Welcome to the weekly Design Dispatch. This week we're talking homemade masks, our favorite DIY kits, and why we think baking bread is going to be the next big thing in cooking.

Design News:

While the CDC has not yet announced an expected update on their recommendation for the use of masks, the Bay Area and Los Angeles have begun urging residents to wear them and a growing number of citizens and medical professionals lacking PPE have begun to seek them out. To meet this need a grassroots movement has sprung up with professional seamstresses and DIY aficionados alike, creating homemade masks with their sewing machines. Here's how to get started:

If you want to DIY a version for yourself: if you know your way around a sewing machine, here are instructions for the type of masks that are being accepted by most medical professionals. If sewing isn't in your wheelhouse, check out this popular no-sew version.

If you want to donate homemade masks: check out the Million Mask project for everything you need to get started, you pledge to make between 10-100 masks, and they provide instructions and patterns. They have an active hashtag on twitter #millionmaskchallange and a Facebook group you can join for support. They donate their masks regionally but have a spreadsheet where you can find an org near you.

Kaiser Permanente is also accepting homemade masks and providing a specific pattern for making them.

If you want to purchase a mask: Etsy is an excellent place to start and has a wide variety of options, including child-sized masks.

If you want to support those sewing masks for others: consider purchasing from a company that donates masks, Hedley & Bennett sells buy one donate one masks for $22 (shipping in 1-2 weeks). And Buck Mason is producing anti-microbial five packs for $20, available for preorder now and shipping in 3-4 weeks.

Hosting a series of small Instagram auctions Artists Take Action is raising money for Covid-19 relief. If you're an artist you can mail in a piece to be auctioned (it just needs to fit into a 5x7 envelope), to bid on the artwork you leave a comment on the item on Instagram then donate directly to the organization of your choice. Submit your receipts to claim your prize.

Homemade bread is having a major moment right now, and it's all about the starter. You can follow the hashtag #quarantinystarter on Instagram right now to get inspired. If you want to make your own starter, here are some simple instructions, you just need a bit of time, patience and flour. If you're ready to try baking a loaf, here's an easy recipe, and if you want to get creative, here's how you can make your own bagels.

Local Interest:

Boba Guys may have shuttered their stores for the time being, but that doesn't mean you can't still get your Boba fix at home. The purveyors of the popular tea are releasing a cookbook with everything you need to know to craft your favorite drink from scratch. You can preorder The Boba Book now for $22.

On a related note, if you're looking for a way to support your local favorites, check out the Nom Nom bond. The quirky sounding "bond" works like this: you spend $200 on its purchase and receive $75 gift cards to the four participating businesses, a 20% savings. The cards provide support while needed most then can be cashed in when business resumes. They also have a series of perks for signing up, including a live-streamed entertainment event for the first 2,000 purchasers.

The Rabbit Hole Children's theater just announced they'll be selling "Bunny Boxes" for pickup or local delivery. The boxes are themed craft kits aimed at ages 3-6 and accompanied with ideas for complementary activities. They're also now offering online classes with options for pre-recorded classes ($5) or live zoom sessions ($10-$15).

Mr Holmes Bakehouse just announced two new kits they will be shipping nationally. One, to recreate their signature chocolate chip cookie, (you provide the butter and egg, but get to keep the recipe!) and the other includes everything you need to bake your own bread including a starter you can maintain and reuse, as they put it- for the next 100 years.

Listen:

I was first introduced to Larkin Poe at an intimate performance at Napa's Live in the Vinyard years ago, and the impression has never faded. It felt as though I had just stumbled onto a personal jam session where they played off of one another's energy and riffed back and forth. The duo of sisters still has a dynamic that's difficult to beat, and their new single Holy Ghost Fire is a gritty Roots Rock anthem, making it the perfect listen for these times.

That concludes our weekly Design Dispatch. If there is anything you would like to add to the list, feel free to leave a comment below, and if you have a tip for a future column, feel free to drop us a line.

Note: Face masks are not an alternative to social distancing but an added precaution for essential trips outside. They are not an effective alternative to N95 masks, but as those should be reserved for front line workers, they are being used in the hopes of limiting the spread of this disease. For up to date information and recommendations on Covid-19, please visit the CDC website.

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