Kits delivered to Kenya and Making Bags

More kits to Kenya

In August, Gwen took more kits to Kenya.  Here's a message from her:

I’m back from Kenya and happy to say that the distribution of kits to the girls at Lomayana Primary School went really well.  School had ended the day before for the term break, but most of the girls came back to school on the first day of their holiday in their uniforms  just to receive their kits.  We invited the nurse from the nearby clinic to help us with the distribution, to talk to the girls about women’s reproductive health and specifically about menstruation and feminine hygiene.  The other reason we use local nurses is that most of the girls are more comfortable with the presentation in Kiswahili, because most are not really fluent in English.  After the nurse did her presentation, two of the girls came up and demonstrated, again, how to put together the shields and liners.  

It was a big group and we gave out 100 kits and left another 25 for girls who hadn’t been  able to come that day.  We had about 50 kits left and gave those to Kokwa Primary School where we had distributed kits last September. They had quite a few new girls this year who didn’t receive kits last year and so now all of the girls at  Kokwa have kits.  The school will save extra kits for other girls who come to the school during the remainder of the school year, which ends in November.  

Thank you again for your wonderful work on behalf of these girls, and others, wherever they may be. These kits are so important and so very much appreciated. It’s so exciting for us to see the girls’ excitement when they receive their kits!    

Gwen

A nurse talks to the girls about menstruation, reproduction, feminine hygiene and how to use the kits.

One of the students volunteers to show the group how to put the liner in the shield and the shield in the underpants.

Another student demonstrates.

Making Bags

The drawstring bags that our kits come in are the part of the kits made to "appear in public."  This is where we want to use our most beautiful fabrics.--fabrics whose patterns would appeal to girls if they had lots of choices, not just because of the contents.  Here are some bags in attractive fabrics that were completed recently.

We've been told, from recipients and contacts in several countries, that the girls like bright colors.  To that, I'd like to add that darker fabrics will hide dirt much better than ones with white and pale colors in the design.  If you look at the ground in the outdoor pictures on this blog and on the DFG website, you'll see mostly dusty dirt.  Imagine how a light-colored bag will look after being set down outside a few times. I see photos online of pastel bags other teams have distributed, and I worry that the recipients will probably have a hard time keeping them looking clean.  We also avoid light-colored drawstrings for the same looking-clean reason.  And of course the shields and liners must be of busy, darker fabrics to hide stains too.

As with the liners and shields, we need to avoid a few things in the designs:  animals, people (basically anything that would have a face), insects (except butterflies), weapons, anything culturally specific, patriotic or religious, or related to a holiday, glam, or designs with words.  Pay attention to the directionality of the design.  We don't want upside down or sideways trees or flower pots.

A bag requires a piece of fabric that measures 12" x 29".  You need a serger to finish the long sides before you start, and straight sew a Days for Girls label (request them from me) down 3.5" from the top raw edge, using matching light orange thread.  It is so much easier to sew the label on before you construct the bag.  

If you are a quilter, as many of us are, you just might find some leftover pieces of cotton in your stash that would make lovely bags.  I know I have.  Please don't just use any fabric you have--as I said before, this is where we want to showcase our most appealing fabrics. 

If you decide to make some bags, here are some reminders:

• Wash, dry and press the fabric before cutting.
• MEASURE!  Start with a piece of fabric that's 12" x 29" (This is 1" bigger than the DFG minimum size in both directions) and use a 3/8" seam allowance on the side seams.
• Please use a serger where it says to serge.  NOT a zigzag.  If you don't have a serger, you can use one at Our Sewing Room or ask if we have any bags that have been cut and serged, ready for the next step.
• Please press as you sew and press the completed bag--they look so much nicer when the folds and side seams are crisply pressed.
• Backstitch where it says to!  This is important to reinforce the places that will get the most wear and tear.
• MEASURE again.  If the finished bag is smaller than 10" x 12.5", we won't use it.  We actually like them about an inch larger in both directions.
• Clip your threads!  We often have to "clean up" donated bags (and liners) that were supposedly finished when given to us.
• If you're inserting the drawstrings, please make certain that they're not twisted in the casing.  This is an annoying issue that should be checked for and caught when you are inserting the tape, before the ends are knotted.
• Cut the drawstrings 36" end to end.  Since the ends should be cut on a 45 degree angle, they'll actually measure about 37" from end point to end point.
• I have purchased LOTS of colorful twill tape for drawstrings.  If you'd like to turn in your bag without drawstrings, please do.  I match up the fabric with twill that complements it, and they look beautiful.  
  
• A little bit of Fraycheck on the diagonally-cut ends of the twill tape is a great idea.  We're told that the girls use the bags every day, so that will help the drawstrings last longer.

If you want to make bags, and you have some beautiful (washed, dried and pressed) fabric but no serger, you can cut it into 12" x 29" pieces and bring it to one of our workdays to for serging.  Do not substitute a zigzag stitch for serging.  if you can't stay to serge,  there will most likely be someone who can serge it for you and you can get it to complete later.  Or, we're are also delighted with donations of the uncut fabric yardage!  

What if you have some fabric that doesn't meet the bag guidelines?  Maybe it would work well for shields.   Fabric design restrictions apply here too.  For the shields and flannel liners, we must keep in mind how well the fabric will hide stains--remember, our goal is for the kits to last for up to three years, and being able to dry them in public.  Busy designs in darker colors work best.  Here are some examples of good stain-hiding shield fabrics:

Notice that none of them have light backgrounds.  The busy designs have curves, not straight lines.  That helps hide the stains.

If you want to donate fabric for shields, please bring it to Our Sewing Room to be cut on the Accuquilt die cutter.  Washing, drying and pressing are greatly appreciated, but not required.  Any fabric we receive that's not appropriate for Days for Girls use will be donated to other charitable groups, such as Comforts for Children, Project Linus, and Bags of Love.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you are sewing any of the kit components at home, please let me check the first one or two before you launch into mass production.  It breaks my heart when a volunteer puts in many hours after misreading the directions. 

Next workday for our team

You can set aside the third Sunday of each month  through May for our workdays at Our Sewing Room.  I'll always have upcoming dates here on this blog, and so far, I have remembered each month to send out reminders to everyone on our email list.  Occasionally, we'll run into a conflict on a third Sunday (like Father's Day next June) and we'll announce the substitute date. If you're not on our email list and would like to be, please send me your email address (to eugeneor@daysforgirls.org) and I'll add you.

Hope you can make it to our September 20 workday.  Handy things to bring:  your machine, an extra bobbin or two, sharp scissors, a seam ripper, and your favorite rotary cutter.  Label everything, of course, to avoid mix-ups.  If you've come across some bargains and purchased undies, Ziplocs (gallon FREEZER only), flannel or washcloths, please remind us if  you'd like a receipt for an in-kind donation.