As new variants and increasing incidences appear, while at the same time mask mandates for public indoor spaces are lifted (…), mask upgrades and mask optimisation are once more discussed widely – and more often than not, the topic is oversimplified. Therefore, I would like to summarize our various DIY approaches to making masks safer and more efficient for the new challenges we’re all facing these days! For further information, you’ll find links in the text. ➔
After the Hybrid Pleated Mask, Hybrid Custom Masks and the Hybrid Boxy Mask, I created a Hybrid Mask Frame – as an alternative for all those who cannot breathe well with Double Masks, yet don’t find a gaplessly fitting, slip-free respirator or surgical mask. Due to a reverse pleat, this Mask Frame fits perfectly – even without nose wire! ➔
In addition to the illustrated instructions for sewing my brand new, not only gaplessly and slip-free fitting, but also very spacious Hybrid Boxy Mask, I have now created a highly detailed step-by-step picture tutorial for beginners! ➔
Now that I’ve gone through all the possibilities to customize my original Hybrid Mask for a wide range of face shapes, needs and preferences, I finally created a new cloth mask pattern with an open chin dart (or twisted pleat). Similar to 3D, Boxy, Origami, Japanese or Octagon shapes, which form a square box, the Hybrid Boxy Mask forms a triangular box which does not touch the mouth or nosetip and offers plenty of space for breathing, speaking or singing. ➔
The simple, two-dimensional DIY advent calendar we made for Lily Lux a couple of years ago (including a detailed instruction how to use it with your own images) is available as a PDF for download! Above, you can see what the calendar looks like when it’s filled, and below we’re showing some other suggestions. We hope you enjoy crafting! ➔
Due to personal reasons, my sewing partner Reusable Mask Co Australia is closing their business on October 31st, so if you’d like to own one (or more) of their beautiful masks (recommended by Vogue!), you better order right away! I’m so thankful to Sarah for this amazing collaboration half around the globe, I still adore her masks and truly enjoyed seeing all her adventures and successes in mask making, and I wholeheartedly wish her all the best for the future! ➔
As part of my “Foxy goes Hiking” project, I’ve researched and illustrated a whole lot of the smaller animals of New England. When the abundance became confusing, I’ve turned them into another identification chart, and now the infographics is available at Redbubble and Søciety6, printed on posters, art prints, notebooks, postcards and mugs as pictured below, as well as bags, shirts, pillows, scarves, blankets, covers, stickers and plenty of other products! ➔
Some maskers insert disposable filter materials (e.g. Filti) between the inner and outer layers of reusable cloth masks. For this reason, my Hybrid Mask has a filter opening! This offers the advantage of combining decent fit (through mask pattern) and filter efficiency (through disposable filters), but the disadvantage that filters are often complicated to insert, rarely cover the whole surface and easily slip. For me and my family, double masking, i.e. wearing FFP2 / KN95, surgical or self-stapled, same-pattern filter masks underneath, seems like a better option. Lately though, a lovely mask maker mentioned how complicated double masking is for kids, and I finally had an idea: Filter frames! ➔
Last January, when I wrote my post about Mask Science with the science behind masks, advantages and disadvantages of mask types, practical tests, tips for optimization and a note on why and how we double mask, I still hoped that the vaccine might make masks redundant in everyday life, and that this could be my last mask post. Right now, it looks like thanks to new variants, masks will stay with us for a while (…), and as many people are looking to upgrade their masks these days, I’d like to explain our double masking with the Hybrid Cloth Mask (aka Luckhaus Mask) in detail. ➔
Together with tracker Stefanie Argow from HiddenTracks and Dr. Sarah Kiefer from Stadtwildtiere.de, the Citizen Science Project of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), I designed two notebooks and a gym bag, for their advertising and as an identification aid for wild animals whose tracks can be found in the city of Berlin. ➔
I’ve been working on my European Songbirds wall chart for several years, every now and then. It takes some effort to not just copy a photo, but to create a generalized cross-section from countless images – but that is exactly what helps with the identification! In addition to posters, notebooks, postcards and mugs as pictured above, there are bags, shirts, pillows, scarves, blankets, covers, stickers and many other products available at Redbubble and Søciety6 now. ➔
In the current “Welt der Wunder” magazine (6/21), there is an exciting interview with the tracker Stefanie Argow of Hidden Tracks, and they’re showing eight of the animal tracks Stefanie and I created together! ➔
Since my field guides for nature have been printed on products on RedBubble, I’ve been asked to offer German graphics too, and now they’re available as art prints, posters, postcards, pillows, blankets, bed linen, shower curtains, bath mats, mugs, water bottles, notebooks, stickers, magnets, cases, skins, bags, shirts and more amazing products! ➔
One year ago, I got really fed up with testing one poorly fitting mask pattern after the other, and decided to use what I’ve learnt to invent my own Hybrid Mask pattern. And my very first attempt fitted perfectly! In order to help others with similar problems, I published pattern and instructions in German on April 14th and in English on April 21st. ➔
Nachdem ich schon seit einigen Jahren immer mal wieder mit der Fährtenleserin Stefanie Argow an bis ins kleinste Detail korrekten Trittsiegel-Grafiken arbeite und wir die mittlerweile auch für gemeinsame Kunden und Projekte nutzen, habe ich zuletzt unter www.irisluckhaus.de/hiddentracks eine ganz übersichtliche Verteilerseite angelegt!
