Would kijiji or next door or such other local community-related contact enablers help one find local sewers(1) which might have the wherewithal and be willing to part with it/them in this restricted time?

Maybe - if their stash was big enough.

I have several spools of varying coloured thread, a few of them new ... but no one here lives anywhere near me, that I know of: jasdip is 50 miles away, no one else under about 120. Iva Kinisch used to, but she moved away several years ago and died a few years ago.

1. That's "sewers" as in "people" - not "pipes"!

ole joyful

Moni, that's a shame! I've been selling stuff on eBay on and off for 17 years and have had minimal issues. But I discovered this week that eBay is no longer taking phone calls. When I called them I was referred to their Help pages. I'm selling off a small portion of my stash of recycled wool fabric for use in rug hooking and other crafts. EBay notified me that someone had asked a question about one of the listings, but when I clicked on it, I was taken back to the original notice in an endless loop. Frustrating! I never did find out what the question was or who sent it, and the listing is still up.

My eBay account is linked to a dedicated bank account in which I keep a small balance for purchases, but I rarely use it because I usually maintain a balance from sales in my PayPal account.

Raven, thanks again for sharing that mask pattern. My son told me recently he likes that one best. It's a great fit.

Dallasannie - you could order sheets online and use them for quilt backing or to cut up for masks. Last month I made a small quilt for my grand daughter's birthday and had trouble finding batting. I went online and googled 'quilt shops near me' and found 2 not too far from me that had batting in stock. If I hadn't found it there I would have kept searching quilt shops until I found one that would mail it to me.

Ravencajun: Can you give us a link to your mask pattern?

Ratherbesewing - Here's the link to Raven's mask https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5894421/mask-pattern-designed-by-a-nurse-super-easy#n=24

I'm a quilter and when I saw that people who sew got on the homemade mask thing I scoffed because they aren't rated for protection against viruses. But my sister who is in the healthcare industry said that they can be used over the ones they use and it keeps them from having to change the good one out so often. So I did my duty and made a bunch for her and my family and some others, too. But they won't protect you, they only keep you from infecting others.

I'm aware the masks provide no coverage. *sigh, again* I was inwardly rolling my eyes the other day while at the big box store buying hardware. All over the place: people with the masks over their mouths, but not their noses. Children with masks on: one near me with her mother telling her (no exaggeration) six times in a row to put the mask over her nose.

Mmmmkaaaaay...If you REALLY think you're at risk, the children should be home, where they're safe. If you think you're teaching them about civic responsibility: then the kiddies should not be out and about in a venue where they aren't conducting business. Just getting out of the house for fun = Fail.

I'm looking forward to the days when we no longer treat one another like lepers. Fun fact: we don't even treat people with Hansen's disease like lepers any more.

Ravencajun, that is the pattern I prefer, but management has spoken.

Personally, when it comes to risking my life, I'm a belt AND suspenders sort of person. I wear a mask to decrease my risk to you, if I'm pre-symptomatic but ill. But I also wear my mask to protect me. Especially to protect me from knuckleheads who don't wear masks when inside public spaces. Even if my mask stops a fraction of the virus they might be spreading, I'd rather not let even that fraction get into my respiratory system. Properly fitted, not fiddled with, properly taken off and washed, doesn't obviate the need for other social/safety procedures, etc etc.

I have made changes to the original pattern. I do the pocket totally different. I cut out a separate piece of fabric that I sew to the right side of the fabric for the piece that is against the face. It looks just like a real pocket and is open on the top. It is perfect for a folded coffee filter. That makes a full 3 layers of fabric plus a double layer of filter. (I was leaving an opening in the bottom to slide the filter between the two layers, that works too) I sew a channel for the nose wire. And channels for the paracord to be fed through. I don't fold the corners in like she does I just sew straight channels. I use floral wire for the nose wires. I found some nice strong ones at Dollar Tree.

A few years ago I bought these for myself and also bought a set for one of my step-granddaughters. She's a science major in college who took sewing in high school every day for four years. Her father told me she seemed more excited by my gift then the expensive one he gave her. :-)

50 Prewound Bobbins

" I also wear my mask to protect me. Especially to protect me from knuckleheads who don't wear masks when inside public spaces.. "

What source do you have for this? Everything I've seen has said that for personal protection from others, anything short of a REAL N95 mask does little or nothing. Especially ineffective are homemade masks.

