In the Spring of 2020, the sewing community heard the call for masks and rallied around the effort. As hospitals ran through their supplies of disposable masks, sewers donated homemade masks by the tens of thousands. With N95 masks (the federally tested and approved filtering facepiece respirators) in short supply, homemade masks were essential in the fight against COVID-19. And mask sewing remains important.
For many, this massive effort has evoked the memory of Rosie the Riveter and the wartime efforts of the 1940s.
Medallions for mask sewing
For New York City professional prop maker Jay Duckworth, the connection of efforts during the pandemic to a previous generation’s wartime efforts was obvious.
The stories of individuals who grew victory gardens and worked in factories during World War II were often lost over the years.
Jay was determined to not let recent efforts during the pandemic go unrecognized or let the stories be forgotten. Thousands of people were giving their time, their effort, and their stash to help save lives.
Jay says he believes that objects carry weight, physically and emotionally—a permanence that was missing in the wartime efforts. So he tapped into his expertise in prop making. He created adhesive-backed sewing machine tokens to honor home sewers who helped fight the spread of COVID-19.
Then he gave these tangible reminders to the hundreds of Broadway costume makers and designers who turned their shops into mini mask sewing factories. Now he sells the medallions to the general public on his Etsy store.
Jay has kindly given Threads 20 of these medallions for our audience. Placing the medallion on your machine will ensure future generations of sewers know what you and your machine did to save lives.
Enter to win
Enter the contest at https://www.instagram.com/p/COS8_mnnHR3/.
2021 Threads Jay Duckworth Medallion Sweepstakes
OFFICIAL RULES —
NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN
ELIGIBILITY: The 2021 Threads Jay Duckworth Medallion Sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the U.S. and Canada (except Quebec) who are at least 18 years old and not employees or contractors of The Taunton Press, Inc., publisher of Threads® magazine. Void where prohibited by law.
ENTRY PERIOD: Entries will be accepted only from 12:01 p.m. ET on April 30, 2021 through 11:59 p.m. ET on May 7, 2021. By entering, you agree to adhere to these Official Rules.
HOW TO ENTER: Follow @ThreadsMagazine on Instagram and enter the Sweepstakes by commenting on the post regarding Jay Duckworth’s sewing medallions.
PRIZE: 20 Jay Duckworth Metal Medallions will be awarded; each with an approximate retail value of $18.95.
DRAWING: On or about May 15, 2021, 20 winners will be chosen by random selection from among the posts received, and notified by e-mail. Odds of winning depend on total number of eligible entries received. Each Canadian resident winner will be required to correctly answer a skill-test question to receive a prize.
SPONSOR: The Taunton Press, Inc. 63 South Main St., Newtown, CT 06470; www.taunton.com
WINNERS LIST: You may write to Threads at [email protected] no later than July 15, 2021 and request a copy of the Winners List.
I do not have an Instagram account. Can I enter by any other means? Are the medallions in metal or plastic? Will they be available for purchase after the draw and at what cost? Merci!
The contest entry process is via Instagram. Jay does sell the medallions via his Etsy shop: https://etsy.me/39B6osj!
Not able to comment on Instagram - "Comments on this post have been limited". You have the contest open until 7 May but if one did not comment on the very first day we cannot comment. Play Fair!
Are you following the account? I have been able to add comments from personal accounts if I have followed Threads but not otherwise.