It’s been a year since I first started testing mask patterns, having no idea that this would lead to making my own and helping the helpers! It’s been quite a ride since, and I am so thankful for how mask makers make this dark time feel so much brighter. Yet, there are days when everyday life feels so far away… and then, there’s a new pattern challenge, a license enquiry, a kind donation, or someone who thanks me in a way that’s so touching – and all of a sudden, I’m sure we’re gonna be fine. Thank you so much, Jenn, for brightening my day with your beautiful mask! <3 ➔
In Germany, the wearing of medical masks, i.e. FFP2 or surgical masks, became mandatory yesterday. Since I don’t think anyone will check certifications in public, this means that everything except cloth masks is allowed. I’d like to explain how masks work, how filter and fit determine their efficiency, and why a cloth mask ban doesn’t really make much sense to me. Furthermore, I’d like to point out solutions for a more responsible, safe and sustainable use of medical masks. One of these solutions could be wearing a cloth cover over medical masks, or double masking. ➔
I am so proud that Open Source Medical Supplies is showing my Mask Tying Techniques in a beautiful pictorial pictorial cloth mask guide! Thanks to Devon for connecting and to Sophia for the great design <3
The simple, two-dimensional DIY advent calendar we made for Lily Lux a couple of years ago (including a detailed instruction how to use it with your own images) is available as a PDF for download! Above, you can see what the calendar looks like when it’s filled, and below we’re showing some other suggestions. We hope you enjoy crafting! ➔
I am very happy to present an amazing new book here, for which I created the track illustrations in cooperation with the (co-) author and professional tracker Stefanie Argow. »Spuren lesen – Geschichten, die uns die Fährten der Tiere erzählen« tells in an exciting, instructive and often humorous way about the stories behind animal tracks. ➔
Today, I would like to introduce you to my amazing sewing partners, who are making masks with my hybrid pattern and selling them in online shops, on Etsy or in retail stores. Each of them has a different approach to mask making, they offer unique fabrics and ways to apply my pattern – and I think all their masks are just stunningly beautiful! In the picture above, you can see some samples by Christina King, Reusable Mask Co Australia and Samook Designs. ➔
I have created a new work sheet for the classes of tracker Stefanie Argow, with whom I am continuously working on a detailed version of my animal tracks! They are already used by WWF, IZW and Posterlounge, and will soon be part of a book too! This year’s sheet shows wolf, fox, lynx, badger, marten, bear, rabbit, squirrel, deer and wild boar. ➔
My hybrid cloth mask is still getting around! It’s sewn by volunteers and partners near and far, and recommended all over the world. After my first recommendation and review collection in June, I’ve now gathered some more! ➔
I have created a mask hub for all mask links, so if you’d like to share one of my masks, you can just type the link www.irisluckhaus.de/masks instead of jumping to your browser and looking for the bookmark :)
My amazing sewing partner Reusable Masks Co Australia shot a lovely video with beautiful Carmen on how to dress up the Hybrid Cloth Mask with head ties, and another one on how to make ear loops! I could watch them all day long, and I thought they might be useful for my readers too. Great thanks to Sarah for letting me show them! ➔
Open Source Medical Supplies is my favourite international mask making group, as there are specialists from such a wide variety of fields, helping each other and the volunteers. I have been posting and discussing my hybrid mask pattern there, helped countless volunteers to sew it and was thankful to learn about material studies and neat sewing tricks! When John Kalil asked to intervíew me for their site, I jumped right in – and now, his article is online! ➔
Since I first published my pattern for sewing the Hybrid Cloth Mask, which fits gapless (even without nosepiece!) and reliably stays in place, I’ve been asked about adjustments for special shapes and needs. In this post, I introduce a selection of these customized Hybrid patterns, and every now and then (last March 8th, 2021), I add new ones! ➔
If you take a closer look, there are so many ways to attach a face mask to your ears or head! After looking into masks in great detail over the past couple of weeks and having all these little sketches for mask tying techniques on my desk, I finally drew an infographic that shows all the different ways to tie a cloth mask with ear bands or head ties. ➔
After starting out with a no-sew DIY makeshift emergency mask, then testing all available patterns for cloth masks and finally inventing my own – the optimized Hybrid Cloth Mask, which fits truly gapless, breathable yet reliably stays in place, even without a nose piece! –, I have now combined these two types of masks (and everything I have learned in the meantime!) to design an instant no-sew DIY mask with the same pattern and fit as the Hybrid Mask. ➔
I think it’s incredibly exciting and really great how my hybrid cloth mask gets around, how it is recommended, sewn and donated all over the world! In this post, I wanted to collect some of the recommendations and reviews. ➔
