900 Handmade Cloth Masks – Marvelous Contribution from a 14-year-old Girl “I would like to give a lot of cloth masks to those who really need them.”

Hime Takimoto (left) was commended for her great contribution by Mr. Shimada (right), the President, University of Yamanashi (University of Yamanashi)
Click here to view the Spanish version.

Being concerned about the current situation that masks are in short supply due to the spread of the new coronavirus, a 14-year-old girl made 900 cloth masks by herself and gave them to Yamanashi Prefectural Office and a university.
IAUD would like to introduce her great contribution.

Her name is Hime Takimoto who lives in Kofu-city in Yamanashi Prefecture. She started making cloth masks from the middle of February 2020 as she had become aware of the serious situation that those who were really in need of masks could not purchase them. She bought necessary items such as cloth, gauze, rubber strings and so on, with her allowance and sewed masks on machine, disinfecting her hands.

On 17th March, she gave 612 cloth masks to Yamanashi Prefectural Office. Each mask was sent with her message card, which says “I would be very happy if I could be of any assistance to you.” These masks were sent to facilities for the elderly and children and made a lot of people very happy. Her contribution drew attention and was widely reported by the media.

On 15th April, she gave 250 cloth masks to Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, hoping that those masks would be reserved for healthcare workers.

Her contribution has not been completed yet. In response to a lot of requests from people who wanted to know how to make masks, she made 1104 sets of a handmade kit which contains cloth, rubber strings, a pattern with her original instruction and gave them to Yamanashi Education Board on 18th May, 2020. These kits will be sent to public high schools and the students will make masks using them. The masks made by the students will be sent to social welfare facilities.

She says “I would like to keep trying to help many people.”
She would like to send a lot of masks to as many people as possible. She also hopes that a lot of people can make masks by themselves. She kindly gave us her original instruction of making cloth masks. Furthermore, she translated it into English by herself, hoping it will spread to the world.

Hime’s Mask　While staying home　Let’s try!!!

This is an original pattern I made. Please use it and make one! Hime

1. Cut 4 sheets of cloth into a pattern.
2. Align the 2 sheets which will become the front of the mask and sew along the dotted line.
   * Make 2 pairs
   * No reverse stitch
   
3. Open the 2 pairs made in "2", align them with the outside and inside facing, and sew along the dotted line.
   * No reverse stitch
4. Turn "3" inside out and make it neat.
5. Sew the edge along the dotted line with a sewing machine.
   * No reverse stitch
6. Make tunnels for the elastic straps to pass through by folding both ends in enough to allow the elastic straps to pass through and sew along the dotted line.
   * Use a reverse stitch at the beginning and end.
7. Put the elastic straps through the tunnels made in "6", tie the ends of the straps, and slide the knots inside the tunnels. Your mask is complete.