Sovata Fabric Face Masks

Why I started making them.

I originally decided I wanted to make fabric face masks as I am a disability support worker for my part time job. I care for a very vulnerable client and was stressed about passing the virus on. The organisation that I work for is currently waiting for an order of masks to arrive and we have had no luck finding any locally. I knew I could help buy making some fabric ones but wasn’t sure if they would do anything. After doing lots of reading and talking to people I concluded that a fabric mask is definitely better than nothing and if everyone was to wear a mask we could help slow the spread and lower the curve.

Here is the information I am giving to people when purchasing the face masks plus a collection of links.

SOVATA - Fabric Face Mask

Before you use please wash the mask just to be safe !

Washing instructions:

Warm machine wash in a delicates bag or hand wash, this will stop the elastic getting tangled.

Fit instructions:

Elastic straps are designed to be worn over the top of the head and along the hairline on your neck.

If the straps are loose shorten them by tying another knot. If you would prefer ear loops instead cut the elastic in half and create two small loops.

If your mask is to big or small please let me know and I will make you another one free of charge. All I ask is that your original mask please be donated to someone else.

Please remember that a P2 mask or surgical mask should be your first choice of mask but Data shows that DIY and homemade masks are effective at capturing viruses

Here is some info about fabric masks that might be of interest to you.

·       It’s time to make masks a key part of our fight to contain, then defeat, this pandemic. Masks effective at “flattening the curve” can be made at home with nothing more than a T-shirt and a pair of scissors. We should all wear masks — store-bought or homemade — whenever we’re out in public. (Washington Post March 29/2020)

·       My data-focused research institute, fast.ai, has found 34 scientific papers indicating basic masks can be effective in reducing virus transmission in public. (Washington Post March 29/2020)

·       “Many people have asymptomatic or presymptomatic infections. If they are wearing face masks, it can prevent droplets that carry the virus from escaping and infecting others.” (Washington Post March 29/2020)

·       Based on particle capture and breathability, the researchers concluded that cotton t-shirts and pillow cases are the best choices for DIY masks. (Smart Air March 8/2020)

·       Another study, published in 2013 in the journal Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, found that commercial surgical masks were three times as effective as homemade masks at preventing the spread of the flu. i.e. P2 mask or Surgical mask. (Live Science March 25/2020)

·       It concluded that "a homemade mask should only be considered as a last resort to prevent droplet transmission from infected individuals, but it would be better than no protection." (Live Science March 25/2020)

' Australian researchers have compared home-made face masks with medical surgical masks and found at least two layers of fabric are probably needed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

A study by academics from the University of NSW published in British medical journal BMJ on Thursday found while a single layer of fabric was better than no face covering, two layers performed "significantly better" at reducing the spread of droplets through coughing and sneezing. Sydney Morning Herald -

·       "IMPORTANT: Remember to always wear your face mask in the same orientation, i.e., you should always have the same side facing outward (the contaminated side). Different colors used should help with this. Face masks should be machine-washed frequently to eliminate any residual flu particles, which may be contaminating the outside of the mask. Remove your mask by taking the straps from the back of your head and pull forward — do not touch the material part of the mask. If you do, please remember to wash your hands with soap and water before and after you touch your mask."

·       For individuals not in the medical field, as Live Science has previously reported, the number-one value of a mask is that it has the potential to help prevent you from spreading the virus to others. It is less likely to keep you safe. The best way to protect yourself, if you have the option, is to stay at home. Nonetheless, if you must go out, if you have access to a cloth mask, it may be worth using, according to the instructions above. (Live Science March 25/2020)

Links

https://www.livescience.com/cloth-masks-coronavirus.html?fbclid=IwAR17PpfRds83zFNfchhV6csC4uTKw6KcGdVXR3LgxzAgdfZBAaiWXLvdjGI

https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/best-materials-make-diy-face-mask-virus/?fbclid=IwAR1HEXvZ0yQbIzILb5htOJbC36z1dEBNC9Js5otz9fVRtvlXU6bMgOalTjk