Since I first published pattern and instructions for my Hybrid Cloth Mask, which fits gapless yet roomy and reliably stays in place, I’ve been asked about making a detail tutorial for beginners and visual learners, but as a video needs at least 2-3 quiet days and a picture tutorial was possible to just make inbetween, I decided to go with that for now! ➔
I felt honoured when I discovered my hybrid mask had been tested by the fabulously useful portal MaskeZeigen.de, an initiative started at the German government’s hackathon #wirvsvirus, which I’ve been following from the start! This is what tester Birgit S. says (direct translation :)), who has both sewn the mask and taken those lovely pictures above:
»The author of the instructions is a professional. And you can tell. (…) The highlight of this mask is the seperate, backwards folded nose pleat, which also contains the nose wire (…). I was pleasantly surprised at how well the mask fits. In my opinion, the author’s plan to design a mask that “fits as tightly and seamlessly as possible on the nose, cheek and chin and does not slide up into the eyes or down the tip of the nose” worked out perfectly. ➔
For my own production, I optimized the pattern and manufacture of the cloth mask, to make it fit gapless and fog-free around nose, cheeks and chin and reliably stay in place, so it doesn’t slide up the eyes or down the nose. Individual parts such as wire, filter and ties are very easy to replace, plus the mask is quick and simple to sew, wash and iron. ➔
I designed an emergency maskeshift mask which can be made quickly and easily by anyone without sewing, simply with home and office supplies. If handled with care, it can protect others from your droplets, but its use for your own protection is very limited. If available, please wear a certified mask! If you decide to use this one, please understand that you’re doing so at your own risk: Keep your distance and wash your hands as if you’re not wearing it! ➔
A couple of years ago, I created a colouring sheet for the wonderful Malbogen Blog, right after a storm almost stole my scarf and when Lily Lux was longing for new adventures The special thing about it is that it can not only be used for colouring in, but due to some open space, you can even draw your own ideas! Maybe coloring in, painting on, and making up your own little trip with the wind might help you feel a little less locked up at home. Have a good flight! ➔
Angesichts dessen, dass dieses Jahr irgendwie nichts so ist wie sonst, kommt uns unser #Frühlingsglück grade äußerst seltsam vor, und deshalb teilen wir jetzt lieber täglich einen kleinen #Lichtblick aus unserer Welt, um Euch – und uns alle! – vielleicht ein bisschen besser durch diese Zeit zu bringen. Wir haben übrigens grade unser Lily Lux Notizbuch wiederentdeckt und staunen selbst darüber, wieviele Ideen, die man auch ganz alleine und daheim verwirklichen kann, da drin versammelt sind! Nebst ganz viel guter Laune, und die ist ja grade ganz besonders wichtig.
The Niedersächsischen Landesforsten, for whose »Waldstück« magazine I’ve drawn several identification sheets, decided to publish not only our first four posters with tree leaves, animal tracks, bird flights and tree silhouettes for usage in their forest centers, but our two new posters with forest animals and forester tools will also be used for forest education! Christian Talla, who edits the posters so lovingly, brought them to Din A2 format. ➔
The simple, two-dimensional DIY advent calendar we made for Lily Lux a couple of years ago (including a detailed instruction how to use it with your own images) is available as a PDF for download! Above, you can see what the calendar looks like when it’s filled, and below we’re showing some other suggestions. Have fun! ➔
Das Tierspuren-Quiz, das ich zusammen mit der Fährtenleserin Stefanie Argow für Stadtwildtiere.de, das Citizen Science Projekt des Leibniz-Instituts für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung, entwickelt habe, war am 24. Oktober beim Citizen Science Tag im Berliner Museum für Naturkunde zu Gast, und es wurde eifrig geraten und gespielt! ➔
Das Tierspuren-Quiz, das ich zusammen mit der Fährtenleserin Stefanie Argow für Stadtwildtiere.de, das Citizen Science Projekt des Leibniz-Instituts für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung, entwickelt habe, war am 28./29. September bei »Wissenschecker – Weltentdecker« im FEZ Berlin zu Gast, und es wurde eifrig geraten und gespielt! ➔
Along with tracker Stefanie Argow and Dr. Sarah Kiefer of Stadtwildtiere.de, the citizen science project for urban wildlife by Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), I designed a quiz with the trails of Berlin wildlife! The game is aimed primarily at children and used for events. The premiere is next weekend at FEZ Berlin! ➔
The Niedersächsische Landesforsten (forest administration of Lower Saxony), for whose »Waldstück« magazine I’ve drawn shoots and buds of 16 common trees, allowed me to use my graphics freely – so I’ve set them up in my own retro school wall chart layout, and now they’re available at the Posterlounge (also via Amazon and eBay!). ➔
Today, I was very happy to receive my fresh specimens of the fall issue of »Waldstück«, the awesome free magazine by Niedersächsische Landesforsten! For a kid’s poster inside that magazine, I illustrated 16 tree shoots and buds, for tree identification in winter. On the poster, my graphics are accompanied by some interesting information. ➔
The Niedersächsische Landesforsten (forest administration of Lower Saxony), for whose »Waldstück« magazine I’ve drawn silhouette, marking and habit of 15 typical water animals, allowed me to use my graphics freely – so I’ve set them up in my wall chart layout, and now they’re available at the Posterlounge (also via Amazon and eBay!). ➔
