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When Williamsburg County Clerk of Court Sharon Staggers isn’t performing her duties, she’s sewing outfits but since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, her focus has turned to producing masks.  

Photo by Michaele Duke

When she’s not performing her duties as Clerk of Court for Williamsburg County, Sharon Staggers is sewing stunning garments. Now that the Coronavirus has drastically changed the way we live, Staggers has turned her talents to a much-needed accoutrement. 

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Piles of fabric are ready to become masks for public and medical use. Sharon Staggers has been producing the masks since she became aware of the need. To date she has sewn over 200 pieces of the protective wear.                                  Photo by Michaele Duke

In the middle of March, Staggers decided to create a mask after she saw the need on social media. “I kept seeing the little popups on Instagram where people were asking about face masks. I thought, well, it wouldn’t be hard to do a face mask so I created a little pattern on cardboard.” She posted the completed mask on her social media page. Within a week she was overwhelmed with orders. 

Staggers has been sewing for years. Her specialty is women’s outfits but when it came to the safety of citizens, she didn’t hesitate to do her best to fulfill friend’s requests. “Small things like this goes along, long, way,” she said. “I never would have thought this would take off from me just posting that one mask.”  

Specific orders have run the gambit. Popular patterns include football teams and hearts but there have been requests for specific design that reflect a person’s profession. “I had one ask for something Christ-like,” she said. “His will be a custom mask with a design on the front.”

One type of mask is made for the medical profession is triple thick with an inner cotton filter lining. Staggers also makes one for the general public or can be worn over the N9H protective equipment. Both come in a selection of patterns and sizes (even kids) and are washable. 

Staggers produces one mask every eight minutes with the help of her husband Vincent. The only problem she has encountered is finding the elastic bands that hold the mask to the face. In two weeks she has made over 200 masks and doesn’t plan to slow down as requests are now coming from other states. “I have over 100 orders right now,” she said. “I’m glad I can help produce something in times like this. Who would have thought we’d be in this situation that we’re in now?”

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