Two are better than one. That’s what Savannah and Jamie Aguilera agreed when they decided to make cotton masks for hospital employees and essential workers in the Lehigh Valley.

“My mom showed me a Facebook post from Masks for the Lehigh Valley explaining they were looking for people to make masks that would be distributed to essential workers,” said Savannah, a ninth-grade student at Northampton Area High School.

“We first brought out the sewing machine and made our first mask March 22. It took us two-and-a-half hours to make one,” Savannah said.

Over time, the Aguileras, who live in Allen Township, have been able to shorten that time to 10 to 12 minutes per mask. Another impressive fact in their work is the number of masks made. As of press time, Savannah and Jamie have made more than 330 masks.

Savannah said, “We donated 118 masks through Masks of the Lehigh Valley, and 20 have been donated to friends and family who are essential workers.”

In addition to making masks for local hospitals and those who work at an essential business, Savannah and Jamie have also made masks for others in the community and beyond.

“We started out making masks for Masks for the Lehigh Valley. After posting pictures of masks we had completed online, we received many requests for masks and started acquiring our own supplies to fulfill orders,” Jamie said.

“With our orders from Facebook, we have been able to ship masks to Texas, Florida, Ohio, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We are hoping to be able to accommodate as many orders as we can, but due to the lack of elastic, it has been difficult to fill orders,” Savannah said.

Thankfully, Savannah and Jamie were able to find elastic just recently and are taking orders again. They even started a Facebook page, Sweet Pea’s Sewing. Photos are posted, and a link is included for people to order masks.

Savannah said her mother and father pick up, wash and cut the fabric, while she does a lot of the actual sewing, with help from Jamie at night and on weekends.

Before all this sewing could begin, Savannah needed a quick review of how to use a sewing machine. While a student at Northampton Area Middle School, she learned how to operate the machine and had taught her mother the basics of sewing. To freshen up, Savannah watched a tutorial on YouTube.

“Because of COVID-19, I knew masks would eventually be needed,” Savannah said.

They had the knowledge, sewing machine and leftover fabric. Soon, the first mask was made.

A sewing machine, fabric and elastic are not all you need though. To make a mask, you also need a ruler, scissors, a rotary cutter and thread, Savannah noted.

The masks come in all different colors, patterns and styles, including various characters, floral, sports teams and camouflage.

Additionally, “all fabric is prewashed prior to sewing and, once complete, is placed into a zipped bag and delivered to either the [Masks for the Lehigh Valley] group or sent to the person who ordered,” Jamie said.

Making these masks is just one way Savannah and Jamie are trying to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I have been doing cyber school this school year, so the virus has not affected me in that aspect, but I am an all-star cheerleader, and not being able to attend practices with my friends has been tough,” Savannah said. “Making masks helps give me something to look forward to - knowing I am helping people.

“Making the masks gives me a sense of worth, knowing I am helping people in my community. Although it is sad under the circumstances, I am glad I might be able to make someone’s day a little bit better with a fun and colorful mask,” Savannah added.

Jamie mentioned she also feels a sense of accomplishment and pride, especially for her daughter.

“It makes me feel very proud she is choosing to spend her time to help her community and those in need,” Jamie said. “Overall, we started this project together to help those in need and also fulfill a need in the community. It has helped me in times of this quarantine to keep my mind occupied after work hours and on weekends. We hope to continue our mask making as the need to keep people safe and protected when they leave their house will be a new normal moving forward.”