I am very pleased about my specimens of the special »Unterwegs« (issue 03/19) of LECKER magazine by Bauer Media Verlag, which next to delicious recipes for summer, picnic and travels shows my bird silhouettes on a full page! ➔
Today, I was very happy to receive my fresh specimens of the summer issue of »Waldstück«, the free magazine by Niedersächsische Landesforsten! For a kid’s poster inside that magazine, I illustrated 16 well-known animals living in and by the water. On the poster, my graphics are accompanied by some really interesting information. ➔
I am very delighted to receive my specimen copies of the teaching materials for natural sciences (5th to 10th grade) by Friedrich Verlag about the exciting topic »Fliegen – Bewegung in der Luft« (Flying – Movement in the Air; Issue 2/19), which is featuring my bird silhouettes poster as part of a very interesting work sheet about bird flight! ➔
For almost a year, I’m working with track reader Stefanie Argow, on an extended version of my animal tracks, which is already being used by WWF and IZW. For Steffis classes, I created a work sheet for Trittsiegelkunde (track science), featuring 10 species such as fox, cat, bagder, marten, rabbit, racoon, squirrel, hedgehog, deer and wild boar. ➔
Today, I was very happy to receive my fresh specimens of the spring issue of »Waldstück«, the awesome free magazine by Niedersächsische Landesforsten! For another kid’s poster inside the magazine, I illustrated the 15 most important forester tools. My graphics are accompanied by small photos of usage and some very interesting information. ➔
The Niedersächsische Landesforsten (forest administration of Lower Saxony), for whose »Waldstück« magazine I’ve recently drawn silhouette, marking and habit of 16 common forest animals, allowed me to use my graphics freely – so I have set them up in my wall chart layout, and they’re available at the Posterlounge (also via Amazon and eBay!). ➔
Today, I was very happy to receive my fresh specimens of the winter issue of »Waldstück«, the free magazine by Niedersächsische Landesforsten! For a kid’s poster inside that magazine, I illustrated the 16 most common native forest animals species. My graphics are accompanied by photos and some really interesting information. ➔
WWF Junior just published the article “War das eine Katze? Geh doch mal auf Spurensuche!” (“Was that a cat? Go out to read tracks!”) by professional trackreader Stefanie Argow – with one of the track illustrations she and I are creating in cooperation right now! Here, it’s the lynx, which can be mistaken for a cat or a lion, depending on its size. ➔
The simple, two-dimensional DIY advent calendar we made for Lily Lux a couple of years ago (including a detailed instruction how to use it with your own images) is available as a PDF for download! Above, you can see what the calendar looks like when it’s filled, and below we’re showing some other suggestions. Have fun! ➔
The Niedersächsischen Landesforsten (forest administration of Lower Saxony), with whom I recently have developed 30 graphics for tree fruits, nuts, cones and seeds, allowed me to use my illustrations freely – so I have now set them up in my own layout, and they’re already available at the Posterlounge (soon also via Amazon and eBay!). ➔
Today, I was very happy to receive my fresh specimens of the fall issue of »Waldstück«, the free magazine by Niedersächsische Landesforsten! For a kid’s poster, I illustrated 30 tree fruits, with help from the specialists. ➔
The Niedersächsischen Landesforsten, for whose »Waldstück« magazine I’ve drawn several identification sheets, decided to publish four posters with tree leaves, animal tracks, bird flights and tree silhouettes for usage in their forest centres! Christian Talla, who edits the posters so lovingly, brought them to Din A2 format. ➔
For some months now, between other projects, I’m working on an extended and more detailed version of my animal traces – together with track reader Stefanie Argow! This co-operation is really exciting for me, and I learn a lot. ➔
In August, the amazing Posterlounge is celebrating its 15th birthday! I’d like to wholeheartedly congratulate them, and I’m also happy to announce that all month long, there’s a 15% discount on everything (amongst many other posters, my own illustrations, infographics und life drawings!) with the code “HAPPY15”. Btw, I’m on board for 12 years :) ➔
The Niedersächsischen Landesforsten (forest administration of Lower Saxony), with whom I recently have developed 16 graphics for the typical silhouettes of different trees, allowed me to use my illustrations freely – so I have now set them up in my own layout, and they’re already available at the Posterlounge (soon also via Amazon and eBay!). ➔
Today, I am very happy to receive my fresh specimens of the summer issue of »Waldstück«, the free magazine by Niedersächsische Landesforsten! For a kid’s poster, I illustrated 15 typical trees, with help from the specialists. ➔
As new variants and increasing incidences appear, while at the same time mask mandates for public indoor spaces are lifted (…), mask upgrades and mask optimisation are once more discussed widely – and more often than not, the topic is oversimplified. Therefore, I would like to summarize our various DIY approaches to making masks safer and more efficient for the new challenges we’re all facing these days! For further information, you’ll find links in the text. ➔