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/03/28/masks-all-coronavirus/

https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2020-03-25/coronavirus-covid-19-face-mask-surgical-mask-protection/12088314?fbclid=IwAR2rmM9fjudd1p9w3NaycIM0HgqQQmcOEZrJQb8oJkEwx-t3bv7x1NVk5ys

https://medium.com/@Cancerwarrior/covid-19-why-we-should-all-wear-masks-there-is-new-scientific-rationale-280e08ceee71

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/multiple-layers-best-when-making-a-fabric-face-mask-20200723-p55ern.html

NEW Wire Wrap Headbands now avaliable

After great success selling my wire wrap headbands at the markets over the last 2 months I have restocked my Etsy store with lost of new colours and styles.

Comfortable, easy to wear a truly great accessorie. For $25 it is perfect chrissy gift for that person who has everything and a great stocking stuffer to boot.

Up Coming Markets

You will find me here over the next month. Looking forward to seeing you all :)

• 4th of October - OLD BUS DEPOT MARKETS - (Canberra)

• 11th of October - ROUND SHE GOES MARKET - (Melbourne)

• 18th of October - MELBOURNE CUP EXPERIENCE - (Canberra)

• 24th of October - OH HAPPY DAY - (Canberra)

• 25th of October - OLD BUS DEPOT MARKETS - (Canberra)

Hustle & Scout Twilight Fashion Market

We just did the Hustle & Scout Twilight and enjoyed see each and everyone of you. A big THANK YOU to everyone who took home some SOVATA. Hustle & Scout its so great, full of music, food, fashion, photographers and the beautiful general public looking to pic up something Handmade. We absolutely love this market.

Check out this sneaky pic of me adjusting one of my SOVATA wire headbands into just the right spot.

Image courtesy of Rebecca Doyle Photography

We will be back again at the next Hustle & Scout at its soon to be released new location and we are looking forward to it. 

Spring Racing Custom Orders

I am now taking custom orders ready for Spring Racing. Contact me via phone or email to organise a consultation to plan your hat, choose colours and make a plan of attack for your perfect Spring Racing hat.

Remember the sooner you contact me the better, as Melbourne Cup is fast approaching and I need 2-3 weeks to get your order to you as I have to order supplies for your hat and will also be working on other orders too. 

Contact me today :)

jade@sovata.com.au

Jade

Shop Handmade

I am very excited to announce that I now have a small selection of stock in Canberra Shop Handmade in the City for the next 3 months. I dropped off 3 beautiful wide brim hats, 3 fascinators and a handful of my new 'Wire Wrap Headbands'. 

I am so excited and nervous about this new experience but hope it opens up a new set of customers that haven't been introduced to SOVATA yet. Remember if you see something you like i can do a custom made order for you.

Happy shopping :)

Jade

Etsy Store

It has been my aim to sell online since I started SOVATA and after much deliberation I decided to open an ETSY store. My thought process is I might get more traffic with people discovering SOVATA than if I sold through my website, whilst I'm starting out anyways.

The only problem with opening the store is that I needed to photograph many many hats and unfortunately I was to be the model. Not feeling comfortable behind the camera, wanting the hat to be the focus and wanting a point of difference to other millinery ETSY stores I came up with an idea. Me to be black and white and the hat to be coloured. I finally found an app that allowed me to colour splash my images quickly and more precisely then some did a quick poll on FB to see what you the public thought and with positive feedback got to work. Weeks later here I am revealing the store and now selling online.

Happy shopping :)

Hobart - Hustle & Scout

The trip to Tassie was a whirl wind. 

It started on a Thursday morning with a quick stop off for coffee. We then drove to Melbourne with a few pit stops on the way. We boarded the Spirit of Tasmania and started our night voyage across the see.  We woke in Tassie to a beautiful frost and chilling temperatures with a picturesque drive ahead of us.

We arrived in Hobart and headed for Salamanca to unpack and set up the stall for the markets the next two days. We then explored the foreshore visiting food stalls and installation art all in the name of the festival 'Dark Mofo'.

