Sharon Rose’s madcap masks!

FACEMASKS that, literally, put a smile on your face have been devised by Baltimore knitwear and textile designer, Sharon Rose McKeever.

The busy mother of three had just finished an order to make 100 facemasks for a local business owner when a madcap notion to do something completely different took hold.

‘For a bit of craic, I decided to makes some goofy masks to cheer people up and posted them on my Facebook page,’ Sharon told The Southern Star.

The ‘joke’ masks – like the ones she did for the business person – are made of cotton and are not suitable for medical use. They do however aid in containing the spread of droplets should a person cough or sneeze.

There was such a good online reaction to the masks, Sharon decided to make a few more for healthcare workers at Skibbereen Community Hospital and Cork University Hospital as well.

‘The idea is that the healthcare workers can wear them over their medical-grade personal protective equipment and add a bit of humour as they do their rounds,’ she said.

These masks have already been dispatched to the Skibbereen and Cork hospitals, but demand for the bit toothy masks is still high, so Sharon decided to make a small stock pile of them in the coming days and weeks.

These will be available for sale to the general public at West Cork Crafts, a shop featuring the work of 30 local craft workers, in Skibbereen, when it re-opens on June 8th next.

‘They are good fun and they do cheer people up,’ said Sharon, who is happy that her post has been shared and replicated by other textile and sewing groups. The masks are also gaining traction with kids and she has decided to bow to pester power and make a selection
for younger people to wear.

Although the Covid-19 restrictions may be relaxed somewhat in the days and weeks ahead, it is looking increasingly likely that everyone, including children, will be asked to wear facemasks in public – just don’t be surprised to find lots of wacky ones in circulation.