This Tri-Cities woman made 700 masks — and gave them to nurses for free

It began with a request from a 9-year-old — that her mom sew a mask for her to wear to the store.

That was just a few weeks ago. Now, Johanna Stephens has a booming production line in her Pasco dining room and has pumped out over 700 masks, and she’s not slowing down.

Before coronavirus hit, Stephens had an in-home sewing studio, making clothes and costumes. And she was in the process of transitioning her small business to focus more on home and party decorating.

Then the demand for masks skyrocketed.

“I figured, ‘Why not just make this now and help people out?’ “ she said.

At first it was primarily health care workers who were reaching out to her for masks.

“We didn’t feel comfortable selling them so we just said, ‘Let’s give them to people,’” Stephens said.

In return, Stephens asked that people donate materials such as cloth and thread to continue production. The response was immediate and beyond what all expectations.

“One woman brought a whole tote worth of fabric,” she said.

Eventually, they got so many fabric donations they were no longer in need of materials and had to change gears.

“Now we just ask people to bring snacks, or toilet paper, or hand sanitizer, or wipes and in return we give them a mask for the stuff they give to us,” Stephens said.

She gives the supplies to health care workers who have a hard time finding those supplies at stores.

Her daughter, Coco — the most enthusiastic of her three children for helping on the production line — helps trim the excess thread from the serger stitches that bind the three layers cloth together.

Coco also writes inspiring notes like “Never give up,” “Keep trying” and “Have an awesome day,” to go with the masks in the zip-top bags.

“If someone is having a bad day, when they pick up their mask and then there’s a note in there and they read it and it’s nice, it might warm their heart,” Coco said.

In return, the “Thank you” notes have poured in, along with a series of videos on their Ring doorbell of people dancing and waving and thanking them.

Coco’s favorite is a man who dressed in a dragon onesie and did a silly dance for them.

Stephens is not the only seamstress in the community dedicating time to making masks. The Facebook group Tri-Cities Face Mask Makers has well over 1,000 members who share tips and tricks on finding materials, making masks and donating them to businesses and organizations that need them the most. The local Joann Fabric and Craft store also has mask-making kits for people to pick up for free and patterns and online tutorials for people to follow when sewing their masks. Stephens hopes everyone can do their part to help slow the virus and get back to something more normal.

“But I don’t really want to go back to school,” Coco added.