A Paisley mum and her son have it all sewn up when it comes to tackling the coronavirus crisis.
Vicki Cloney and her boy Declan have joined forces in making much-needed face masks to help combat the spread of the virus.
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She turned on her sewing machine, and got busy stitching up face coverings with hands-on help from eight-year-old Declan.
Vicki who works with Community Voluntary Services, told how she has been happy to step in to help cater for the huge demand for washable face coverings in line with Scottish Government health advice.
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Her work is helping vulnerable people served by the shielding team in the Greater Renfrewshire and Inverclyde area.
She said: “It makes sense to offer as much protection as we can for both our team and the community.
“So, faced with the delay in supplies and with the help of Declan, we looked out some suitable material from a bag of clothes I had set aside for a charity shop.
“I did some research online about the most effective fabrics for washable masks and found that holding the fabric up to the light is the best test.
“The less light that comes through, the better the protection – and multiple layers are even better.
“Each of our masks has an inner layer made from a pair of M&S trousers and the outer layers are from Declan’s T-shirts.
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“I think it is very important to reuse, renew and recycle, so was happy to repurpose clothes that Declan has outgrown, particularly to help support our shielding team.
“We had great fun together making the masks that are well-fitted, soft to wear and 100 per cent washable. Declan proved a dab hand on the sewing machine and was thrilled to help. This was his first time sewing. He also tried sewing by hand but thought the machine was more fun.”
Former cancer nurse Vicki, who comes from Indianapolis, USA, is well used to wearing masks, and knew just what she was looking for when sourcing the perfect pattern for a well-fitted version.
She moved to Scotland in 2009 and now lives in Paisley with her husband Robert and their son Declan.
She joined the CVS team in Inverclyde last September.
Vicki added: “We are delighted that these are now being used by the team, who can choose from colourful stripes to superhero prints, hopefully cheering up the community when they now arrive wearing their practical, but fun, masks.”
