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The Black Swan, gift shop on Wilton Rd., Peterborough, N.H.
Bobbles and Lace, Washington St., Marblehead, Mass.
The-Sew-Op, Phillips St., Wickford, R.I.
West Concord 5 and 10, general store on Commonwealth Ave., West Concord, Mass.

Shops and their Friends Offer Masks for Personal Use and Donation

Looking for a mask for yourself and your family? Why not reach out to your favorite shops and see how they are helping others and offering handmade and manufactured non-surgical masks? Feeling crafty? Maybe you would like to make your own mask. Here is a sizable group of shops and friends of theirs who are chipping in to help people with donated masks, as well as selling masks or mask making kits to locals and others. In Portland, Maine, according to the Z Fabrics Facebook page, an employee, Courtney Lewis has been making masks and offering them for sale at Figgy's Takeout along with a food order. Her masks are $10 each or 2/$18, and (More)

Bobbles and Lace, Newbury St., Boston, Mass.

kids' masks are $6. They request exact change or close to it. Z Fabrics is an arts and crafts store in downtown Portland that can ship fabrics, yarn, patterns and lots more in order to help you craft your way through the pandemic and help others by making masks. They also have pre-arranged curbside pickup. Their colorful, creative patterns from designers using a variety of fabrics will inspire you, plus you will be supporting a small local shop. Remember to practice safe package handling by letting boxes sit for the appropriate amount of time then wiping them off with alcohol wipes or a spray (check CDC, Centers for Disease Control guidelines as research evolves on how the virus spreads on objects and how long packages should sit).

 

In Bath, Maine, Halycon Yarn is shipping online orders of yarn, fiber, equipment and patterns. On Halycon Yarn's Facebook page, they recommend family run local business, Fabric Warehouse as another source for materials needed to make masks for yourself or to donate. Fabric Warehouse has put together kits to make it easier for you. They are located in Auburn, Maine and they have a large selecton of fabrics to choose from at their website. They will also take orders by phone. Outside of Portland, Maine in the town of Biddeford, the company Hyperlite Mountain Gear has switched their manufacturing facilities to making masks using their lightweight, dense weave material normally used for outdoor hiking and climbing equipment. You can order a 5 pack for $40, or get 1 mask for $20.

 

In Providence, R.I. the fabric shop, Kreatelier is using their colorful fabrics to make masks which they can ship to you, or deliver curbside. Their masks are $15 with free shipping. For every 10 masks they sell, they will donate one to a local group. The Brown University Bookstore offers a cotton mask at their website made by Refried Apparel for $5 each. Nearby Bristol Looms specializing in unique handwoven textiles sells print and solid colored cotton masks for adults and children, with a discount for three of their adult masks, plus shipping.

 

Warren R.I. local creative, Shaina Perry of Love Life Gifts has been making masks in a variety of patterns including sports and super hero themed prints. They are available on her etsy shop for $5.95 each, and have yarn loops for around the ears. In Tiverton, R.I. Created Purpose is making cotton masks to donate and you can contribute to supplies at their website. Email them if you need a mask for yourself. Created Purpose sells artisan made apparel and decor.

 

Up in New Hampshire, Portsmouth Fabric has a large selecton of beautiful fabrics, plus supplies, sewing machines and classes. You can find materials to make masks for yourself or for donation. Portsmouth Fabric has donated to Seacoast Mask Makers, a large group of volunteers making masks and donating them to Maine and New Hampshire organizations who need them. Up in Peterborough, N.H. Knitty Gritty Yarn Shop and volunteers are using their crocheting skills to make Ear Savers to help nurses avoid the irritation caused by elastic bands. Knitty Gritty Yarn Shop sells yarns, supplies, patterns and has classes. They are open by appointment in downtown Peterborough. The Black Swan gift shop in Peterborough has also been hard at work making masks to donate.

 

In Southern R.I., The-Sew-Op, a fabric shop in downtown Wickford has masks for $15, and mask kits for you to make your own mask. The-Sew-Op has classes for kids, teens and adults, as well as supplies for sewing and quilting. Also in Wickford, the shop Village Faire which showcases local artists' work is making custom order masks for adults and children for the cost of materials, $6 each. They are donating masks to local nurses too. In Westerly, Just Fabrics has supplies for making masks. Customers are making masks to donate to Westerly Hospital.

 

Sara Campbell shops located in Westerly and Newport, R.I., and Wellesley, Osterville, Nantucket, Chatham, Beacon Hill and Concord, Massachusetts have masks at their website. They have solids and patterns, and several in lightweight summer seersucker cotton. The West Concord 5 & 10 in West Concord, Mass. has supplies for making masks for yourself or to donate.

 

The small local chain, Bobbles and Lace has masks for $16 that you can order at their website. Their boutiques offer fun fashions along with accessories, jewelry and shoes. They are located in Marblehead, Newburyport, Portsmouth and Wellesley, although they are closed for now. Another local chain, Sea Bags has a 5 pack of masks for $45 at their website, though their stock goes first to local Maine organizations, and at a discount to frontline service workers. Sea Bags makes tote bags from recycled sail cloth, plus they have accessories and home decor. Their shops are found in many Scenic Shopping towns, such as Portland, Ogunquit, Boothbay Harbor, Bar Harbor, Portsmouth, Boston, Newburyport, Rockport, Chatham, Oak Bluffs, Newport, Watch Hill, Mystic and more.

 

Based in Greenwich, Ct. and formerly in Georgetown, D.C., the Egg New York brand of children's apparel is sending a free children's mask with your order while supplies last, as well as donating one to children's hospitals. See the Egg New York website for details and products. Ike Behar, the men's clothier in Georgetown, D.C. has $15 masks in paisley prints. Georgetown dress designer, Sonia Garbarino is making custom deluxe masks that are glamorous, creative and beautiful, in addition to the dresses and custom outfits for which she is known.

 

At the Lucky Brand website, you can buy 5 denim cotton masks and donate 5 for $25. The clothing shops, J. McLaughlin and Blank Label are currently sold out of masks, but you can join a waitlist to buy one when they are back in stock.

 

Shopowners far and wide are jumping in to provide non-surgical masks for those at risk, and for all of us. They are using what they have to help out in this time of crisis. Show them some love by buying their masks, donating supplies or masks, or remembering them next time you are shopping for an item they can provide for you. Yarn, fabric, clothing, gift and artisan shops, as well as others, have websites so you can patronize them now and someday, in person when we can travel again on daytrips and vacations to our favorite pretty towns and cities.

 

-M.A. Barrett (May 5, 2020, updated June 15, 2020)

 

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Colorful cotton masks made and sold by The-Sew-Op in Wickford, R.I.
Cotton mask made and sold by Created Purpose, Tiverton, R.I.
J. McLaughlin, Charles St., Beacon Hill, Boston
Brown Bookstore, Thayer St., East Side, Providence, R.I.
Lucky Brand, Newbury St., Boston, Mass.
Sea Bags, Market St., Portsmouth, N.H.
Sara Campbell, Main St., Concord, Mass.
Village Faire, Main St., Wickford, R.I.