Desperate times call for desperate measures...
For the past week I have been suffering through the world's worst sinus infection. I literally could not function. On several occasions I wanted to go take a hot bath to help ease the pain, but the thought of having to walk myself to the bathroom made me borderline suicidal. Although I had a "warmie" (a homemade heating pad that my mom made for my son) I struggled to heat my forehead, cheeks, nose, eyebrows, etc. and still retain the ability to breathe. Not an even trade-off! I vowed that as soon as I could see straight, I would make one for the face, complete with holes for seeing and breathing! Well, here it is!
Read on for a step by step tutorial!
Materials:
flannel fabric (need 2 pieces roughly 12" x 12")
6 fabric scraps - about 2" x 3" should do it
rice - 1 - 3 cups depending on preference
Optional - essential oils/ dried lavender or chamomile etc.
Tools:
scissors
sewing machine (you could hand sew this, but it would be a severe pain)
Step 1: Create The Basic Shape
I took my two large squares together and folded them in half vertically to make sure I only had to make the cuts once and everything would line up perfectly. I placed the folded fabric on one side of my face to get an idea of what shape needed to be cut. {Don't skip this step. The oval shape you envision when you are thinking about the human face is generally inaccurate. It's very two dimensional. When you think about the amount of space the entire side of the face takes up you begin to realize it is not oval at all.}
Step 2: Making Cut-outs (kind of a tutorial in and of itself!)
This is one of those things that appear overly complicated, but in reality is very simple. This technique can be applied to ANYTHING!
You can't really see it here, but I used a marker to mark where the eyes should be. You do that too ;)
Next trace out an eye shape onto two scraps of fabric and pin them down right on top of your marks.
Using your handy dandy sewing machine, zip right on top of the eye shape as shown.
Next, cut out the inside of the eye (mildly morbid) leaving behind about 1/4"
Using a pair of super sharp scissors (need to be able to snip NOT cut) snip the 1/4" around the eye into fringe. You don't have to get too crazy with it. Just enough to go all the way around. Try to get as close to the stitching as you can without accidentally cutting a stitch.
Once the fringe had been cut, your fabric scrap will slip through the eye-hole easily, leaving behind a perfectly clean cut-out.
Flip both scraps through and iron them flat on the reverse side.
See? Nice and neat! Good. Now make a mouth {and nose holes if you care for them}
You'll need to repeat this process for the other fabric square, so make sure you are marking everything precisely... they need to line up.
Step 3: Sew The Mask Together
Line both sides of the mask up as best you can and pin them together with the printed sides facing each other. Sew the outside edge from one side of the jaw up and around the top of the head and back down to the other side of the jaw, leaving plenty of room to flip it right side out again.
Now that it's flipped right side out, line the cut-outs up and pin them again.
Now sew each of the cut-outs together, making sure to back-sew a bit for extra protection on the seams.
Step 4: Fill the Mask
Slowly add the rice and dried flowers if desired. Periodically stop and shift the rice within the mask to test its weight and volume. You want to make sure that there's enough to spread evenly in the mask, but not so much that it's tight and heavy... that's not exactly comfortable on the face.
Step 5: Close up the Mask
Once it's filled to your satisfaction, fold both ends of the fabric pieces and sew them closed.
Step 6: Ahhhhhhhh...
Microwave for a few minutes and ENJOY! (microwave times vary so check it every 30 seconds or so the first time.) You can also store this in the freezer if you prefer a cooling affect. It may be tempting to add an elastic band or ribbon to tie this on, but a) it's really too heavy to be held on by anything like that b) you are supposed to be laying down and relaxing with it and c) microwaves + elastic/ ribbon = disaster... I would think anyway. Let me know if you feel like trying!
OK... so it's mildly creepy looking. Who cares? It feels AMAZING!
If anyone whips one of these up or even just a quick eye mask, send me pics and I'll post them up!