Tag Archives: global

Three bags full…times TWO

24 Apr

Days for Girls International mission is to provide reusable feminine hygiene products to underserved women and girls around the world since 2008.

https://www.daysforgirls.org

Unexpected opportunity to provide above Elfcroft’s normal capacity making trip-fold flannel pads and liners with PUL, pockets and wings….drum roll!  staying home during the coronavirus!  Made possible by JoAnn’s Fabrics staying open.  I did need to restock fabric, thread and PUL.

Each of the 3 bags supports 10 kits with 8 flannel pads and 2 liners for 80 pads and 20 liners.

What we are looking at here totals 480 pads and 120 liners supporting 60 kits.  The Avon DfGI Chapter completes the kit drawstring bag, panties, wash cloth, etc.

 

 

Global and Local missions: Sewing

30 Jan

A New Year to sew for Days for Girls International feminine hygiene kits and shower caddies for the residents of Indianapolis’s Wheeler Mission for Women and Children.

DfGI was launched in 2008 and have delivered kits to 140 countries.  Two of the sewn items for the DfGI kit (shown above) are shields (2/kit) and flannel tri-fold pads (8/kit).  Add panties, wash cloth, soap, bag for soiled plus instructions.  The Avon Chapter is preparing 70 kits for the Dominican Republic.  Enterprise zones are organized in-country around the world to produce kits for their own use.  Check out the official information:

https://www.daysforgirls.org

A local group of friends and colleagues deliver functional gift bags @ Christmas to WM for 72 women.  Shower caddies are made of outdoor fabric with four exterior pockets.  The bags are filled with socks, gloves, nail polish, note pads, calendar, marker and many more small gifts.  Here we go again in 2020!

Shower caddies

*500*

26 May

Indianapolis has hosted the 500 mile Indy Car Race on Memorial Day weekend for over 100 years!

https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/indy500

Just as predictable as Race Day…are peonies in bloom on Race Day

I’m thinking of 500 for another reason….as I near completion of 5,000 items for Days for Girls International.

Each Days for Girls kit has 11 sewn items made by volunteers around the world.  Days for Girls delivers feminine hygiene kits globally.

I have volunteered since 2014.  After some months, I chose to concentrate on making the reversible trifold flannel pads and the top stitched shields with pockets, wings and PUL (polyurethane laminate).  (The drawstring bags, seen in most DfGI photos, make the 11th sewn item for each kit.)  Volunteer’s choice!

In my case, focusing on pads and shields…

4,000 pads (8/kit) and 1,000 shields (2/kit) means that I have supported 500 kits with 91% of the sewn content.

(Purchased items include panties, wash cloth, soap, ziplock freezer bags.)

Sewing includes purchasing your materials (some donated).

4,000 pads:  I get 10/yard.  Drum roll…400 yards of flannel

1,000 shields:  6.5/yard (front, back and 2 pockets)…150 yards of cotton print

1,000 shields also require lining (60″w)…40 yards of PUL

I have 54 empty spools that had 500 yds ea …27,000 yards of thread

It is a pleasure to support DfGI’s mission to support every girl PERIOD.

https://www.daysforgirls.org

 

Globe Trotting

16 Jan

Since 2014, I have made a list of countries travelled to by friends and family.  In five years the list is:

Thailand, Ecuador, Peru, Sweden

Germany, Australia, Canada

China, Japan, Mexico

Scotland, Iceland, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Spain, England, France, Holland, Italy

Switzerland, Israel, Argentina

Jamaica, Haiti

My interest in world travel started early.  My grandmother brought dolls in native dress home as gifts for my sisters and me.  (Perhaps that is another post.)

From an early Elfcroft post (and a suggestion for my globe trotting friends):

What happens when you rummage through Grandmother’s end table?  The risk is discovery of something that needs to be dealt with, such as hundreds of postcards sent and received over three decades (1964-1994) of world travels with teacher groups.  The first sort was to separate sent from received.  Then, thanks to Mom saving itineraries, the post cards are arranged by trip, in chronological order.  I used three binders, two for Mam-ma’s travels and one for friends and family.

Mam-ma’s world travel

I chose binder pages so the cards could be viewed from both sides without removing from the sleeve.  The text, date and postage from country of origin are easily observed.  Post cards from Iceland are featured in the photo below.

