PLANO, Texas — Kris Stevenson first learned sewing when she was 10 years old from her mother. She says her mother would make all her clothes when she was growing up.
"Terrible clothes in the '70s, lots of double knit," Stevenson laughed.
But she probably never thought that skill would come in handy years later.
Stevenson is a band mom, and has two children in band at Plano schools. In June she took on the daunting task of outfitting all band instruments with masks and coverings to help keep students safe from COVID-19.
"My first reaction was, 'How can we figure this thing out?'" she said.
At first, she was afraid she wasn't going to get enough volunteers to help make the masks. She immediately started working on the designs and 70 parents were on board to help sew the masks.
"If you have a wind instrument, you have it," said one band member at Plano Senior High.
It is tedious work, and each instrument requires a special kind of covering. She is thankful to the boosters and band parents and a shop called Fabric Fanatics.
Stevenson said the shop donated lots of fabric and ordered all the school color fabric at cost. She says the owner of the store also happens to be a former band mom.
"It's a group of people you'll have as friends for the rest of your life," said Theresa, another band parent working on masks.
At full count, Stevenson estimates they have more than 1,000 coverings and masks to make for eight school bands. She says the group is about a third of the way there.
Stevenson even created a YouTube channel to help navigate band parents through how to make each covering.
