*** Please note that I am no longer taking additional orders for face masks - I  have made over 400 and I'm finishing off my last batch now before focusing back on my business and getting ready to re-open.I will leave this page open for another week or so as I know that we have donations still to come in.  Thank you again for all your support!!

Ciara xx

PS. if you keep your eye on my Facebook page for Beautiful Day Bridal Cottage, I will be putting up details soon of some of my sewing friends who are making masks and selling them in the near future.

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Just before lockdown, members of my extended family decided to do a fundraising event to raise money for AWARE.  It was going to be a coffee/tea afternoon on the 21st March in memory of my late cousins, Terence and Marion Harkin.  Unfortunately it had to be called off due to the COVID-19 outbreak.  On that very day (which was my own birthday as well at Marion's first birthday since she passed away in October 2019 after a short illness) I made the call to also close my bridal shop and pause my business until this pandemic was over (although I was soon to find out that I was going to be instructed by the government the following week to do so anyway!!)   

In the weeks following my shop's closure I've been keeping myself very busy - mainly to look after my own mental health - but I wanted my future self to look back someday at this 'pause time' and see that I did something productive with my time.  So,  inspired by some of my sewing buddies, I got gathering fabrics, elastic, thread and non-woven breathable material... and after finally getting over a sewing machine hiccup (I called it the saga of the sewing machine foot!!!!) I was able to get to work (with a little help from my lockdown buddies here at home!!)  and I asked if I could tag along with the fundraising event in my family for AWARE... And they were delighted to collaborate to get donations on board!  So here I am - hoping that you're on here because you got one of my masks!!  And very thankful for any donations, no matter how small.  We suggest a donation of £2 per mask, but it's up to you!

Just to add that if you've got a mask, they are made form machine washable fabrics.  The non-woven breathable part plays a very important role, and we've even re-purposed some of our wedding dress bags to make these masks.  These masks will not protect you 100% from COVID-19, but they will significantly decrease the likelihood of you spreading the virus to others, and they also stop you touching your mouth and nose which makes it less likely that you can infect yourself if the virus gets on your hands.  

They should be washed every day that they are worn at 40 degrees.  Or you can wash them by hand for at least 20 second in hot tap water.  Let them dry naturally and look after them!! 

And look after your mental health - and help AWARE as their help will be needed now more than ever!    And looking forward to being able to to see that tea and coffee event happening when all this over!

Thank you , 

Ciara 

AWARE is the depression charity for Northern Ireland working for people with depression and bipolar disorder. AWARE has an established network of 24 support groups in rural and urban areas across the country, which are run by trained volunteers. Support groups welcome people with depression & bipolar disorder as well as carers for people with the illness. AWARE deliver mental health & well being programmes into communities, schools, colleges, universities & workplaces across Northern Ireland. For more information visit www.aware-ni.org