Raven, what type of cording do you use and where did you get it? Also, how important is the nose piece? This would be for personal use.

You can make the ties from t-shirts. If you have any t-shirts that you don't mind giving up, lay it on your cutting mat and cut the band off of the bottom, then cut strips all the way up at one-inch intervals. Stretch them as far as you can all the way around, cut them to size and tie knots at the ends after sewing them into the masks. I have found a very good video tutorial on how to make these masks on Bonnie Hunter's site if anyone wants it, I'll link it here. Make sure you watch it all the way through before making it because there was one spot where she had to back up and redo something. Mask Tutorial

I have been using 550 paracord I ordered from Amazon. I ordered it by a 100 feet. But it comes in much smaller bundles. Cost is varied by bundle size and the company.

I must have a nose wire to keep my glasses from fogging up.

Thank you both.

Elmer, here's one such article from Yale Medicine. Does it say masks help the wearer alot? No, but they might help a little. Right now, I'm all for even a little help. A more detailed article is here, that I've linked to before.

I've sewn a few masks for DH and me. Enough to wish I hadn't purged so much of my fabric box last year!

Thanks nickel, I looked at the Yale Med article. It does say that anything is better than nothing. That's not an endorsement or specific advice, it's too general. Lots of things are better than nothing, in many contexts. But it does say:

"A mask is meant to protect others, not yourself. "

That is specific.

It also says "While a cloth mask is not perfect, it does reduce air exchange between people. You mostly protect others and you do protect yourself a little bit." editing to add: It also says to follow all the other advice regarding social distancing, etc etc. Don't want to leave anyone with the impression anyone is saying cloth masks are as good as medical grade PPE.

Fair enough - we don't need to but I think we're reading the same stuff the same way. I've seen and heard too many people talking about suiting up with their "protective shields" of homemade cloth masks and gloves that have been reused umpteen times and suggesting that they're ready to walk into a Covid ICU room or the grocery store.

There's far more misunderstanding than understanding among our fellow citizens. And certainly among our elected officials, who honestly mostly have no understanding at all.

Wow, I think we do mostly agree. Stay safe, everyone :-)

The question was asked: Could some of the more local social media help others find what they need? Maybe. I use Next Door, and was posting about my experience with the local Walmart and trying to find flannel. Another user of ND volunteered some flannel that she had, if I wanted it. She was purging her stash. I didn't take her up on the offer, mostly because my 7-1/2 year old grandson wasn't into monkeys. But I thanked her profusely, as that was a kind offer!

Other folks were looking for elastic, since the four stores that carry it were all out (Joann's, Michael's, Walmart, and the local sewing store). Someone else volunteered the information that a local upholsterer was selling some 1/4" elastic, and yet another person gave the name of a good eBay seller with it at a reasonable price. All this was on Next Door.

I've had no issues with eBay in the 20 years I've been on that (pretty much right after they started). I check ratings consistently. That's important! I've also purchased on Etsy, especially lately, and have had stellar service from all the sellers I've dealt with there. As for Amazon and Paypal, they are great to work with. But I do agree with the others who recommend using your CC rather than your bank account on PayPal. Much safer!

Donna

Nextdoor has been a great resource for me also. I have used ebay over the years for various products and I have never had a problem. That's my personal experience. I have my PayPal linked to a credit card I use only for online purchases.

I feel for you. It is very frustrating not to be able to go into a craft store and check out the merchandise/formulate ideas.

DD and I did a Michael's curbside pick up a few weeks back. It was great, but felt very limiting too. There's something about the creative process that flows a little better in those spaces.

A couple of weeks ago, DD wanted to sew a pillowcase (she's in jr. high and just learning how to sew, even though I am an avid sewer at times). We looked at Joann's online and found so little fabric available. There seemed to be no good way to reference what was available at our local store for pickup, without just trial and error- which yielded very little, so we gave up. Thankfully she was more than happy to take some of my shrinking stash. It worked out... for now.

It's probably not great on ebay right now with so many people seeking supplies, but I've had a lot of luck there in the past. Much of what I buy there is new. I have a few rules of thumb about buying- know what price is reasonable, check the seller rating (and number-- and make sure many of them are sales), and check the estimated arrival date. I also tend to buy less expensive items on ebay, so taking a chance on a $10 purchase is not real stressful.

Homesew.com is a great website for seeing a d quilting supplies. They are located in PA. I've been shopping with them for years. They are very reliable.