Why use a camera? Buy post cards.

Having reference maps was essential to understanding the many regions Mam-ma travelled.  Originally, I was going to remove the pages from atlases purchased at Half Price Books, however many times I wanted to use both sides of the pages in different section of the binder.  Solution:  I made color copies from the atlases.

Maps provide context

Itineraries as table of contents

Mom saved all Mam-ma’s itineraries typed in the format shown above.  This was very helpful with sorting.  World travel of our grandmother’s life time ready to share with inquiring minds.

Seven Global Concepts

10 Jan

Seven Global Concepts…inspiration for the New Year?

https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/amp/7-cultural-concepts-we-dont-have-in-the-us?__twitter_impression=true

By Starre Vartan Dec 30, 2014

Very thoughtful blog post, beautifully illustrated concepts

Friluftsliv              Norwegian being outside is good for mind and spirit

Shinrin-yoku       Japanese forest bathing

Hygge                      Denmark togetherness, coziness

Wabi-sabi              Japanese embracing imperfections

Kaizen                     Japanese continuous improvement

Gemutlichkeit     German means more than cozy (peak in winter)

Jugaad                   Hindi innovative fix (frugal)

I read about “forest bathing” in the American Way magazine (Dec 2016).  https://americanwaymagazine.com/woodland-cureThey claim 25 percent of the Japanese population walk in wooded areas. The author forecasts doctors writing a prescription to get outdoors…instead of blood pressure medication!

Being outdoors:  good for the mind and spirit…I think of Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, understatement-walking the Appalachian Trail. This same article refers to wabi-sabi which finds beauty imperfections. (Growing up, we called it “character”.)

The Kaizen concept is familiar to me thru my career in manufacturing. I like the “jugaad” notion. Many times that comes up when you least expect it trying to extend the life of clothing, furnishings, appliances, etc.  https://www.graphicproducts.com/articles/what-is-kaizen/

Explore the links included.  Great information.  Happy New Year!

 

A Swedish holiday tradition

23 Dec

St. Lucia crown holiday tradition

Merry Christmas

Carol, is this the 20th year you have made the St. Lucia Crown bread?

Background information from the web:

https://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/sweden.shtml

 

From Houzz: Beautiful dining rooms from around the world

2 Nov

 

Global Style

14 Feb

Emily Henderson’s (HGTV Design Star) blog post on “Global Style” reminded me of my grandmother!

https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/find-style-global

Mam-ma Tuggle taught elementary school then traveled to the far corners of the world with teacher’s groups on her summer vacations from 1964-1990.  MDT’s living room was a treasure box of images and objects from her travels…Europe, Philippines, Japan, South America, Alaska, Greece, Australia, Canada, Central America, Caribbean, Hawaii…

"Mola" handmade in Panama. (Reverse applique technique using 2 to 7 layers of different colored cloth.

“Mola” handmade in Panama. (Reverse applique using 2 to 7 layers of different colored cloth.)

Sheepskin rug, Australia/New Zealand Love this sooo much, I have four!

Sheepskin rug, New Zealand Love this sooo much, I have four!

This reminds me of Morocco

I believe this is from the Philippines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having grown up with “World Style”….I chose this Chinese wool rug for myself at the 1980 World Fair.

worldstyle_img_20170212_182759516-copy

Thank you Emily Henderson for naming this style, which sometimes feels like Pier One but is not.

From Houzz: Personal libraries around the world

13 Oct

 

AWESOME!  Outstanding photos of the libraries and owners!

  • Personal interviews from 11 countries:

Canada, France, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Denmark, Japan, UK, Russia, Germany, Sweden

  • Described as:

Two story, Hallway, Nest, Stacks, Nook, Floating, Cave, Home, Geometric, Corner, With a View

  • Size:

300 to 6500 books

 

A couple of the interviews had comments about digital libraries.  Merging digital and paper was on my mind when I posted “It started when…” on July 28, 2015…part the evolution of my personal library that involved clearing obsolescence and sorting.

Enjoy!

 

From Houzz, Global home tour

1 Sep

 

Creative!  Inspiring!  Inventive!  Delightful!