After the Hybrid Pleated Mask, Hybrid Custom Masks and the Hybrid Boxy Mask, I created a Hybrid Mask Frame – as an alternative for all those who cannot breathe well with Double Masks, yet don’t find a gaplessly fitting, slip-free respirator or surgical mask. Due to a reverse pleat, this Mask Frame fits perfectly – even without nose wire! ➔
In addition to the illustrated instructions for sewing my brand new, not only gaplessly and slip-free fitting, but also very spacious Hybrid Boxy Mask, I have now created a highly detailed step-by-step picture tutorial for beginners! ➔
Now that I’ve gone through all the possibilities to customize my original Hybrid Mask for a wide range of face shapes, needs and preferences, I finally created a new cloth mask pattern with an open chin dart (or twisted pleat). Similar to 3D, Boxy, Origami, Japanese or Octagon shapes, which form a square box, the Hybrid Boxy Mask forms a triangular box which does not touch the mouth or nosetip and offers plenty of space for breathing, speaking or singing. ➔
The simple, two-dimensional DIY advent calendar we made for Lily Lux a couple of years ago (including a detailed instruction how to use it with your own images) is available as a PDF for download! Above, you can see what the calendar looks like when it’s filled, and below we’re showing some other suggestions. We hope you enjoy crafting! ➔
Due to personal reasons, my sewing partner Reusable Mask Co Australia is closing their business on October 31st, so if you’d like to own one (or more) of their beautiful masks (recommended by Vogue!), you better order right away! I’m so thankful to Sarah for this amazing collaboration half around the globe, I still adore her masks and truly enjoyed seeing all her adventures and successes in mask making, and I wholeheartedly wish her all the best for the future! ➔
As part of my “Foxy goes Hiking” project, I’ve researched and illustrated a whole lot of the smaller animals of New England. When the abundance became confusing, I’ve turned them into another identification chart, and now the infographics is available at Redbubble and Søciety6, printed on posters, art prints, notebooks, postcards and mugs as pictured below, as well as bags, shirts, pillows, scarves, blankets, covers, stickers and plenty of other products! ➔
Some maskers insert disposable filter materials (e.g. Filti) between the inner and outer layers of reusable cloth masks. For this reason, my Hybrid Mask has a filter opening! This offers the advantage of combining decent fit (through mask pattern) and filter efficiency (through disposable filters), but the disadvantage that filters are often complicated to insert, rarely cover the whole surface and easily slip. For me and my family, double masking, i.e. wearing FFP2 / KN95, surgical or self-stapled, same-pattern filter masks underneath, seems like a better option. Lately though, a lovely mask maker mentioned how complicated double masking is for kids, and I finally had an idea: Filter frames! ➔
Last January, when I wrote my post about Mask Science with the science behind masks, advantages and disadvantages of mask types, practical tests, tips for optimization and a note on why and how we double mask, I still hoped that the vaccine might make masks redundant in everyday life, and that this could be my last mask post. Right now, it looks like thanks to new variants, masks will stay with us for a while (…), and as many people are looking to upgrade their masks these days, I’d like to explain our double masking with the Hybrid Cloth Mask (aka Luckhaus Mask) in detail. ➔
Together with tracker Stefanie Argow from HiddenTracks and Dr. Sarah Kiefer from Stadtwildtiere.de, the Citizen Science Project of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), I designed two notebooks and a gym bag, for their advertising and as an identification aid for wild animals whose tracks can be found in the city of Berlin. ➔
I’ve been working on my European Songbirds wall chart for several years, every now and then. It takes some effort to not just copy a photo, but to create a generalized cross-section from countless images – but that is exactly what helps with the identification! In addition to posters, notebooks, postcards and mugs as pictured above, there are bags, shirts, pillows, scarves, blankets, covers, stickers and many other products available at Redbubble and Søciety6 now. ➔
In the current “Welt der Wunder” magazine (6/21), there is an exciting interview with the tracker Stefanie Argow of Hidden Tracks, and they’re showing eight of the animal tracks Stefanie and I created together! ➔
Since my field guides for nature have been printed on products on RedBubble, I’ve been asked to offer German graphics too, and now they’re available as art prints, posters, postcards, pillows, blankets, bed linen, shower curtains, bath mats, mugs, water bottles, notebooks, stickers, magnets, cases, skins, bags, shirts and more amazing products! ➔
One year ago, I got really fed up with testing one poorly fitting mask pattern after the other, and decided to use what I’ve learnt to invent my own Hybrid Mask pattern. And my very first attempt fitted perfectly! In order to help others with similar problems, I published pattern and instructions in German on April 14th and in English on April 21st. ➔
Nachdem ich schon seit einigen Jahren immer mal wieder mit der Fährtenleserin Stefanie Argow an bis ins kleinste Detail korrekten Trittsiegel-Grafiken arbeite und wir die mittlerweile auch für gemeinsame Kunden und Projekte nutzen, habe ich zuletzt unter www.irisluckhaus.de/hiddentracks eine ganz übersichtliche Verteilerseite angelegt!
