By Brooke Geery
Wearing a mask is a lot more fun if it’s colorful and exciting, and Vermont’s artist community knows that! Several local artists have gotten in on the action, producing stylish creations that make wearing a mask just a little bit better.
Ashley Carter of Sweet Potato Accessories in Mendon has been hard at work creating masks since the start of the pandemic.
“My Nana was a registered nurse who taught me the importance of infection control, so I knew right away that I needed to protect myself, my children, and others from the threat of sickness. Some of my first mask requests came from a postal worker, a pregnant mother, and a senior living facility,” Carter said. To date she has made about 2,000 masks and donated over 500. She currently sells them through facebook.com/sweetpotatoaccessories and has received orders from 13 states and counting. Most notably, she has a full line of masks especially for children and toddlers. They come in a variety of prints, from sports teams to cartoon characters.
Another local mask-maker is Small Batch Design in White River Junction. “My passions are color and cotton and it is my mission is to create for you high quality, handcrafted items in the midst of an era of runway-to-trash fashion,” said owner Wendy Windsor. In addition to masks for humans, Small Batch offers a matching set for you and your pooch for $27.50. Two styles of human masks are available at smallbatchdesigncompany.com for $12-$15.
Swan & Stone Milnery, a collective of two people and six sheep in Brandon, also offers a wide variety of patterns and colors, ranging from $12-$20. Some stand-outs include bikes, scissors and Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Frida Kalo designs. And they don’t just look good, they’re comfortable, too.
“All masks are made with 100% cotton fabric, have side pleats, two darts for the nose and one for the chin—all for the best fit. We have been told by many customers that these are the most comfortable masks they’ve tried!” Swan & Stone says on its website, swanandstone.com.
Of course this is just the tip of the Vermont artisan iceberg, but with so many creative people hard at work, you’re sure to be able track down a mask that suits you best!.
