Photo: Tiddbits Facebook

By Shane Clausing

GP Mask Making

Grande Prairie businesses and individuals helping make masks for community

Apr 18, 2020 | 5:00 AM

Local businesses and citizens in Grande Prairie are working together to make masks for their community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the last month, several businesses and individuals across Grande Prairie have begun to hand-make masks.

EverythingGP caught up with some local businesses and individuals that are making masks and asked why they decided to do this.

“I do a lot of custom sewing to begin with and I had a request from a friend to make some masks,” said Lara Tidd the owner of Tiddbits a shop that normally hand makes quilts. “I searched a bunch of patterns and found one that works for us and just started mass-producing. I just kept on getting calls and messages for the need for them.”

“I have an online swimwear and competitions bikini business and a couple of my clients asked me if I could make some masks, so that’s how it started,” explained Sarah Hadden, who up until now had never attempted or created a mask. “I went on Pinterest and YouTube and watched a few videos and made a couple up. They turned out really well and that’s just how it got going.”

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Tidd and Hadden said that it takes them between 15-20 minutes to complete a mask. Both have mostly sold their masks on Facebook and Instagram. They both say that as word has gotten around on social media, the calls and messages for masks continue to grow by the day.

So far Tidd says that she’s made 100 masks, while Hadden has created 400 masks.

Masks made by Sarah Hadden. Photo: Sarah Hadden

When it comes to producing the masks, both have also had help from family and friends.

Tidd has her kids helping her, while Hadden has made her boyfriend transition from his woodworking hobby into the sewing room.

Both Tidd and Hadden say that they want their masks to help those who could really use them at this time.

“We are offering our masks for free if somebody in the community has lost their job or financially can’t afford them,” said Hadden. “We want to get to a point where we can catch up with all of our orders and start donating to the hospital or to somebody that needs them,” Hadden adds that she and her boyfriend are planning on making another 150 masks this weekend.

Tidd says that she is also donating masks to those in need. One of those places is to a hospital in Vancouver where her friend works. She is donating 10 masks to help some of the staff there.

However, the masks sent will be more for personal use, as the hospital won’t allow staff to wear custom masks on site that aren’t medically approved. She adds that she contacted the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Grande Prairie, however, they were unable to accept non-AHS approved masks.

Both are selling their masks with prices ranging between $7-$10.

Information for the Tiddbits masks can be found here. Hadden’s masks can be found here.