The next two days were filled with meeting fellow designers and the wonderful public who came to visit the market. I meet lots of lovely people, sold many creations and gained much need knowledge into market set up and my consumer. It was a wonderful experience.

The Monday morning we woke to chillier temperatures and snow on Mnt Wellington. Monday was our day to see more of Tassie and then head back to the Spirit of Tasmania. We started our day by driving to the top of Mnt Wellington and freezing our faces off, the view was beautiful but the temperature was freezing. We then took a quick trip to MONA art gallery where we speedily explored contemporary art. We drove the scenic road back to Davenport and boarded the Spirit of Tasmania for our night voyage back to Melbourne. This was then followed by a few quick fabric and millinery shopping stop offs and then the final trip back to Canberra started.

The trip to Tassie was fast but well worth it. We saw a beautiful part of Australia, visited friends, met new people, learnt things and spread the word about SOVATA. A trip well worth it.

'Taking Control' Photo Shoot

AMAZING!......@lovegx . You ROCKED the #SOVATA #shoot @easthotel today. Look at the poses. ...... 💕

A video posted by Jade Sargent (@sovata_sargentjade) on Jun 13, 2015 at 12:41am PDT

In early June a photographer, a makeup artist, 3 models and a designer met at the beautiful EAST Hotel in Manuka to capture the SOVATA 'Taking Control' collection.

The wonderful EAST Hotel offered us an apartment and a studio room to use for the shoot. Amazingly they both featured similar colours in the furnishings to those that were used in the collection. The idea behind the shoot was to capture the name of the collection in the shoot, 'Taking Control'. Strong poses, strong angled makeup, using the room, the lighting and the reflections to capture the bold colours and lines of the collection.

The shoot went perfectly - each model captured the feel of the shoot with ease, this was down to the wonderful photographer Bec Fasson of Bad Cat Photography. Bec made all the girls feel comfortable, gave great direction and used her own vision for the shoot to capture unique images. The makeup was tailored to be different for their individual features, Kaarin from Kaarin Helmers - Makeup Artistry did such a wonderful job doing unique, bold and flawless makeup. Independent model Lara Schroeder, Chelsea Marlot of HAUS Models and Georgia Mackay of HAUS Models were flawless in their execution. The models did a wonderful job capturing the feel of the shoot perfectly with beautiful technique and professionalism.

The shoot resulted in wonderful images that captured the feel and colour of the collection perfectly. I cant wait to work with this dream team again. 

Fashfest 2015

After taking a breath and sitting back to reflect on Fashfest 2015 I have one word to describe it 'EPIC'. 

There is soooooo much work that goes into being part of this experience. Months of preparation, long nights, hard work, stress, sacrifice, commitment and passion. Not only by designers like myself but also by the Fashfest team organising the event. 

The day of Fashfest I was a bundle of stress, with nerves, excitement and exhaustion all mixed in. The months of hard work were about to be revealed to you the public and my closest friends and family, all I could think was I hope they like it. I knew this collection was a little different from what I had shown before, brighter colours, different materials and a different approach to my millinery. I loved it but like all artists revealing their work there are nerves when you reveal your inner self. 

Finally it was my turn down the catwalk. The models were dressed just in time (I was still adjusting them 30 seconds before the first models stepped out) and they walked the catwalk. The models absolutely rocked it, lighting it up with their bright colours, unique choreography and bold posing. I didn't get to see it first hand but I was assured it looked amazing.

This was my third year participating in Fashfest and for me it was the biggest, the brightest, the hardest and the best one so far, I loved every minute of it.

Preparing for Fashfest 2015

Excited, anxious, nervous, rushed, and definitely stressed.  While this may be my third year doing Fashfest I still go through all the range of emotions in the leadup to such a big event.  It should all be worth it as it looks like Fashfest this year is going to be amazing.

Taking control:

This year I it has been my aim to really take control of my life and focus on SOVATA - to grow and take the next step. 

It has been a lot of hard work and long hours, but on Friday 15th of May I will be celebrating my birthday in style - as 13 models rock the catwalk with my new collection.