Border Collie Face Mask and Headband

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Black Cotton
• Felt - white, black, pink
• Matching Threads
• Printer, Printer Paper, Pencil
• Scissors
• Straight Pins
• Sewing Machine
• Elastic - two 6" pieces (or more or less, as best fits your face)
• Headband
• Flex Foam
• Black Shaggy Fur Material
• Hot Glue Gun with Glue Sticks

DIRECTIONS:

For the mask:

1. Print out a copy of the Joann Denim Face Mask pattern. Use the pattern to cut out four pieces of black cotton.
2. Once you've finished cutting the black cotton, you'll use the pattern to draft the dog snout, nose, and tongue. You will sew two felt halves together to give each dog feature a shape that will follow the curved seam of the mask.
3. Make a mark ⅜" from the top and bottom of the pattern to indicate where the seam will be once the mask is sewn and use the pattern to draw (half) a doggy snout, nose, and tongue. Print out as many copies as needed to get your snout, nose, and tongue just the way you'd like them. Drawing your snout, nose, and tongue shapes directly onto the mask pattern will ensure that the curve of the seams will match the curved seam of the mask.
4. You can use the excess paper from the printed pattern to test your half-drawings by folding the paper in half, cutting out your drawing, unfolding, and making any changes to your drawing from there.
5. Once you've finished drafting your dog snout, nose, and tongue, cut out two pieces of each from their corresponding color felts.
6. Sew together the two black cotton mask pieces.
7. Sew together the two snout pieces, the two nose pieces, and the two tongue pieces.
8. Place the felt tongue piece so that it sticks out from under the snout; pin and sew into place. Place the nose into position on top of the snout; pin and sew into place.
9. Place the snout near the top of the mask (keeping in mind you will lose 3/8" to the seam), sew onto mask. Optional: sew the tongue halfway down on each side, letting the bottom of the tongue hang free from the mask. Or, sew the whole tongue down onto the mask. Or, let the entire tongue hang free from the mask!
10. Follow the rest of the denim mask instructions. Place ends of elastics on dots indicated on pattern, make sure that the bulk of the elastic is resting on the mask, not off the mask the way it looks when it's finished. Place the second mask piece on top, right sides together. Sew all the way around, leave an opening at the bottom. Turn rightside out, press seams, sew bottom opening!

For the headband:

1. Drape fur over the top of the headband. Cut the fur out around the headband, so that there is plenty of overlap all the way round. Hot glue the fur onto the headband. Let the glue cool and harden, then trim the fur down to the edges of the headband.
2. Create the ears: draw two triangles that are about 4 inches tall. Draw a notch into the top to mimic the shape of a border collie's ear, and add a thin triangle onto the side opposite the notch. When you glue the ear onto the headband, you will curve that thin triangle inward to create the shaped flap of the ear.
3. Cut out your ear design and use it as a pattern to cut out two pieces of flex foam. Cut out four pieces of fur that are a little larger than the ears. Hot glue around the center of the flex foam ear and around the edges; place fur on top and hold as it sets. Repeat for the front and back of both ears. Trim fur to ear shape.
4. Determine where the ears should sit on the headband. Shape the ear so that the bottom curve and the ear flap is folded inward. When you're happy with the shape, hold the ear in its shape, hot glue the bottom edge, and place onto the headband, holding it until the glue is set. Repeat for the other ear.