Virginia businesses and communities amp up production of protective face gear.
Photo courtesy Virginia Repertory Theatre.
Across the Commonwealth, clothing companies, other businesses, and legions of home sewers are churning out face masks as fast as they can to meet the critical shortage of masks available to American medical workers and folks following the CDC’s advice to wear masks when going out.
In Richmond, apparel makers Ledbury, Shockoe Denim, and others are converting their workshops from manufacturing shirts and pants to producing medical masks for VCU Health Systems, which plans to procure 75,000 masks. Shockoe Denim is currently producing 500 masks a day, while Ledbury has just kicked off production at their Broad Street workshop and is working on producing 250 masks a day.
“As this crisis hit the States, we, like so many others, asked ourselves what we could do to help,” says Ledbury CEO Paul Trible. “Fortunately, we have the expertise, factories, and supply chain to make a product many desperately need, and we feel grateful to have the ability to help in some small way. It is a sad reality that masks will be part of our wardrobe for some time. This is not just the health systems and essential services; it’s your bank teller, your delivery man, and your barista.”
Photo courtesy Ledbury.
In addition to the production at their Richmond workshop, Ledbury has transitioned their manufacturing partners abroad to producing masks, starting volume production early this week. Capacity was 2,500 units a day this week, and they have the ability to increase to 10,000+ units a day based on need. Ledbury will continue production for the near future to serve the need at hospitals, health systems, and essential businesses.
Also in Richmond, costume designers and fabricators at Virginia Repertory Theatre have decided to use their talents to help the community by sewing medical masks while working on designs for upcoming shows. “We were able to make four dozen masks,” says costume director Sue Griffin. “We always have extra fabric and large spools of the elastic used to go around the ears, so we had the supplies.”
Assistant costume director Sarah Grady and cutter Marcia Miller Hailey joined the action and made a contribution to the safety of both patients and staff at The Virginia Home, a private, nonprofit,130-bed home that provides nursing, therapeutic, and residential care for adult Virginians with irreversible physical disabilities. The costume department is also making two hundred masks for staff at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Julie Kratzer of Midlothian, who ran an Etsy craft store online before opening a coffee business, is the founder of a Facebook group called RVA Masks 4 Health, which has grown to more than 3,800 members since she launched it three weeks ago. Many members are seamstresses who have come together to produce face masks and distribute them to those fighting on the frontlines of the pandemic across Central Virginia.
“Online I began seeing nurses from other states asking for homemade masks and spreading the hashtag #getmeppe. It was only a day or so later that the CDC released the crisis statement that healthcare professionals should use scarves or bandanas as a last resort. I knew I could make something better than tying a bandana to their face,” says Kratzer, adding that she started the Facebook group to “recruit several local sewing friends. I wanted a place for us to connect, share supplies and knowledge, and find the community needs.” The group isn’t tracking its donations, but estimate that they have provided “well over 2,000 face masks to the RVA area.”
In Virginia Beach, London Bridge Trading, a protective clothing company is manufacturing thousands of face masks for Sentara hospitals around the country. Sentara said in a press release that they’re working with several companies who want to help make masks, but are partnering with London Bridge Trading because they can sew the masks to meet certain criteria and specifications needed. Even more unusual is a source of the fabric for many of these masks—hospital bed sheets.
Two Richmond business owners have teamed up to purchase KN-95 medical-grade masks to donate to Richmond area hospitals and healthcare workers in need of PPE. Dina Alan, the owner of Alan Furs & Fine Jewelry, and Cheryl Fornash, the owner of Cheryl Fornash Jewelers, created RVAMasks.com, a non-profit to help with the mask shortage. People can purchase machine-washable, reusable masks made by the seamstresses at Alan Furs, and RVAMasks.com will donate one KN-95 medical-grade mask for every order. “We are committed to donating a minimum of 500, and hope to give many more with the help of others in the community through funds raised through RVAMasks.com,” says Fornash.
#ShareTheGood
Click here for a pattern to sew your own face mask.
