“I have a ton of fabric. A friend works with Mulherin Home and I started making masks for them. There is an excitement in picking patterns and knowing I am doing something to help. People also want personal masks and I make them for donations. A place in McIntosh is making hand sanitizer and they want 200 for their staff. We made some for the Food Pantry of Central Presbyterian Church. We are having to think about how to keep our germs to ourselves. I went to South for technical design for theater and learned in a costume shop how to sew. I have done it ever since. I have costumed many shows around town. I used to work at Timeless Bride and made a ton of wedding dresses. It is a skill I love to have. I went to Alma Bryant High School and they had great teachers who helped bring out creativity.

It is interesting to watch stress go down a little bit as people wear a mask. It was hard the first small mask that I made for a kid. This sucks to think this is a necessity and sad that parents need to do this to protect their children. I am thankful for the skills to do a little something to help. I am interested in how this is going to change society and the culture and art that comes out of it. This has affected so many people, including artists. May 1 is my last day to be Ardith Goodwin’s assistant. That is hard because I have loved working with her. I am making these masks in her studio. This is a time of uncertainty, difficulty, and shadows, but sewing always gets me through.“