Several years ago I came across a Facebook post that makes its rounds almost every year. It is a list of items that people wish they could get at food pantries. One of those items is feminine hygiene items.
So of course I wanted to go out and buy some hygiene items to donate. But then I realized that it wasn't very sustainable because it would just be a cycle of always needing more so I tried to figure out what could be done to help reduce that cycle.
One thing that I found was making reuseable pads. I really wanted to make a difference because I can't imagine what it would be like to have your cycle and not have the adequate supply of items to make life more bearable.
(I do admit I often wonder how women managed or took care of themselves during the cycles in years gone by before tampons, pads, or even underwear were invented. And I have read enough to know different cultures have different ways of managing that time of the month.)
So I found this blog post and I made the pattern as described.
I ordered pretty plastic backed fabric to use for the backing, just imagining how it would be to receive pretty pads that could be used again and again. I sewed one to try it out but I didn't like how it looked and I couldn't imagine wearing it.
So it fell by the wayside...life happened... leaving church for good along with the grief and loneliness that came with it. Then moving and ending up in the shelter for 7 months before finally coming to a place of safety, peace and rest.
At the time when I purchased the fabric I had still been faithfully tithing +10% of my income to the church. Anything I wanted to do for ministry type projects I would also add to that. In the journey since that time, I remember studying to see what the new Testament says about tithing because when in the Pentecostal circles 10% was preached and it was always referenced to an old testament verse. All I could find was that people were to give however they felt led and there was nothing about giving 10% or more. For the longest time I didn't know what to do with it. And with the fabric. I was spiritually burned out and I was afraid God would be angry with me for using "his money" and then not following through with my "ministry" project.
Over the years the fabric has been stored away and I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it. I finally came to the place where I believed god understood the whole situation and all the dynamics of it and he wasn't going to be upset or angry with me because he knows my heart.
I've been on a journey of learning to take care of myself first which is totally opposite of what I used to do. I love to give and do so it makes it so hard to stop and listen to myself and take care of myself first. I finally came to the place where it seemed that God would be pleased if I used the fabric to take care of myself. Being out of pads and not having money to spare I decided it's time to break out the fabric and do some sewing.
I cut out the backs from the plastic backed fabric and a front piece from flannel baby blankets I had collected from thrift stores.
Then out of a piece of black fleece I cut 2 pieces for each pad without the wings.
Now it was time to sew the pieces together.
I hate black so instead of doing it the way it was explained in the blogpost I tried to figure out how to sew it together in a way that would get the black pieces inside the pad.
I sewed all around except the one tab so I had an opening with which to turn it right side out. If you look closely you can see the stitches...
I carefully turned it right side out being careful to not tear anything.
It was really narrow after I turned it right side out and I wasn't sure it would do its job very good, plus it had a bulge of fabric around the edge from the seam which I didn't like at all.
I turned it inside out again and trimmed around the edge to get rid of as much extra fabric as possible.
After I turned it right side out again, I sewed around the opening to close it up.
Then I neatly trimmed around it.
Because I didn't want it to fray, I zigzagged around the edge.
Then I sewed on some snaps to help hold the pad in place when in use.
The next one I decided to just zigzag around the edge and see how that looks.
It looked better and wider, so I just trimmed around to get rid of extra fabric.
I'm pleased with the results but I think that I will still need to tweak it a bit. I hate wings because it causes leaks quicker than without for me. I think that I will make the top 3 pieces without wings and see if that makes a difference. Also I want to make them a bit wider.
It was my project for today. I'm guessing it wasn't quite what you thought it might be when you read the title. But...it happens to be reality of every woman on this planet. Not so many years ago it was a taboo subject and in some circles still is. It is what it is and perhaps there are others as well that will some day see this and decide its possible for them to make this switch too...its one less thing to rely on from the store, and will save money in the long run...and it's another step towards becoming self sufficient...which is what I'm all for....it doesn't hurt unless you bite off more than you can chew...but one thing at a time and eventually you(I/we) will get there...
Edited to add: one thing I forgot to take into consideration is that store bought pads are designed to lock in moisture, some turn it into gel, so they last much longer and hold up better than just fabric. It definitely makes a difference. Especially if you have a heavy cycle....it would be nice if they were reuseable though...and not so full of toxins and plastics...
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