I feel your pain. Luckily our local fabric shop has a store on Ebay. Excellent place to order from. It's name is Fields Fabrics.

As for mask's, keep up the good work. They Do offer protection, that I know. We are not trying to replicate a N95 mask's, homemade mask's are simple isolation mask's nothing more. We do not surgical mask's or N95 mask's for our daily living. There are 3 levels of mask's. Isolation, Surgical and N95. I worked in Central supply for 15 years and know the difference. Sew on my friends.

I ordered 2 spools of elastic on April 4. I just received them this week. UGH

" There are 3 levels of mask's. Isolation, Surgical and N95. I worked in Central supply for 15 years and know the difference. "

You worked in supply? Handling boxes, ordering items and filling department supply requests or managing people doing same doesn't impart knowledge of how masks (not "mask's") function and what any particular one does or doesn't do. Sorry.

Oh Elmer, I am so sorry I disagreed with you! God of knowledge.

Not hardly but my reaction was an obvious one to make. If your supply function also handled scalpels, do you think you know which ones to use when and why? Or xray film (back in the day), you know how to read them?

I'm surprised Ebay wasn't helpful. I frequently buy on ebay, yes many items are new. Years ago I didn't receive a computer mouse I'd ordered. I notified ebay, my payment was reversed, the seller was banned.

Last fall I bought NYDJ pants (new), I got notice it was delivered by USPS, I went to mailbox, nothing, looked around my box, nothing. I immediately contacted the seller, she said she couldn't do anything for two weeks, but she had another pair of pants in my size and would remove them from ebay to hold for me if I didn't locate my order. I contacted my PO, he was off the day of delivery but was helpful. I suspected my neighbor received them but was out of town. Finally over a week later my neighbor came walking up with my package. I immediately told the ebay seller all was good and the pants fit great, she could sell the other pair.

A month later I ordered additional china dinner plates to match my set on ebay, Sure enough, I got notice it was delivered, again the PO placed the package at my neighbor's gate. I rushed to get it, worrying my neighbor's security camera showed me stealing her package in front of their gate.

All this to say, I love ebay, buy there frequently, I only buy from users with lots of good reviews. There are many small businesses on there. I see sellers specialize in one or two products, like the NYDJ seller, she must have a contract with NYDJ to sell their overstock or something.

I find the iffy people on craigslist and rarely use it.

Anytime I search for anything on eBay I set the filter for only in the US. I will not order anything from other countries it takes way too long to get it. There are many filters to use to help in your search. I always check the filters when searching any sites.

On ebay I also always check the sellers ratings.

I had a different experience on a one-off purchase. We have one device that works best with an old style of earbud. The earbuds are used daily and intensively and they need to be replaced regularly. Because of the wear and tear, we use inexpensive ones - the sound quality doesn't matter as it would with high quality music.

The Skull Candy brand model we'd come to prefer was discontinued. I looked and looked and found that a couple of different enterprising souls in China had bought remaining supplies and were offering them at a fair price on Ebay. They were honest in saying that because the shipment would go by mail, delivery would take 3-5 weeks. We were in no hurry.

I bought two dozen, they arrived as advertised. It was a case of getting something from abroad that wasn't otherwise available here. For other things, I guess it would depend.

I still look at Ebay with skepticism and I'd never use it regularly for things I can get from other sources.

I just ordered some zippers from Online Fabric Store, but I don't know how long they will take to get to me, and some I ordered an assortment from Amazon that was very cheap. I know I'll end up with a lot more than I will need, but at least I will have a supply. Fortunately, I already have a good supply of thread and elastic. I bought the zippers to make pillows and pillow covers. Soon I will have to buy more pillow forms.

I ordered 10 of those squeezy cord stopper barrels from Amazon a few days ago. They said expected delivery between May 18 -20, but they came today. I think Amazon has been lowering their own bar a bit much lately.

I'm making a shirt for my brother today, and I was wondering where I could buy buttons. I do have enough for this shirt, but that will be all I have, and I might want to use different buttons.

Any good sources for buttons? I prefer 15mm - 5/8". They can be black, white, or MOP. I am using black for the moment - the fabric is a black and white print. I ordered some from Etsy, but that is not a reliable source, I think, and I will getting a mixed bag, and so I don't know how many will match.