It’s been a year since I first started testing mask patterns, having no idea that this would lead to making my own and helping the helpers! It’s been quite a ride since, and I am so thankful for how mask makers make this dark time feel so much brighter. Yet, there are days when everyday life feels so far away… and then, there’s a new pattern challenge, a license enquiry, a kind donation, or someone who thanks me in a way that’s so touching – and all of a sudden, I’m sure we’re gonna be fine. Thank you so much, Jenn, for brightening my day with your beautiful mask! <3 ➔
In Germany, the wearing of medical masks, i.e. FFP2 or surgical masks, became mandatory yesterday. Since I don’t think anyone will check certifications in public, this means that everything except cloth masks is allowed. I’d like to explain how masks work, how filter and fit determine their efficiency, and why a cloth mask ban doesn’t really make much sense to me. Furthermore, I’d like to point out solutions for a more responsible, safe and sustainable use of medical masks. One of these solutions could be wearing a cloth cover over medical masks, or double masking. ➔
I am so proud that Open Source Medical Supplies is showing my Mask Tying Techniques in a beautiful pictorial pictorial cloth mask guide! Thanks to Devon for connecting and to Sophia for the great design <3
The simple, two-dimensional DIY advent calendar we made for Lily Lux a couple of years ago (including a detailed instruction how to use it with your own images) is available as a PDF for download! Above, you can see what the calendar looks like when it’s filled, and below we’re showing some other suggestions. We hope you enjoy crafting! ➔
I am very happy to present an amazing new book here, for which I created the track illustrations in cooperation with the (co-) author and professional tracker Stefanie Argow. »Spuren lesen – Geschichten, die uns die Fährten der Tiere erzählen« tells in an exciting, instructive and often humorous way about the stories behind animal tracks. ➔
Today, I would like to introduce you to my amazing sewing partners, who are making masks with my hybrid pattern and selling them in online shops, on Etsy or in retail stores. Each of them has a different approach to mask making, they offer unique fabrics and ways to apply my pattern – and I think all their masks are just stunningly beautiful! In the picture above, you can see some samples by Christina King, Reusable Mask Co Australia and Samook Designs. ➔
I have created a new work sheet for the classes of tracker Stefanie Argow, with whom I am continuously working on a detailed version of my animal tracks! They are already used by WWF, IZW and Posterlounge, and will soon be part of a book too! This year’s sheet shows wolf, fox, lynx, badger, marten, bear, rabbit, squirrel, deer and wild boar. ➔
My hybrid cloth mask is still getting around! It’s sewn by volunteers and partners near and far, and recommended all over the world. After my first recommendation and review collection in June, I’ve now gathered some more! ➔
I have created a mask hub for all mask links, so if you’d like to share one of my masks, you can just type the link www.irisluckhaus.de/masks instead of jumping to your browser and looking for the bookmark :)
My amazing sewing partner Reusable Masks Co Australia shot a lovely video with beautiful Carmen on how to dress up the Hybrid Cloth Mask with head ties, and another one on how to make ear loops! I could watch them all day long, and I thought they might be useful for my readers too. Great thanks to Sarah for letting me show them! ➔
Open Source Medical Supplies is my favourite international mask making group, as there are specialists from such a wide variety of fields, helping each other and the volunteers. I have been posting and discussing my hybrid mask pattern there, helped countless volunteers to sew it and was thankful to learn about material studies and neat sewing tricks! When John Kalil asked to intervíew me for their site, I jumped right in – and now, his article is online! ➔
Since I first published my pattern for sewing the Hybrid Cloth Mask, which fits gapless (even without nosepiece!) and reliably stays in place, I’ve been asked about adjustments for special shapes and needs. In this post, I introduce a selection of these customized Hybrid patterns, and every now and then (last March 8th, 2021), I add new ones! ➔
If you take a closer look, there are so many ways to attach a face mask to your ears or head! After looking into masks in great detail over the past couple of weeks and having all these little sketches for mask tying techniques on my desk, I finally drew an infographic that shows all the different ways to tie a cloth mask with ear bands or head ties. ➔
After starting out with a no-sew DIY makeshift emergency mask, then testing all available patterns for cloth masks and finally inventing my own – the optimized Hybrid Cloth Mask, which fits truly gapless, breathable yet reliably stays in place, even without a nose piece! –, I have now combined these two types of masks (and everything I have learned in the meantime!) to design an instant no-sew DIY mask with the same pattern and fit as the Hybrid Mask. ➔
I think it’s incredibly exciting and really great how my hybrid cloth mask gets around, how it is recommended, sewn and donated all over the world! In this post, I wanted to collect some of the recommendations and reviews. ➔
