OTHELLO — Sewers across the country have continued to try and fill the need for protective face masks in their communities, banding together to do their part. Taking advantage of a skill set many of them had learned from an early age, these sewers have stepped up to try and help protect those at the highest risk in the community.

Linda Boothman said she’s been sewing for probably 60 years, learning to sew in high school.

“I sew,” Boothman said. “When there was a need for masks, that’s what I’m making. I’m making them right now as I speak to you,” she said.

Boothman, like other sewers in the Othello area, saw the post by Jenn Stevenson of the Old Hotel Art Gallery, reaching out for people to help with the shortage of face masks available.

The Face Mask Army of Othello has been distributing masks for a few weeks now. The group of sewers have delivered orders to hospitals, police departments, and nursing homes as they make their way down the list of businesses, or communities, in short supply.

Boothman said she’s made over 100 masks so far, but said she honestly stopped counting. She typically sews tote bags, purses, towel sets, and even T-shirts; however, masks were new.

“I watched several YouTube videos on them when they first started needing them,” she said. “There’s several different kinds to make, so anyway, that’s how I figured out what they need.”

One material many sewers have been in short supply of is elastic, having issues finding the material needed in stores or online. Boothman said she happens to have a lot, which she added she’d been sharing with friends.

“I sew so much, and I’ve sewed for so long I had a good store of it,” Boothman said. “I don’t use much elastic when I’m selling bags so I had it on hand.”

Boothman said she has plenty of motivating reasons to want to join the cause, including a daughter who works as a nurse with Samaritan Healthcare.

“My mother was in a nursing home for a long time, so I feel like that’s something that I need to do,” Boothman said.

Boothman said she doesn’t know how long she’ll be making masks, but knows some of her friends and fellow sewers are beginning to feel burnt out making masks.

“They’re quilters, that’s what they want to do,” she said. “And I’d rather do something else too, but I just keep getting requests for it and the nursing homes and stuff like that are still needing them.”

Linda Crosier began sewing for the Face Mask Army of Othello a few weeks ago as well, coming up on completing 100 masks after Monday. Crosier is hoping this hundred can mark the end, and said it depends on what is still needed.

“I think we are getting to the end of what’s needed,” Crosier said.

Crosier said it’s been great seeing the community step forward when they’ve been needed. A member of the board at the Old Hotel in Othello, Crosier said she was glad to help when Stevenson reached out.

“I’m a retired home-ec teacher, so sewing is my thing,” Crosier said.

Crosier said she’s typically a quilter and has been sewing for about 60 years.

With so many years of experience, Crosier has been focusing on making the masks for first responders that require a little more time.

“I haven’t made any of the pleated ones because Jenn said the pleated ones are a little easier, and a lot of people didn’t feel comfortable making the more complicated ones,” Crosier said.

Crosier said she quickly ran out of material for the straps and elastic, relying on materials Stevenson had bought for the Old Hotel in addition to her quilting supply on hand.

Janelle Andersen is the owner of Anytime Fitness in Othello, and said she jumped in as soon as she saw the Old Hotel’s Facebook post from a few weeks ago. Andersen said she’s been sewing since she learned how in 4-H as a little girl. Andersen said she hasn’t sewed a lot in the last few years. Like a riding a bike, she said it didn’t take long for those 45 years of experience to come rushing back.

“My oldest, I remember the only thing I used to buy for her was her socks,” Andersen said. “Everything else was sewn, jeans, jackets, underwear, everything, back in the day when it was cheaper to sew.”

Andersen said she experienced a bit of trial and error as she worked with a few different patterns, figuring out what worked best for the masks.

“I’ve tried several different patterns and techniques, trying to crank out as many as I can while trying to make them useful,” Andersen said.

Andersen said one of her daughters works in the health care industry. She said her daughter kept telling her how badly her ears were hurting from the face masks with the elastic behind the ears. Andersen said she since has switched to making face masks with elastic around the head instead.

Unlike some of her other sewers, Andersen has yet to find a steady supply of elastic. She added that will be her next hurdle is figuring out how to replace elastic.

“I have a stash of fabric, I’m good there,” Andersen said. “I have a stash of interfacing, I’m good there, thread, I’m good. It’s just the elastic. I’ve been looking at alternates. I’m even looking at headbands, can I buy headbands and cut them and use them? They’re sold out.”

Andersen said she’s now been looking for spandex or any sort of stretchy fabric she might be able to use in place of the elastic she’s unable to find.

With 54 masks made already, Andersen said she’s confident she could make a few hundred more with the supply of fabric and interfacing she has on hand. It will be the elastic ties, Andersen said, that will be the problem point.

Andersen said a lot of people are looking for ways to help out right now, and said it’s been nice finding a skill set she can contribute with.

“If everybody found a skillset that they could contribute, how cool would that be?” Andersen asked. “If everyone just did that, used their talents to bless the lives of others, that’s what’s unique and neat about humanity is our differences. We can cover all the bases if we just leverage our differences in a good way, and our diversity in a good way.”

Andersen said she’s concerned people have put too much confidence in the masks as protection.

“I just kind of wish some people were working harder at following the guidelines that have been set out,” Andersen said.