Wawak has a website, and would be happy to send you buttons. Checking the website this morning, the charge is $5.89 for an order under $99. 5/8" = 24L in size. No real MOP, but fake pearl or Akoya shell are available.

https://www.wawak.com/search-results/?q=24L%20buttons

I was watching a vlog this week, and the personality mentioned someone trying to make a large purchase from her through Paypal. Except - he said "paypal wasn't working from his end." Could he just give her his cc over the phone? When she called Paypal to check on a procedure like that, she was informed that Paypal will not resolve disputes when a card is taken over the phone. Be cautious.

I had a huge stash a couple years ago. I didn't go through Ebay for a couple reasons. The "stash" as it was, was not totally pristine: smoke free home? Check, but I have cats. I couldn't imagine the hassle of accruing a decent rating if someone (gasp) found a cat hair in his/her fabric. I don't know if others selling off their stashes would be as discerning. Maybe, but mine went mostly to Salvation Army. Last spring another box was sold with other craft items on Facebook Marketplace. Much easier, and no commission to Ebay.

Despite all of the lovely comments, it remains almost impossible to buy the normal sewing notions and such. This has got to be putting a nail into the coffin of the garment sewing business. It was already almost at the end of it's life.

I am through making masks and I just want to continue along the path of sewing a few simple garments.

None of the old fashioned, structured things that require buttons, zips, interfacings, etc are going to be on my agenda. That is not much of a sacrifice for me because I have all ready simplified my styles.

But, I need some more pins, and could use a few more packages of sewing needles and a few spools of basic, but good quality, threads. These are all small things.

Having to deal with an unknown seller, lack of choice, and ordering only to have it ship sometime in the future, if at ll, is daunting. That is much too much to deal with for such small purchases.

I don't think that it bodes well for the garment sewing business.

I have heard that there have been a number of sewing machines sold in the past few months. I expect most of them will never be used much again once this mask making business fades into the past.

The Joanns store in my area was a horrid disaster before the virus apocalypse . It was already understocked on the basic notions. It was a disastrous mess with stuff piled everywhere and shelves left unfilled and walls full of cheap fleece. Stil, it remained the only place to get any of the small mundane supplies. Sometimes you had to pick them up off the floor of the aisle.

Someone above mentioned looking for buttons. Even before this, the button selection was pretty darned pathetic. I remember a time when buttons were plentiful, varied and were well stocked in most stores. They became very limited in choice and they got to be quite an added expense for any garment. The older more old fashioned fabric stores even had a button counter where you could buy buttons with the help of a counter person. The buttons were sold individually and they were in drawers behind the counter. The same with trims and such. They were sold from behind a counter. Then it all went to prepackaged junk.

Gonna try to order some thread from Amazon, but it does not look very promising.

If anyone is interested in buying an established fabric store in a pleasant east coast college town, message me. Seriously. The owner of our local fabric shop is ready to retire and is looking for someone to take over her business. It's a store any of you would like to shop in, I think: large varied stock, well organized, good customer base. I know it's a long shot, but you never know unless you ask.

I ordered buttons from Etsy, and they shipped on May 16 but have not yet arrived. They are scheduled to be here between May 19 and May 23, and so they still have two days left in that window. I hope they arrive today, as I am ready to put them on the shirt.

I got all the zippers I ordered yesterday.

If you need outdoor fabric, Outdoor Fabric Central has the best selection of Sunbrella fabric. It is not the cheapest, but the prices are still okay, and at least they had the shade of orange that I wanted. I received delivery from them in two days, and now that I have the zippers, I can make the outdoor pillows that I want for my patio. I think the orange will make it a lot more cheerful. I already have turquoise pillows that I made.

I know that home sewing is an important and beloved activity for some people but I think reality is that it's not a growing field. It's a shrinking market. Because of that, retailers who offer supplies and other goods (including sewing machines) will continue to close in the future. Larger and online sellers may remain but it won't be as it's been in years past.

I know of a few stores in my area that have closed in recent times. One closed, got reopened after a few months by a new owner, and closed again 6 months later.

Elmer, you are right that is a shrinking market, for sure. I just wonder what is to become of the big pattern companies that have been around for the at least 100years. And, what will become of all those ridiculously high priced sewing machines that still are being sold and the companies that sell them?

The fabric stores have just about all closed with the exception of those that cater to the quilt making folks.

I am of the fading generation and will not make a good customer in my remaining years.

