Monthly Finale & Winner!

I'm so excited to share that we not only met our goal for our August monthly project, but if you've been following along with our updates on facebook, you already know, we have exceeded our goal!!!

FINAL COUNT:

290 Cloth Pads/Liners

128 Shields

 YAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

You all have blown  me away with your enthusiasm and participation with this project! Thank you so much to each of you that has helped spread the word and a special thanks to each of you that has sewn along with me this month, I've soooo enjoyed your company, AND.....We did it!!! We reached our goal! And just imagine the difference these pads will make in the lives of young women across the world! The time and materials you contributed are truly an investment in their lives!

I know many of you have or will be sending your pads to Days For Girls and if you want to continue making pads, I know they would welcome your continued support!

I just received word that the ones I had sent to Cambodia had been received and she would be taking them into the village on her next visit. She commented how the women there especially appreciate practical things, so I look forward to hearing their reaction to these! :)

Now for the WINNER of the amazing Back To School Prize Pack filled with all these goodies...

 
2 Izzy & Ivy Designs Patterns

The Messenger Bag

Addy Jo Skirts

 With a fabulous size range from 1-14!

+++++++PLUS+++++++

Your choice of 3 Whimsy Couture Sewing e-books AND 2 Yards of Designer Fabric!

+++++++PLUS+++++++

 I will be including this Large Coloring Bag pattern AND a stack of 55 of my Scrappy Charms!

+++++++PLUS+++++++

A kit to create  FIVE clipboard locker magnets, perfect for back to school!  These are so fun, and even your kids will love creating these!

a Custom Graphic design, of your choice...

AND a $10 Papa Murphy's Pizza Gift Card

The Winner, drawn by my personal assistant is......

Brooke!!!
 Congratulations Brooke!!!!
I'll be sending you an email shortly, BUT...if you see this first, just email me with your mailing address and the email you prefer for contact.

Again, thank you all soooo much for spreading the word and sewing along!
And thank you to Izzy & Ivy, Whimsy Couture and Carlee @ Ladybird Ln. for helping to provide this great prize pack!
 
I'll announce the monthly project for September next Tuesday, the 6th after the holiday weekend!

3 Days - 9 Pads

WOW! We are almost there!

3 days left to ENTER and ONLY 9 pads from our goal of 250!
WAAAAAAHOOOOOOO!!! :)
I am so excited about all of your interest and support with this project. I have been touched by your emails and your desire to make a difference in the lives of young girls across the globe. Thank you!

As a quick reminder, if you sew/donate at least 5 cloth pads, remember, you are eligible to enter to win our BACK TO SCHOOL PRIZE PACK full of all kinds of creative goodies!

2 patterns from Izzy & Ivy


3 pattern e-books & 2y designer fabric from


 Pattern & 55 Charm Pack from

5 Locker Notes craft sets, your own blog button & $10 pizza gift card from

Don't miss your chance!Get all the details and ENTER HERE!
Thanks again! Good Luck! And, Happy Monday!

Let's Fill The Bus!!!

As you sew cloth pads for our Back To School project this month comment or email me the number you have made so I can add it to our goal tracker! 

Let's Fill That Bus!!!!

250 Cloth Pads for girls in need

47 I've made so far

203 needed yet to meet the goal

Loads of free patterns, tutorials and resources available...
Girls Only Project
Jan Andrea
Sew Your Own
Tiny Birds
DonatePads.org
Days For Girls
Reusable Menstrual Products

And I have walked you through...
Serged Cloth Pads
Adjustable Absorbency Pads + Template
and
Simple Cloth Pads

I know we can do it!!! :)

Simple Cloth Pad

The last two pad options I've shared included wrap around wings. Wings are very handy on cloth pads, but they also require the extra step of adding snaps or velcro as a closure. Today I want to share with you a couple of simple cloth pad options that will not require either. 

I want everyone who wants to participate to feel like they can. And every single pad, regardless of style or options will be a blessing! As a reminder from DonatePads.org of the need we are trying to fill , "If they cannot afford disposables (or there are none available) they have to use whatever they can find. Often leaves or newspapers, cloth rags if they are lucky."

 With that perspective, let me offer you some super simple options for cloth pads. These can be made by either sewing or serging and I will share the details for both. Seriously as easy as 1, 2, 3!

