On April 15, 2020

Killington resident sews masks for area employees

By Katy Savage

If you see someone wearing a fabric facemask in the Killington area, it was likely made by Jane Johnson.

Johnson has made 70 facemasks so far for employees at Killington Market, Sushi Yoshi, Sunup Bakery, iPie Pizzaria, the Killington town office, Mountain Merchant and BJ’s Wholesale Club. She’s also given masks to the post office workers as well as FedEx and UPS drivers.

“It’s really fun to go into these stores and see everyone wear them,” Johnson said.

Johnson started sewing 25 years ago, after she and her husband bought their first home.

“I started making window treatments in our house,” she said.

Johnson soon started making window treatments for friends and family in addition to table cloths and baby gifts.

The Vermont Department of Health started recommending that everyone wear a mask or cover their face in public on April 6, but Johnson started the masks weeks before that from leftover cotton squares she had from a quilt project.

Johson based the pattern for her masks on one she found online.

She calls the masks “mask swag.” It takes about 15 minutes to complete each one.

“It’s cute and fashionable in a Vermont way,” she said. “It’s very distinctive—checkered patterns and plaids of all colors. They’re bright and cheerful. I try to make patterns so they appeal to everybody.”

Like other restaurants, Sushi Yoshi is closed to the public, but still accepting takeout orders. Sushi Yoshi co-owner Nate Freund said his employees, who have worn ski masks every day, would welcome Johnson’s masks.

Johnson’s brother Christopher Weiss, of Washington, D.C., has worn Johnson’s masks on bike rides everyday.

“She shipped them down here,” he said. “I didn’t have access to much of a facemask. They’re hard to find.”

Weiss said Johnson has always found a way to be active in her community.

“It’s what Jane does,” he said.

Johnson and her husband moved to Killington from Pennsylvania full time two years ago, after owning a condominium at Mountain Green for about 10 years.

Johnson’s husband teaches at Fordham Law School in New York City a few days a week while Johnson is an ambassador at Killington Resort.  Johnson also recently obtained her Vermont real estate license.

“We feel such a great sense of community in Killington,” she said.

Johnson’s neighbor Sue Durant has also made fabric masks for homecare workers at the Visiting Nurses Association as well as friends and family.

Johnson and Durant have also exchanged materials so they don’t have to go to the store. Durant estimates she’s made 44 masks.

“It makes me feel like I’m actually doing something positive for the community,” Durant said.

Johnson said she’s still taking orders for people who want masks.

“It’s honestly almost selfish because it’s been so much fun for me,” she said. “It’s providing something that may in some little tiny way help.  I’m here to make them for whoever wants them.”

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

RRMC unveils first Mamava Lactation Pod in Rutland County

February 5, 2025
Rutland Regional Medical Center (RRMC) installed the first Mamava Lactation Pod in Rutland County on Jan. 27, offering a private and accessible space for nursing parents. The state-of-the-art pod is located on the main level near the Allen Street entrance and accessible via the Mamava app. The initiative began in September 2024 when a new…

Rutland’s library is old, outdated so why is upgrading proving to be so challenging?

February 5, 2025
By Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger Seeking an epic story? The Rutland Free Library can offer Homer’s “The Odyssey,” a sprawling saga of angry gods and mythical monsters. Or J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” a page-turner rife with man-eating trolls and boulder-throwing giants. Or J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, a seven-part crusade against an evil wizard and a deadly curse.…

KSAR rescues lost hiker just in time

February 5, 2025
By Curt Peterson On Saturday, Jan. 11, six Killington Search and Rescue (KSAR) volunteers found a lost hiker deep in the snowy forest. It may have been the luckiest and unluckiest day of his life. According to Killington Police Chief Whit Montgomery, the call citing a lost hiker needing rescue came from the Vermont State…

Teachers are ‘burned out’ competing with cell phones in schools

February 5, 2025
By Polly Mikula Vermont lawmakers have introduced a bill to ban cell phones and other electronic devices in public and independent schools from the start of the school day until dismissal — often called bell-to-bell — and prohibits schools from using social media to communicate with students. The bill, H.54, is intended to reduce the burden on…