tape to the other.

Tie the ends together to fit around your ears or head. That's it! Your surgical mask is done!

Timmy's Teddy Bear - FREE PATTERN and Tutorial

Your Timmy Time plush will need his special teddy bear!

Here is the pattern for Timmy's Teddy. Be sure you print actual size; do not fit to page.

Materials needed:
6" x 12" orange fleece
Tissue paper or coffee filter
Scrap of cream colored felt
Scrap of black felt
3 small buttons
Polyester stuffing
Matching thread

Trace teddy bear pattern onto tissue paper or coffee filter.

Fold orange fleece in half, right sides together. Pin tissue paper pattern on fleece.(This looks like pink fleece but I promise this fleece is orange; the lighting wasn't great).

Stitch on line on pattern, leaving an opening between dots marked on pattern for turning.

Tear tissue paper away. 

Cut out teddy, leaving 1/4" around stitches. Clip corners and curves.

Turn right side out. 

Stuff.

Hand stitch opening closed using invisible stitches.

With a hand needle, stitch across ears and across legs to give dimension.

Sew on buttons for eyes and nose. Stitch a thin strip of black felt under nose for mouth.

Cut 2 circles out of cream felt. Hand stitch onto hands using long, visible stitches.

And there you have it! Timmy's teddy is ready to play!

TIMMY TIME Plush Timmy FREE PATTERN and Tutorial

Here is a free pattern and tutorial. This is a fun project I made for a little girl who LOVES the TV series Timmy Time.

Materials Needed:

1/3 yard imitation sheep wool

1/3 yard black fleece
Tissue paper or coffee filters
2 white ping pong balls
Black and white thread
Polyester stuffing
Sharpie or electrical tape

Difficulty: 3/5

Cost: $$

Here are the patterns. Make sure you print actual size; do not fit to page.

Cut out the following pieces:

Wool:

1 body, cut on fold
1 tail, cut on fold
1 bottom

Black fleece:

1 head, cut on fold
4 ears
2 legs
2 upper feet
2 bottom feet
13" x 9" square of black fleece for arms
2 nostrils
2 eyelids

Instructions:

To make arms:

Trace 2 copies of arm pattern onto tissue paper or coffee filters.

Fold a 13" x 9" piece of black fleece in half, right sides together. Pin tissue paper patterns on fleece.

Stitch on the lines of the tissue paper pattern. Back stitch at each end.

Tear away the tissue paper. 

Cut out arms, leaving 1/4" seam allowance. Clip the corners and curves.

Turn right side out. Stuff arms.

For each foot:

Fold upper foot right side together. Stitch along short side of foot. 

Pin upper foot onto bottom of foot, right sides together. 

Sew all the way around. 

For each leg:

Fold leg right sides together along line marked on pattern. Stitch long side. Back stitch at each end.

Turn feet and legs right side out. Stuff.

Turn under raw edge of upper foot. Insert leg into opening on upper foot with the seam on the leg pointing toward the back and the seam on the foot pointing toward the front to make toes.
Hand stitch in place.

By hand, take a long stitch from top of toe seam to bottom. Pull tight to make indent for toes. Tie off securely.

Repeat for other leg.

For each ear:

Pin 2 ear pieces right sides together.

Stitch around ear, leaving end open for turning. 

Turn.

Turn under raw edges of ear. Pinch to make a tuck in base of ear. Stitch.

They should look like this:

Head:

Fold right side together. Stitch curved sides.

Pinch in corners, centering seam. 

Measure 1 1/2" down from point.

Draw a line across. 

Stitch along line to make boxed corners. 

Turn right side out. 

Stuff head.

Turn in raw edges at top of head. Hand stitch closed with invisible stitches.

For each nostril:

Fold in half, right sides together. Stitch short side.

Turn right side out. 

Roll into a donut shape. Hand stitch raw edges under.

Sew on nostrils. Tie off securely.

For each eye:

Fold eyelid in half, right sides together. Stitch short side. Turn right side out.

Fold in half, wrong sides together. 

Make a running stitch around front of eyelid, just inside the fold. 

Insert ping pong ball. Pull tight around ball and tie securely. 

Using a hand needle, poke a hole in the ping pong ball. Stitch through eyelid and ping pong ball, securing eyelid to eyeball. Repeat three or four times around eye. Or use glue to secure eyelid to ball. 

To make tail: 

By hand, make a long running stitch around the edge of the tail. 

Pull thread tight, gathering into a ball.

Stuff. Tie off securely.

To make body:

With right sides together, match A to A and B to B. Pin well. Stitch from A to B, following the stitching line marked on the pattern.

Match C to C and D to D. Pin well. 

Stitch from C to D. 

Repeat on other side.

It should look like this:

Match E to E and F to F. Stitch center back from E to F.

Position bottom on lower edge of body, matching HEARTs and STARs, right sides together. Pin well.

Stitch around bottom, leaving an opening for the tail and for turning. 

Turn right side out. Stuff body.

Insert tail into opening. Hand stitch in place. Stitch opening closed.

It will look like this:

To assemble Timmy:

With a long needle, take a stitch all the way through head and pull tight to pull in where the eyes will be. Tie off securely.

Position eyes as desired. Stitch in place and tie off securely.

It will look like this:

Hand stitch ears securely in place.

Draw pupils on eyes or cut out pupils from black electrical tape. 

Turn under raw edges of arms and legs. Position on body. Stitch in place.

And here he is!