Hi Grammy
Dublin Core
Title
Description
A letter from the submitter (Ellen Cecil-Lemkin) to her grandmother giving her masks and instructions on how to sew them.
The submitter provided the following about the artifact's history:
1. Tallahassee, Fl
2. Ellen Cecil-Lemkin, 5/3/2020
3. Paper, black ink
4. Not too long before I wrote this letter, the CDC reversed its position that people should be wearing masks. Once that happened, I started using some cotton fabric I had lying around and making masks on my sewing machine and giving them away. My grandmother taught me how to sew, so I sent along these instructions, a couple of masks for her and my grandfather, and some hard to find materials so she could also work on distributing them.
The submitter provided the following about the artifact's history:
1. Tallahassee, Fl
2. Ellen Cecil-Lemkin, 5/3/2020
3. Paper, black ink
4. Not too long before I wrote this letter, the CDC reversed its position that people should be wearing masks. Once that happened, I started using some cotton fabric I had lying around and making masks on my sewing machine and giving them away. My grandmother taught me how to sew, so I sent along these instructions, a couple of masks for her and my grandfather, and some hard to find materials so she could also work on distributing them.
Creator
Ellen Cecil-Lemkin
Source
Ellen Cecil-Lemkin
Publisher
Unpublished
Language
English
Identifier
Coverage
2000-2024
Letter, Message, and Announcement Item Type Metadata
Genre
letter
Material
unlined paper, pen ink
Circulation
Person to Person (analogue)
Linguistic Text
5/3/2020
Hi Grammy,
Here's a couple of masks for you and
Pop. You can adjust the fit (it should
be snug on your face, covering your
mouth & nose) by untieing or cutting
the straps & retieing them. Once you
have it on, it's important to not
touch the cloth covering your face.
It's acting as a filter & you can
get germs on your hands that way.
After wearing, remove by only touching
the straps. You can wash it w/ your
laundry or soak it in a diluted
bleach solution (1 quart water to 1
teaspoon bleach) for 5 minutes &
rinse w/ fresh water for 10 seconds.
Its important to clean it after each
use.
The rectangle mask is very easy to
make. You need:
2 - 7" by 9" pieces of fabric [underlined] cotton [underlined]
4 - fabric ties, approx 20" long
[underlined] or [underlined]
2 - 8" elastic bands
After you cut the fabric, attach the bands
or fabric ties to the 'right' side of one
of the pieces of fabric using pins.
Then, pin the other piece of fabric -
right side to right side - on top & pin
the 4 sides. Sew around the edges,
leaving a 1.5" gap. Flip the fabric [arrow to other side of page]
[Back of page:]
[top line cut out of picture]
along the edge. And, ta da! You've
made a mask!
I'm including some elastic for you to
use. I bought 100 yards before it
became particularly hard to find in
stores. Now, I have too much & not
enough fabric.
I miss you and Pop. I can't wait
till we can see you again and
you can hold Harrison.
I think about you every time I make
a mask. Thank you for teaching me
how to sew. [drawn heart]
Love,
Ellen
Hi Grammy,
Here's a couple of masks for you and
Pop. You can adjust the fit (it should
be snug on your face, covering your
mouth & nose) by untieing or cutting
the straps & retieing them. Once you
have it on, it's important to not
touch the cloth covering your face.
It's acting as a filter & you can
get germs on your hands that way.
After wearing, remove by only touching
the straps. You can wash it w/ your
laundry or soak it in a diluted
bleach solution (1 quart water to 1
teaspoon bleach) for 5 minutes &
rinse w/ fresh water for 10 seconds.
Its important to clean it after each
use.
The rectangle mask is very easy to
make. You need:
2 - 7" by 9" pieces of fabric [underlined] cotton [underlined]
4 - fabric ties, approx 20" long
[underlined] or [underlined]
2 - 8" elastic bands
After you cut the fabric, attach the bands
or fabric ties to the 'right' side of one
of the pieces of fabric using pins.
Then, pin the other piece of fabric -
right side to right side - on top & pin
the 4 sides. Sew around the edges,
leaving a 1.5" gap. Flip the fabric [arrow to other side of page]
[Back of page:]
[top line cut out of picture]
along the edge. And, ta da! You've
made a mask!
I'm including some elastic for you to
use. I bought 100 yards before it
became particularly hard to find in
stores. Now, I have too much & not
enough fabric.
I miss you and Pop. I can't wait
till we can see you again and
you can hold Harrison.
I think about you every time I make
a mask. Thank you for teaching me
how to sew. [drawn heart]
Love,
Ellen
Addressee
"Grammy"
Files
Citation
Ellen Cecil-Lemkin, “Hi Grammy,” Museum of Everyday Writing, accessed April 30, 2024, https://museumofeverydaywriting.omeka.net/items/show/1586.