Since I first published pattern and instructions for my Hybrid Cloth Mask, which fits gapless yet roomy and reliably stays in place, I’ve been asked about making a detail tutorial for beginners and visual learners, but as a video needs at least 2-3 quiet days and a picture tutorial was possible to just make inbetween, I decided to go with that for now! ➔
I felt honoured when I discovered my hybrid mask had been tested by the fabulously useful portal MaskeZeigen.de, an initiative started at the German government’s hackathon #wirvsvirus, which I’ve been following from the start! This is what tester Birgit S. says (direct translation :)), who has both sewn the mask and taken those lovely pictures above:
»The author of the instructions is a professional. And you can tell. (…) The highlight of this mask is the seperate, backwards folded nose pleat, which also contains the nose wire (…). I was pleasantly surprised at how well the mask fits. In my opinion, the author’s plan to design a mask that “fits as tightly and seamlessly as possible on the nose, cheek and chin and does not slide up into the eyes or down the tip of the nose” worked out perfectly. ➔
For my own production, I optimized the pattern and manufacture of the cloth mask, to make it fit gapless and fog-free around nose, cheeks and chin and reliably stay in place, so it doesn’t slide up the eyes or down the nose. Individual parts such as wire, filter and ties are very easy to replace, plus the mask is quick and simple to sew, wash and iron. ➔
I designed an emergency maskeshift mask which can be made quickly and easily by anyone without sewing, simply with home and office supplies. If handled with care, it can protect others from your droplets, but its use for your own protection is very limited. If available, please wear a certified mask! If you decide to use this one, please understand that you’re doing so at your own risk: Keep your distance and wash your hands as if you’re not wearing it! ➔
A couple of years ago, I created a colouring sheet for the wonderful Malbogen Blog, right after a storm almost stole my scarf and when Lily Lux was longing for new adventures The special thing about it is that it can not only be used for colouring in, but due to some open space, you can even draw your own ideas! Maybe coloring in, painting on, and making up your own little trip with the wind might help you feel a little less locked up at home. Have a good flight! ➔
Angesichts dessen, dass dieses Jahr irgendwie nichts so ist wie sonst, kommt uns unser #Frühlingsglück grade äußerst seltsam vor, und deshalb teilen wir jetzt lieber täglich einen kleinen #Lichtblick aus unserer Welt, um Euch – und uns alle! – vielleicht ein bisschen besser durch diese Zeit zu bringen. Wir haben übrigens grade unser Lily Lux Notizbuch wiederentdeckt und staunen selbst darüber, wieviele Ideen, die man auch ganz alleine und daheim verwirklichen kann, da drin versammelt sind! Nebst ganz viel guter Laune, und die ist ja grade ganz besonders wichtig.
The Niedersächsischen Landesforsten, for whose »Waldstück« magazine I’ve drawn several identification sheets, decided to publish not only our first four posters with tree leaves, animal tracks, bird flights and tree silhouettes for usage in their forest centers, but our two new posters with forest animals and forester tools will also be used for forest education! Christian Talla, who edits the posters so lovingly, brought them to Din A2 format. ➔
The simple, two-dimensional DIY advent calendar we made for Lily Lux a couple of years ago (including a detailed instruction how to use it with your own images) is available as a PDF for download! Above, you can see what the calendar looks like when it’s filled, and below we’re showing some other suggestions. Have fun! ➔
Das Tierspuren-Quiz, das ich zusammen mit der Fährtenleserin Stefanie Argow für Stadtwildtiere.de, das Citizen Science Projekt des Leibniz-Instituts für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung, entwickelt habe, war am 24. Oktober beim Citizen Science Tag im Berliner Museum für Naturkunde zu Gast, und es wurde eifrig geraten und gespielt! ➔
Das Tierspuren-Quiz, das ich zusammen mit der Fährtenleserin Stefanie Argow für Stadtwildtiere.de, das Citizen Science Projekt des Leibniz-Instituts für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung, entwickelt habe, war am 28./29. September bei »Wissenschecker – Weltentdecker« im FEZ Berlin zu Gast, und es wurde eifrig geraten und gespielt! ➔
Along with tracker Stefanie Argow and Dr. Sarah Kiefer of Stadtwildtiere.de, the citizen science project for urban wildlife by Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), I designed a quiz with the trails of Berlin wildlife! The game is aimed primarily at children and used for events. The premiere is next weekend at FEZ Berlin! ➔
The Niedersächsische Landesforsten (forest administration of Lower Saxony), for whose »Waldstück« magazine I’ve drawn shoots and buds of 16 common trees, allowed me to use my graphics freely – so I’ve set them up in my own retro school wall chart layout, and now they’re available at the Posterlounge (also via Amazon and eBay!). ➔
Today, I was very happy to receive my fresh specimens of the fall issue of »Waldstück«, the awesome free magazine by Niedersächsische Landesforsten! For a kid’s poster inside that magazine, I illustrated 16 tree shoots and buds, for tree identification in winter. On the poster, my graphics are accompanied by some interesting information. ➔
