News

GPS Sophomore Makes Masks for Our Community

Abbey Katelyn Pettus '22 sews 50 masks plus headbands for hospital, first responders, volunteers
During her spring break and the week previous, Abbey Katelyn Pettus ’22 was busy at her cutting table, sewing machine, and ironing board. When she heard the need for cloth masks due to COVID-19 was growing, she put her talents to work.

Abbey Katelyn joined the efforts of the NOOGA Strong Face Mask group that coordinated a community effort to provide double-layer cloth masks to area medical workers (to be worn over N95 PPEs to extend their wear time) and to those not in direct contact with coronavirus patients, such as police and firefighters, food pantry and soup kitchen workers, physical therapists, and others. The group organized seamstresses and receiving organizations and set up a way for volunteers to obtain free fabrics and provided a drop zone at JOANN fabric store.
 
According to Abbey Katelyn, it takes her about 45 minutes to cut, stitch, and iron one mask; she made over 50. She chose to make hers with ties as opposed to elastic since she heard many medical professionals’ ears were becoming raw.

“Furthermore, since the N95 masks have elastic to be worn around the ears, I have also been making special headbands,” she adds. “These headbands have buttons located behind the ears so that medical workers can secure the elastic around the buttons instead of their ears.”
 
Abbey Katelyn is also a part of Cute as a Button, a business she runs with a few of her friends. Together they have participated in the MBD Holiday Marketplace for the past four years and have sold their handmade products at various venues across the Chattanooga area.
 
Thanks, Abbey Katelyn, for spending your spare time thinking of others and making the lives of those around us safer during this pandemic.
Back