An army of hundreds of volunteers across Tasmania has spawned a nationwide homemade face mask movement.
The Tassie Face Mask Project was launched in March by Launceston-based co-founder and nurse, Bronwin Ballantyne, as a way to empower Tasmanians to help amid the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Since then, it has grown to include about 400 Tasmanian volunteers sewing the masks in their homes, with countless others in every state and territory.
Around 10,000 masks have been made by the dedicated volunteers in the past five months.
"It's only been five months but you look at it and go, look how much we've achieved!" Ms Ballantyne said.
The 'sewists', as they are called, made the masks and deposited them at drop-off points across the state, with businesses that have put their hand up to host a ballot-style box.
Then they were collected, medically laundered and then sent off to those who needed them — which right now, is Victoria.
"We've got about 3,000 unfilled orders for Victoria, demand has surged since the new rules were announced," Ms Ballantyne said.
"Some businesses can afford to buy masks, so we're focussing on neighbourhood houses, not-for-profits and people who can't afford to buy them."
Ms Ballantyne said she was motivated to start the project as she watched on in horror as healthcare workers around the world died of the virus, partially as a result of a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE).
"[We had] Grave concerns about what was happening to healthcare workers in other countries and the lack of PPE, and we just thought 'we can't let this happen in Australia, what are we going to do?'"
"I felt really helpless … and I think people want to feel useful and like they're doing something constructive."
Building a virtual community
All the sewists are in a Facebook group, where they can show their creations, share tips and seek advice.
Ms Ballantyne said the kindness that has spread in the group "gives her goosebumps".
"They feel like they were actually making a tangible difference to what was happening in their community."
That was especially important when restrictions were tighter in Tasmania, making people who live alone feel less isolated.
More recently, zoom sessions have been partially replaced by face-to-face working bees, giving people the chance to meet in person for the first time after months of online collaboration.
"It's okay for me, I have two children and a husband at home, but some people live alone, spending hours sewing so it was lovely for them to be able to connect with each other," Ms Ballantyne said.
"People have been given a real sense of community."
Expanding beyond the island
The Tassie Face Mask Project has now expanded to a new nationwide initiative, called Masks For Aussies.
Volunteers and businesses can register to a interactive map, enabling people who need face masks to find someone near them who is making them.
There are also sewing patterns and a range of scientific papers on face masks.
"Our motto with it is: I protect you, you protect me. So that's the message we really want to get out there."
As requests for masks continue to outnumber the capabilities of the group, the Tasmania volunteers as passing on their skills to others.
"Little Tasmania can't provide the whole of Victoria with masks so we've offered ourselves as teachers so they can then teach their communities, so they can become self-sufficient."
The group is also looking at ways to continue creating beyond COVID-19, branching into other craft projects, including for children who are becoming upset with rules preventing parents taking them up to the classroom.
"One of our clever sewists can also crochet so they're making little hearts with stuffing in them," Ms Ballantyne said.
"Some schools are interested in getting them and handing them to children who are struggling, so they can just have this little heart in their pocket and can give it a little squeeze when they're missing mum or dad."
But for now, the focus is firmly on face masks.
"The science is there, all the countries that have done well have all been wearing masks," Ms Ballantyne said.
"We're all very proud of ourselves … we're all just working together, using our strengths and what we're achieving is amazing."