STEP 1: Cut 2 layers of flannel in either a square shape, mine are 10x10 or...

... 2 layers, 4 inches by the width of your fabric in long strips. (I simply folded my flannel with selvedge ends together and then the 4" strips were already doubled.)

STEP 2: Either serge or sew, turn & top-stitch around the parameter of your cut layers.

STEP 3: For the squares, tri-fold them across, and...

...for the strips, tri-fold them lengthwise, and you're done!

 Seriously! It's that easy to make a significant difference in the life and education of a young woman! 

There you have it! A neat and lovely stack of soft and absorbent goodness ready to bless another.

And if you have any question about whether it really makes a difference and whether the items are really used, jump over to the facebook page of Days For Girls and soak up a bit of their overwhelming gratitude! You can also take a look at the variety of different pads they are delighted to receive.

"Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.... You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

As always, email me if you have any questions at all! I'm happy to help!

 p.s.  as a Bonus to just getting to feel great by helping another, we're going to be offering a Grand Prize Gift Pack of all kinds of "back to school" sewing fun to one of you that sews along!!! I'll open a "linky" next week to allow you to begin showing off your work and tell us who you are sending your pads to. It's going to be fun!!!!

Pad progress....are you making any???

Hope your week is going great! Wanted to take a minute to share my results and input from the Adjustable Absorbency Pads.

I love the way these turned out!

I used flannel again for the outer & inner layers, with the absorbent core made of 2 layers of terry cloth. While these pads do not have the waterproof backing provided by the PUL on the Serged Pads, they will still be a very absorbent, easy to use option.

The finished pads from the template I provided earlier this week are 10" long x 4" wide plus the wrap around wings. I used snaps again, but small pieces of velcro sewn on the wings would work as well.

The pocket opening on the bottom of the pad will allow for additional absorbent layers to be neatly added if needed. This too was an easy to sew cloth pad, and I finished 19 like this. Added to the 21 I made of the serged pad option, that will be a total of 40 pads headed to Cambodia next week! I'm pleased!

Not to mention, that nearly puts us at 20% of our GOAL OF 250 PADS this month!

 

So, how about you all? Any pad sewing progress to share? If so, I'd love to see, so please leave a link in the comments! If this goal is going to be reached we're going to have to have your help!

And since we know how everyone loves giveaways and prizes, we have more of that planned for those of you that do indeed sew along and help us reach that goal of 250 cloth pads....details to come early next week. :) If you have any questions at all as you are sewing, don't hesitate to give me a shout, I'm more than happy to help any way I can!

Have a great weekend!

 By the way...If you haven't entered the Izzy & Ivy Pattern Bundle Giveaway this week, there's still time! Click on over there, get the details and get yourself entered for some of the cutest patterns available! :)

Sharing at:
Someday Crafts
Ladybird Ln.
The Southern Institute
and...

Serged Cloth Pads

If you have a serger, I wanted to share another free pad pattern. This is a super quick and easy pattern from JayeJaye.

I had never used this pattern, and my serger strongly protests PUL, but I still had 21 pads made in one evening of sewing. Point being, it really is quick & easy!

 Print the PDF pattern linked above and cut out. Directions are printed right on the pattern, as seen below.

 The first step is to cut your 8x8 square layers from absorbent fabric, I used cotton flannel. Then, serge around the edges of your 8x8 square layers which will serve as the tri-fold pad.

 

 Then, you'll sew one side of of the 8x8 tri-fold to the top layer(s) of the pad. Stitch line is again marked on the pattern print out. 

 I used PUL scraps I had on hand from other projects to provide a waterproof bottom layer, but you can also use fleece, wool or even additional layers of flannel or other cotton fabrics.

 I still need to add snaps to wings of the pads, but I'm very pleased with the turn out. You could also sew small pieces of velcro as an alternate closure. (wish my serger would have cooperated for prettier stitching, but they are certainly functional!)

NOTE: One advantage to this tri-fold style of cloth pad is easier, more thorough washing and faster drying. Considering that many of our recipients will not have the convenience of washers & dryers like most of us, this style may be a more practical and appealing option.

At this rate, I may have to raise that target goal of 250 pads though! ;)
I'll try another pad pattern soon and share the results of it as well.
Hope you're having a great week of sewing too!

 Don't forget to check out the Fat Quarter Shop Giveaway we have going on this week too!!!