The Niedersächsische Landesforsten (forest administration of Lower Saxony), for whose »Waldstück« magazine I’ve drawn silhouette, marking and habit of 15 typical water animals, allowed me to use my graphics freely – so I’ve set them up in my wall chart layout, and now they’re available at the Posterlounge (also via Amazon and eBay!). ➔
I am very pleased about my specimens of the special »Unterwegs« (issue 03/19) of LECKER magazine by Bauer Media Verlag, which next to delicious recipes for summer, picnic and travels shows my bird silhouettes on a full page! ➔
Today, I was very happy to receive my fresh specimens of the summer issue of »Waldstück«, the free magazine by Niedersächsische Landesforsten! For a kid’s poster inside that magazine, I illustrated 16 well-known animals living in and by the water. On the poster, my graphics are accompanied by some really interesting information. ➔
I am very delighted to receive my specimen copies of the teaching materials for natural sciences (5th to 10th grade) by Friedrich Verlag about the exciting topic »Fliegen – Bewegung in der Luft« (Flying – Movement in the Air; Issue 2/19), which is featuring my bird silhouettes poster as part of a very interesting work sheet about bird flight! ➔
For almost a year, I’m working with track reader Stefanie Argow, on an extended version of my animal tracks, which is already being used by WWF and IZW. For Steffis classes, I created a work sheet for Trittsiegelkunde (track science), featuring 10 species such as fox, cat, bagder, marten, rabbit, racoon, squirrel, hedgehog, deer and wild boar. ➔
Today, I was very happy to receive my fresh specimens of the spring issue of »Waldstück«, the awesome free magazine by Niedersächsische Landesforsten! For another kid’s poster inside the magazine, I illustrated the 15 most important forester tools. My graphics are accompanied by small photos of usage and some very interesting information. ➔
The Niedersächsische Landesforsten (forest administration of Lower Saxony), for whose »Waldstück« magazine I’ve recently drawn silhouette, marking and habit of 16 common forest animals, allowed me to use my graphics freely – so I have set them up in my wall chart layout, and they’re available at the Posterlounge (also via Amazon and eBay!). ➔
Today, I was very happy to receive my fresh specimens of the winter issue of »Waldstück«, the free magazine by Niedersächsische Landesforsten! For a kid’s poster inside that magazine, I illustrated the 16 most common native forest animals species. My graphics are accompanied by photos and some really interesting information. ➔
WWF Junior just published the article “War das eine Katze? Geh doch mal auf Spurensuche!” (“Was that a cat? Go out to read tracks!”) by professional trackreader Stefanie Argow – with one of the track illustrations she and I are creating in cooperation right now! Here, it’s the lynx, which can be mistaken for a cat or a lion, depending on its size. ➔
The simple, two-dimensional DIY advent calendar we made for Lily Lux a couple of years ago (including a detailed instruction how to use it with your own images) is available as a PDF for download! Above, you can see what the calendar looks like when it’s filled, and below we’re showing some other suggestions. Have fun! ➔
The Niedersächsischen Landesforsten (forest administration of Lower Saxony), with whom I recently have developed 30 graphics for tree fruits, nuts, cones and seeds, allowed me to use my illustrations freely – so I have now set them up in my own layout, and they’re already available at the Posterlounge (soon also via Amazon and eBay!). ➔
Today, I was very happy to receive my fresh specimens of the fall issue of »Waldstück«, the free magazine by Niedersächsische Landesforsten! For a kid’s poster, I illustrated 30 tree fruits, with help from the specialists. ➔
The Niedersächsischen Landesforsten, for whose »Waldstück« magazine I’ve drawn several identification sheets, decided to publish four posters with tree leaves, animal tracks, bird flights and tree silhouettes for usage in their forest centres! Christian Talla, who edits the posters so lovingly, brought them to Din A2 format. ➔
For some months now, between other projects, I’m working on an extended and more detailed version of my animal traces – together with track reader Stefanie Argow! This co-operation is really exciting for me, and I learn a lot. ➔
In August, the amazing Posterlounge is celebrating its 15th birthday! I’d like to wholeheartedly congratulate them, and I’m also happy to announce that all month long, there’s a 15% discount on everything (amongst many other posters, my own illustrations, infographics und life drawings!) with the code “HAPPY15”. Btw, I’m on board for 12 years :) ➔
The Niedersächsischen Landesforsten (forest administration of Lower Saxony), with whom I recently have developed 16 graphics for the typical silhouettes of different trees, allowed me to use my illustrations freely – so I have now set them up in my own layout, and they’re already available at the Posterlounge (soon also via Amazon and eBay!). ➔
Today, I am very happy to receive my fresh specimens of the summer issue of »Waldstück«, the free magazine by Niedersächsische Landesforsten! For a kid’s poster, I illustrated 15 typical trees, with help from the specialists. ➔