Our Mission
Sewing for Angels’ mission is to organize collaborative efforts to provide urgently needed products and services for those in need. Our Sewing for Angels Facebook group has organized over 900 sewers, fabric cutters and volunteers to create face masks and related products for front-line healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus spread and serving coronavirus patients.
About
Started by Mary Beth Kratsas and Becky Auer, we are a group of volunteers working to fill Pittsburgh’s need for safe, washable, reusable masks and related products for all healthcare workers and facilities who request them.
We have a network of volunteers cutting, sewing, washing and delivering masks as quickly as we can make them. We also have volunteers coordinating our request donations and deliveries. We call our volunteers ‘Today’s Rosies and Rosses,’ as in Rosie the Riveter of World War II.
Get In Touch
Want to Donate? You can send a check, addressed to Pittsburgh Gateways Corporation with ‘Sewing for Angels’ in the memo line, to the below address.
Sewing for Angels
c/o Pittsburgh Gateways Corporation
1435 Bedford Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Want to Donate Online?
CLICK HERE
To Request Masks for your healthcare facility(s), please fill out this form.
Join Us at our Sewing for Angels Facebook group here.
Want to Volunteer? We are looking for women and men to sew, cut, wash fabric, and/or pick up and deliver materials and masks. Sign up today!
Want to Donate Supplies? Donations supply those sewing, cutters, washers, drivers, and packers with materials such as fabric, non-woven polypropylene, nose pieces, elastic, bags, disinfectant/detergents, and PPE. Donate here.
Mask FAQS
What mask patterns are you requesting? We’re requesting two kinds of masks, cloth surgical face masks with ties (Pattern 1) and face masks with a pocket filter (Pattern 2). If you have questions about wearing masks, see the CDC’s How to Wear and Care for Your Mask.
How many masks have you donated? We’ve donated over 14,300 masks to more than 110 organizations.
How many volunteers do you have making masks? Our volunteer network is over 1.000 people strong and still growing.
How many masks are you still making? We get requests in for more masks frequently, so this number can change quickly, but we have requests for nearly 21,500 more masks. We could use your help!
What supplies do you need to make masks?
- 100% cotton, tightly woven cloth. The fabric should be pleasant colors/prints, with half being lighter for the inside (lining). Quilt shop quality fabric is preferred. (Holding a piece of each side by side will show the difference, it’s in the steps the manufacturer takes to finish their products).
- Interfacing: non-woven medium-weight fusible (Pellon 931TD is preferred or as a second choice 911FF, which is lighter but will also work).
- Thread: all-purpose sewing thread in white or light colors
- Elastic: 1/8 inch
- Seam binding: narrow, light colors, probably referred to as ‘double-fold’. As an alternative, 108-inch wide muslin cut into strips and folded would make 2 ties per WOF strip.
- Needles: universal needles, as recommended by the machine maker. (sizes 11, 14 and 16)
- Wire: aluminum welding wire, which is non-magnetic and doesn’t rust, or 20-gauge floral wire works (cloth-covered floral wire in green or white which comes in pieces about 18 inches long.) Pipe cleaners will rust so not a good option.
Do You Own A Business?
We are looking for ways to thank our amazing volunteers!
Would you like to offer something to our “Sewing for Angels” volunteers, like a free appetizer, coupon or something else unique to your business to gift to our generous volunteers to either use now or in the future when this virus fight is all over?
For example: Kyle Wolfe, owner at the Vault Taproom in South Side, donated 500 Free Appetizer cards to distribute to our volunteers and healthcare workers and facilities!
Our volunteers would appreciate the “love,” and since Sewing for Angels has formally partnered with the 501(c)(3) Nonprofit, Pittsburgh Gateways Corporation, you can receive a charitable contribution letter from the nonprofit after you make a contribution. This may enable you (or your business) to write-off the amount of the charitable contribution from your income taxes. (As always, please consult your accountant/tax advisor for details related to writing off charitable contributions).
Want to offer a gift to our volunteers or healthcare facility workers? Contact sewingforangels@yahoo.com with “DONATION” in the subject line!
Press Coverage
Tuesday, April 7 – Interviewed by JoAnn Forester, Empress of Biz Podcast
Friday, April 3, 2020 – Press Release picked up by over 260+ media sites
Thursday, April 2, 2020 – Wendy Bell, KDKA Radio interviewed Mary Beth Kratsas
Tuesday March 30, 2020 – WTAE TV interviewed Mary Beth Kratsas
News Media Outlets Who Picked Up Our Story – PDF