A stitching art form from the 19th century, this original Battenberg Lace piece was begun, and never finished… and it’s been in my basement for 20+ years. A shame to cut it up? Perhaps. Or it could sit in my basement for another 20 years.
Imagine, this could have been sewn by someone during the 1918 pandemic! I like that we are now united (stitched together?) by having worked on the same piece (during a time of global crisis). Here’s the final mask, which I spent most of the day making, and process photos below to show you what was involved. It’s not just a mask, it’s a garment.
The outside is linen, inside is cotton, double filtration, stretch lycra ear loops. Must be hand-washed.
This Battenberg Lace Face Mask was included in a show at the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco, Let’s Face It, an international mask design competition. The Museum received 363 entries from 17 countries, with participants ranging from 4 years old and up. Thank you to everyone who participated. Check out the entries in the Global Community Gallery.
“The masks were wildly creative bespoke creations that employed humor, intricate craft, digital design, fashion, uncommon and recycled materials, and social and political meaning to test what a mask can be. The winners were projects that combined multiple elements of craft, form, and meaning to create masks that will provide health and safety while promoting other societal and cultural value in this time where we are at risk of losing so much of who we are. In times of distress like these, it is more important than ever for arts and cultural institutions like MCD to continue to create the space and promote ideas that can shape our collective optimism and the future. The winners of this competition are a varied and inspiring demonstration that this is our charge.” –MCD Let’s Face It jurors Marcel Wilson and JoAnn Edwards
“I was joking that on some Antiques Roadshow program fifty years from now, there will be someone with their extensive collection of hand-sewn masks from the Great Pandemic of 2020. I imagine the future expert gushing over certain examples, such as ‘I’ve never seen so many Maureen Hoffmann masks in a single collection! You can tell they’re from her by the use of vintage materials and the style of the tailoring.’
“This Battenberg Lace example is absolutely STUNNING, and would be the highlight of any Pandemic-related auction.”
C.M.
To create Battenberg Lace, preprinted linen was purchased, with the design on it, to which the person would baste fine ribbons, following along the design.
This was Handkerchief Pattern #8266, which required 12 yards of lace ribbon.
This is the backside, which shows the basting stitches holding the ribbons in place.
After basting the ribbons in place, hand-stitching is added in an orderly spiderweb, from ribbon edge to ribbon edge. This person only got a little of the “spiderweb” done.
I first put iron-on interfacing on the back side, to stabilize and strengthen the fabric and provide filtration for the mask. Since the ribbons were only basted on, I then had to stitch along each edge to firmly hold the ribbon in place.
I stitched around the areas that would be included on the mask. You can see the running basting stitch down the middle of the ribbons.
Here’s the back side, showing my stitching against the interfacing.
I made a half-pattern from TOM BIHN’s wonderful design, out of acetate, so I could see very precisely where and how the Battenberg lined up.
The two halves, cut and ready for sewing.
I used a pearly sage cotton for the inner mask lining.
It was most appropriate, and so beautiful, to use the handwritten identification for the nose bridge detail.
The finished mask is lovely.
“Maureen, I hope you realize that you are making the museum quality pieces that will represent this pandemic in the future!”
P.G.