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Many More Colors

19 Jan

Many more colors…

30 liners
30 more liners
20 liners
Each liner has PUL (polyurethane laminate) middle covered with colorful cotton fabrics (both sides). One side has two pockets. Snaps are added to wings as part of the kit assembly process.

These 80 liners plus 320 reversible tri-fold flannel pads (featured in last week’s post) provide the labor intensive items for 40 kits distributed by Days for Girls International.

http://www.daysforgirls.org

The maroon/chartreuse plaid and graphic bird fabrics were not so cute as separate remnants….I love these fabrics together as liners.

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Many colors

12 Jan

Many kits of many colors….I remember a song…about Many Colors….a “Coat of Many Colors” recorded in 1971 by Dolly Parton.

And oh I couldn’t understand it, for I felt I was rich
And I told them of the love my momma sewed in every stitch
And I told ’em all the story momma told me while she sewed
And how my coat of many colors was worth more than all their clothes

Reversible, tri-fold flannel pads. Enough for 8 pads to go into 24 kits.

Reversible, tri-fold flannel pads. Enough for 8 pads to go into 24 kits.

The song concludes with Dolly Parton singing the moral of her story:

But they didn’t understand it, and I tried to make them see
One is only poor, only if they choose to be
Now I know we had no money, but I was rich as I could be
In my coat of many colors my momma made for me

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_Many_Colors_(song)

Volunteers for Days for Girls International are like mothers to girls all around the world needing dignity every day of the month by making menstrual hygiene kits with bold, bright colors.

These kits are made with love by thousands of volunteers around the world or by local women filling the need for their own community. Quality matters because women and girls depend on this product, and kits have to endure frequent washing in harsh conditions.

Q: Does it really matter how they look?
A: Yes, because she not only will count on it, she will often have it with her. No, it doesn’t have to be beautiful to be functional, but she notices and appreciates when the kit is beautiful and that helps break shame and stigma.
​

From: Days for Girls International  http://www.daysforgirls.org/#!whats-in-a-kit/c623

As I pack my finished liners (made with PUL, pockets, wings and snaps) with 8 reversible, tri-fold, topstitched flannel pads…my goal is to have 12 different color and/or patterned fabrics bundled for each kit…three different fabrics used making each liner, eight different fabrics for the pads plus the twelfth fabric for the bag the kit is packed in.

Dolly Parton said and sang it best…that is RICH!

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Better than a Scavenger Hunt

24 Nov
Office assistant Eve: "Don't you have something better to do?" We are sewing items for Days for Girls International

Office assistant Eve: “Don’t you have something better to do?”

We support Days for Girls International with donations of items for kits.

Days for Girls International

Lessons learned from preparing 4 shipments of feminine hygiene reversible, tri-fold flannel pads and liners with wings, pockets, PUL and snaps.

In order to make hundreds of pads and dozens of liners from dozens of yards of flannel and cotton print at home on a single sewing machine:  STAGING is essential for sanity in my attic sewing room.

Notion 1:  DfGI suggested purchasing flannel in 2.5 yard increments.

Problems:  Shrinkage after washing. Fabric twist.  Variations in width of 4″ (bolt to bolt).

Consequence:  Enough remnant strips and blocks to make two twin size coverlets.

Lesson 1:  Buy flannel in 4.12-4.25 yard increments.

Beautiful flannel (left) plus batik cotton (right)

Beautiful flannel (left) plus batik cotton (right)

Lesson 2:  After wash & dry, cut one yard at a time, then cut (4) 9″ strips, then cut strips into usually 8″ blocks.

Lesson 3:  Stack flannel 8″X9″ blocks right sides together.  Bag 8 pairs of blocks in gallon size ziplock bags for easy counts, grab to sew and go…  (Plus the ziplock bags are available for the finished kit.)

WIP Flannel blocks staged to cut corners

WIP Flannel blocks staged to cut corners

Notion 2:  Pack shipping boxes when sewing complete.

Lesson 4:  Use shipping boxes for Work In Progress!  Saves a LOT of space, especially since the boxes fit in closet.

Shipping box first used for Work In Process (WIP)

Shipping box first used for Work In Process (WIP)

Just like all elves this time of year, Elfcroft is completing the items needed for kits delivered all around the world (over 70 countries).

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