Sports fans are snapping up cloth face masks adorned with their favourite team logo.
“If you have to wear a mask, you might as well wear something you like,” said Lorraine Marsh of Warman. “I’m an Oilers fan myself, but as long as we can get the material, we’ll make masks featuring any team, even Montreal.”
Marsh, a retired nurse who lives in Warman; and her sister Joan Classen of Rosthern; have been sewing cloth face masks for customers since mid-March.
“We call ourselves the ‘Bag Ladies’ and we have a facebook page,” said Marsh. “We made cloth bags that we sold at farmers’ markets, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, all of a sudden we had nowhere to sell the bags.
“So we decided to start making face masks because lots of people wanted them. I found a pattern and modified it a bit to suit what I thought it should be. I used to be a nurse at the University of Alberta in Edmonton so I know a bit about masks.”
The masks are made from washable cotton material, and while they have a variety of colourful patterns, those featuring professional sports teams’ logos are among the most popular.
“Unfortunately, it’s pretty much impossible to find any material now with the Roughriders logo on it,” said Marsh. “It’s also getting hard to find Toronto Blue Jays patterns, as well as Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks. There’s a lot of demand for masks in Vancouver and Toronto.”
Marsh said she’s found two suppliers, but the shipments are becoming more irregular.
“I have Flames, Oilers, Jets, Flyers, Canadiens and Senators material, but once I run out of those, that might be it for a while,” she said.
The ‘Bag Ladies’ have made hundreds of face masks in both adult and children’s sizes. Marsh said it’s a rewarding endeavour because it’s fulfilling a need during a very uncertain time.
“With some of the restrictions set to be loosened in May, there’s going to be more demand for face masks,” said Marsh. “I noticed that Costco shoppers have been told they will all have to cover their mouth and nose with some sort of mask before they can enter the store.
“I’ve also seen pictures of some people not wearing their masks properly. They’re only covering their mouth and not their nose. That doesn’t do much except make it hard for lip-readers to tell what you’re saying.”
People looking to contact the ‘Bag Ladies’ to order a face mask can contact them through their facebook page.