Princeton Sewing Studio Crafts 1,000 Hospital Gowns, Masks

PRINCETON, NJ — Jennifer Cura, owner of Patchwork Bear in Princeton and Hopewell mother, is busy sewing away to help fill an urgent and immediate need for hospital gowns and masks amid the new coronavirus pandemic.

Cura first heard about the shortage from a friend and Capital Health Emergency Room Dr. Garrett Sutter who had asked if she could help sew some gowns and masks.

After a gown design, pattern and material were selected Cura's small sewing studio at 162 Nassau St. in Princeton, was asked to craft hundreds of gowns.

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"With an approved pattern in hand, they now wanted hundreds of gowns made as soon as possible. What? I have a small sewing studio for The Patchwork Bear, but we aren't able to produce hundreds of gowns — we make memory bears!" Cura said. "It was a challenge to find a cut/sew manufacturer that wasn't closed due to the coronavirus pandemic."

Cura reached out to Switlik Survival Products in Trenton and teamed up to start helping out the frontline workers.

"Now that we know how to make them, it is much faster! Switlik is making most of the isolation gowns at their facility in Trenton; I am making gowns and facemasks from my now relocated home studio/office," Cura said. "Due to the stay at home order, I moved most of the sewing machines and studio to my house. The perks are that now my daughter and son know how to use a sewing machine."

In the first two weeks, Cura and her team were able to make more than 600 isolation gowns and 300 of masks. They have since made more than 1,000 gowns. The goal is to make 2,000 gowns and 1,000 masks.

The isolation gowns are going to local hospitals in New Jersey and masks are going to local physician offices, essential workers and the Army Corps of Engineers — who are building temporary COVID-19 facilities throughout the country, Cura said.

Since kicking this off, "we are in full swing making masks and gowns while continuing to work on memory bears and quilts," Cura said.

To learn more about Patchwork Bear or to order masks visit facebook.com/patchworkbear or thepatchworkbear.com or 609-285-2591. To make a donation visit gofundme.com/f/masks-amp-isolation-gowns-for-er-staff-covid19.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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