Concord Seamstress: Making Cloth Coverings The Right Thing To Do

CONCORD, NH — As the state of New Hampshire gets ready to reopen for business in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, on a number of different levels, more and more people are going to be looking to access masks or cloth coverings, which are being requested in some settings and are a mandatory requirements in others.

The cloth coverings, it's important to remember, are not to protect you from COVID-19 — wearing them is about shielding others from you, since many people are asymptomatic and carriers, but may not know it.

But where can you get them, especially with limited supplies all over the place?

Regina Hawley of Allison Street has been sewing cloth face coverings and placing them outside of her home, for free, for weeks but she quickly runs out. Not long after she began producing them, Melissa Lewis, a seamstress, began posting on the NextDoor app that she was creating them, too.

Here's 5 Questions for Melissa Lewis:

Can you give me a bit of professional background please?

I have been sewing for almost 10 years. I make mostly eco-friendly items and children's clothing, but I have a wide variety of products that I sell in my website. I am a wife and stay at home mom of 4. Have loved being able to run my business from home and be home with the kids full time.

Why are you creating these masks for people?

I am creating these masks because I feel it is the right thing to do. I am a seamstress, I sew for a living, and I love what I do! I love being able to help people, to donate to the community, and to know that I'm keeping my local community safe from the virus.

I love the email moniker “bowutifulbows” … how did you come up with that?

I started out making bows over 10 years ago. The name came from my husband, Josh, it was a business name that just clicked. It started with ribbon bows and then cloth bows when I had my first daughter, Adreanna. I wanted her to have cute little hair accessories and headbands! I was a stay at home mom so I knew I had the time to learn and I could save money doing so. That turned into me really loving it, so I started making to sell. I moved onto craft fairs after that. I just grew from there.

Your offer to make the masks appears to have gotten good response. Are you surprised by that?

I am very surprised. I knew there was a need but I didn't think I would have people picking up over 100 masks in one week! I now have my 14 year old daughter, Adreanna, 13 year old son, Alexander and 10 year old daughter, Abbagail helping me to cut elastic, fold the pleats on the mask and clip them for me to sew! I love teaching them that it is a wonderful thing to help the community and to help in a way we now we can while staying safely at home!

What’s the most difficult thing, right now, with the extended stay-at-home order, for you and your family?

Being stuck at home, to say it bluntly. It's been hard for the kids to not have the structure of school and to not see their friends everyday. It's been hard for me to not see my friends and family like we normally did. To not spend Easter or Mother's Day with family. But we are making sure we follow what is safest for us as a family.

Is there anything else you would like to say?

Just want to say that I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! That if you need a mask or want a certain color or print, etc., please email me bowutifulbows@aol.com. I can do behind the head elastic as well for those who don't like the ear ones. I also want to thank everyone who has donated and made it possible for my small business, solely run by myself, to help the community in this state of emergency. So thank you! We surely will never forget these months in the future! Let's remember the good as well!

Got a news tip? Send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube channel.