Cloth Feminine Hygeine Pads

Women, I know that talking about our monthly is something we were told to keep to ourselves and to never discuss with "men" but really, it is a fact of life and can be an expensive endeavor for people on a tight budget to cover.

Several years ago, I learned how to make eco-friendly sanitary pads for "that time of the month." I found a tutorial and pattern online and made several, and they work surprisingly well. Now that I have gone through the "Big M," I no longer need them, thankfully.

Once I had read somewhere that girls in developing countries oftentimes miss school because there is a lack of available supplies (too expensive or just not able to purchase) so I wanted to make a bunch to send to the school our church sponsors in Haiti. Several ladies from church helped cut out some parts, but I lacked the absorbent core (old towels or cotton cloth) so I never got them done.

A few weeks back, one of my senior girls mentioned the very same thing to me- "Did you know there are girls who can't go to school when they have their periods?" she asked, indignantly. And I explained that yes I did and that I had started to make some for that reason. So for her senior project she has decided to pick up where I left off, and we are making the pads with the help of staff (donating supplies) and her friends (who are learning to sew with my help). My church has agreed to send the finished products to Haiti, so I am happy that this project, once tucked into my closet, has been reborn. Here is a link to the original pattern I use from a fellow blogspot blogger

http://sewinpeace.blogspot.com/2013/08/feminine-cloth-pad-tutorial.html