Making Masks

Early March, Jim and I enjoyed a nice meal out on Main Street in Woodland. We didn’t know at the time that we were enjoying our last day out for a long while. Reluctant to go home yet and looking for entertainment, Jim spotted the Sew and Vac shop sign. He said let’s go look at sergers. My old serger quit working over 20 years ago and not having done any real sewing in years, I didn’t think I needed one. But it sounded like fun, so we entered a little shop packed to the brim with machines.
In between helping other customers, in a light Russian accent the busy shop owner knowledgeably demonstrated serger features of models both plain and fancy. His enthusiasm infected me with an unexpected desire for a new serger. Mentioning he could take my old serger in trade, he cinched the deal. I put the new serger on a side table in my dining room not thinking about when I’d get around to looking at it.
It’s hard to believe that a little over a month later, my lovely little serger is working “smooth as butter” making masks for family, friends and neighbors. After perfecting my pattern and technique, I‘ve settled on a quick version, churning out face masks by the dozens. I donate them to essential workers, at the farm stands, at the food bank and shelter. (As they must turn away clients who don’t wear face protection, our Yolo Food Bank tries to provide one if clients show up without.) Sometimes I think a higher power guides our steps. My new serger suddenly arriving at this time certainly feels serendipitous.