I have curtailed my buying of anything and I only want a few simple, well made garments from more natural fibers.

There are still any number of people who are sewing and posting and sharing online. These are the die hard folks who have the time and. money and desire to source supplies. Australia seems to have a still alive community of people who sew garments, and who share online. There are also a number of independent pattern companies in Australia. Some of the Australians will travel to to Indonesia and those parts of the world where there are still some fairly exotic fabrics to still be had.

Those independent pattern companies have put out some really nice and progressive patterns, whereas the old grand dames of the pattern world seem to just be repeating and reissuing things from the past. And, the pattern books have shrunken down in size.

There are a couple of sewing blogs that I have been following for many years. One is in Australia and one is a lady from Florida. They are both lovely and very accomplished at it.

The lady in Australia sews for herself and her family and is amazing at what level of accomplishment she has achieved. I always enjoy checking in to see what she has been up to.

The lady in Florida is also a very accomplished sewer. She keeps her private life private but she seems to sew only for herself. She is also prolific and she must have rooms full of clothes by now. She is probably in her 70s and I wonder just where does she wear all these clothes. She seems to have time and income to source what she needs.

Garment sewing used to be what so many did as a part of everyday life. Fabric stores were everywhere. That is dying very quickly and almost gone, gone, gone.

Joanns will probably go more toward becoming one of those that offers materials, equipment and space for people to do things like sew. Joanns had started down that road before this and, if they continue, that will probably be the way they go.

So many of those machines that got sold to make masks are probably going to be quite idle once this severe wave passes. I will bet that a lot of them were those cheap ones from Walmart and such.

Those super expensive machines that sell for thousands of dollars are going to be nothing more than expensive door stops if there is nothing to sew with. Joanns was already full of junky fleece and awful synthetic knits and cheap piecing cottons. There was very little there that was worthy of good sewing skills. I remember when it was a valid and exciting place to shop. They are almost worthless now except as a place to buy thread and few basic supplies. But, they are the ONLY source for such small and mundane supplies. That gives the merchant merit beyond what they actually deserve.

Wawak.com has been the quickest and most reliable online retailer so far. Got my order in 3-5 days. Another fast retailer is hartsfabric.com.

Onlinefabricstore.com was the slowest; I ordered May 12 and received it June 1st. All things considered, the wait was worth it for the price.

Sewingpartsonline.com was good, too, but I would check wawak first.

All stores charged $4 to $7 shipping for orders below $100.

That's great info! Thanks Elizabeth

I still can't get Wawak to work on my computer here. Maybe their site will work on my computer in L.A.

There are quite a few good fabric stores in Los Angeles, including F&S Fabrics and Mood, although I don't go to Mood that often, partly because I don't like the neighborhood (They used to be on La Cienega, and I was fine going there) and partly because I live much closer to F&S. There are a number of fabric stores in downtown Los Angeles in the garment district, but I really prefer not to go there. I also found a great fabric store in Rome, Italy, but it was expensive.

I'm in New England, though fabric shopping in Rome sounds lovely.

Hm, I'm not sure if this helps, but I also thought the Wawak website didn't work. I had completed the order form, clicked 'submit' and nothing happened for about 10 minutes. I walked away from the computer, had lunch, and sometime while I was eating the page responded.

You can phone Wawak, and it's a much better experience. I agree, their online order system leaves much to be desired. You can request a catalog.

good to know, thanks ct

I already have some Wawak catalogs, and so I will call them the next time I want to order from them. I plan to go to F&S in West L.A. next week, but I might not get everything I need there. I need more interfacing, and they should have that, at least. I also need some large buttons, and F&S has a great selection of those. I also need at least one or two pillow forms plus some shirt fabric.

F&S is not completely open yet, and so I ordered the interfacing on line. I also do have some large buttons I can use, and so I can wait to get any more of those. I ordered the pillow forms as well and will wait before getting more shirt fabric. I am considering ordering fabric from Spoonflower, and if I find the time, I will create some fabric designs myself. Actually, I have already created some fabric designs, but I have to put them into the right format for them to be used. I don't have the software in Cathedral City to do this - only in L.A., and I won't be here long enough to complete that project this time.

Designing your own fabric is a neat idea.

I saw some really cute skunk fabric yesterday, but it wasn't the type of fabric I needed. I'm looking for super cute fabric for face masks. Since everyone is physically going back to school and work, I decided to make masks that are at least fun.