Sewing machines and other crafts essentials could be in short supply for the immediate future as COVID-19 increases demand for mask making equipment across the country.
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Tom Peters, one of the owners of Dubbo Sewing Machines and Patchwork, says that the store has been 'cleaned out' of sewing elastic and some of their fabrics by customers as the COVID crisis deepens.
"That's what they're doing it for, they're making masks either to sell online or they're sending them down to their family and friends in Melbourne, or even just using them up here for themselves," Mr Peters said.
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Mr Peters said the entire situation, both in Victoria and elsewhere was 'unfortunate', and added that there was unlikely to be any large resupplies.
"We just can't get any right now, they're out of stock in Australia for elastics, it'll be at least another six weeks wait they told us today," Mr Peters said.
"A shipment came in just recently, and it's all been allocated down to Victoria, that's where it's all going at the moment."
Mr Peters said some of his store's own supplies had already been donated to hospitals in the region in order to help ensure there were enough masks to go around.
"That's what it's all about right now, making masks and things, people seem to be getting ready for when they've got to wear them themselves, or sending them down to family," Mr Peters said.
"We're trying to keep it for the people who are making it for their own family."
"Right now, the best place to go to for masks would have to be the hospital websites."
Elastics and fabrics aren't the only stock in short supply, with sewing machines themselves also experiencing an uptick in sales at the moment.
"There's a lot of machines going out at present, we're short on machines because we've just got none coming in, people during the pandemic are starting to do things for themselves."