Interview: Mikaela Fish, undergraduate costume shop assistant

I hope to share many of these profiles of the people who--careers disrupted--are sewing the masks that are slowing the spread of coronavirus. I try to keep them  Today's guest is Mikaela Fish of Evansville, IN. 

What is your profession in non-pandemic times?

 
I’m a senior undergrad at USI. I was employed by the USI costume shop and also a costume designer and costume shop coordinator for Saint Mary of the Woods College. 

What sorts of projects would you be working on, were we living in normal times? 

In normal times I would have been designing a show, organizing costume storage, and building for our student show and musical, Little Shop of Horrors.

That's so disappointing, to miss out on all the fun costumes in Little Shop, especially the carnivorous plant! I'm so sorry. What spurred you to start sewing masks? 

 

I started making masks when the hospital in my college town (Deaconess) came out with a pattern and tutorial and asked for donations. 

Wow, when i read the article about the Deconess call for masks, that's when I started sewing them! I've been using that same pattern. Are you affiliated with one of the larger initiatives like Masks4All, Mask Crusaders, etc., or if not, for whom do you make your PPE? 

 

I am currently making Deaconess masks for donations to family and friends, local health care centers, and food distributors. I was also hired by a company to make professionally engineered masks for their factory workers. 

I have given masks to anyone who has asked me for one (no professional) and asked $2 per mask if they offered to pay--this allowed me to cover costs for all donations as well. Another way people have helped is bringing me sheets/pillowcases since there has been a shortage so that I can keep sewing with the best materials!

 
Thanks so much for including me! Sorry for late response, I was sewing 😊

Thank you for taking time out of your sewing schedule to share your story with us! 

 

Riley, my new supervisor