It has now been several months that I have been working on the concept of an online shop linked to my sewing advice blog.

The concept grows, evolves, changes... with a clear goal in mind: September 2020.

The name is already chosen, it will be: it's Joly!

Joly being my family name and the expression "c'est du joli" expresses a notion of playfulness dear to my heart.

We prepare, we think, we refine the concept... how will I announce this? Who will be my partners? What will be the flagship products to highlight?...

And then, bang, everything rushes... the covid 19 crisis arrives at the end of February.

The hospital must prepare to welcome patients. We are uncertain: how many, what condition will they be in, how will we ensure the safety of the staff?...

At the beginning of March, I myself am ill and to be useful, I look for information on the effectiveness of masks because we know we risk a shortage of protective equipment. I look for fabric donations for our institution so that our team of occupational therapists can make handmade mouth masks, which they will do and are still doing as I write to you.

On this occasion, I write an article on my blog which has been read more than 50,000 times to date.

Requests for mouth masks come from colleagues, family. I sew some, I give some away...

And then, the lack of supplies and the questions that come with it... how to replace elastics, cotton or polyester, 2 or 3 layers, where to find materials...

In short, I cannot continue like this... I must find materials that meet quality requirements (AFNOR).

It is in this selfless approach that the idea of opening the shop earlier than planned came about to allow everyone (even those who do not know how to sew) to benefit from a suitable protective mask.

So I order these supplies and tell myself that I must be able to provide masks to all who need them:

• at a fair price,
• meeting standards and recommendations,
• easily accessible.

Some might be critical of this approach because it is true that it is possible to get masks for free in some places, at certain times. I myself took part in this wave of generosity by giving masks freely. However, my budget as well as that of other seamstresses is limited and I cannot afford to order materials without asking for a financial contribution.

Therefore, the masks are offered at reasonable prices (based on the cost of raw materials and sewing time) for those who cannot obtain free masks or who cannot make them themselves.