Sew Along - MyBotang Appliqué Project..4

Finally...   I completed the sewing...   I didn't use a black colour thread for the flowers as I didn't think that it will go well with the dark background.    But the yellow thread I used didn't show very well with the light colours flowers..  I should have used a slightly darker colour for the white flowers.  Oh well, I used a thicker thread (the shop person said it is for sewing jeans) and I am only willing to buy 2-3 spools.  I bought yellow because I like the Sun Flower as it is and didn't want my potential bad sewing to ruin it.   :)

Now, I just need to turn it into a bag.   :)

Some notes:
1)  My machine was skipping stitches..   and finally figured that I need to change my needle. Replacing the needle solved the problem.

Read more here for potential reasons why the machine may skip stitches:
http://www.pfaffmachines.co.uk/faq/sewing-machine-missing-skipping-stitches/

Another useful post on what to do when machine is not stitching properly:
http://www.fabrics.net/sarahmachinerepair.asp

2) Thread
I was trying to learn more about thread and found these links useful:

a) Sewing with the right thread - gives an overview of different type of threads available:

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/sewing/thread.shtml

b) This link has microscope view of various quality thread.    The low quality ones, the thread has lots of loose fibers:
http://sewing.about.com/library/weekly/aa102100a.htm

When I bought my sewing machine, the shop person said I should use good thread and they recommended Dolphin - buatan Malaysia (what they sold in the the shop).  I have never looked at what it is... until this morning..  lol.  The label said polyester and  "D" and a number  on the spool.  I guess the number is the colour number system of Dolphin.    What thread do you use?

Check out the various type of threads available on this site just for our knowledge.   Luckily I didn't know there are so many choices, otherwise, I would be so confused to start with so many..  :)
http://www.sewessential.co.uk/CategoryTree.asp?CategoryID=637

This one is interesting..  -  Water Soluble thread! http://www.sewessential.co.uk/Category.asp?CategoryID=1339&NumPerPage=5&page=1   It is for basting...  but if you use it accidentally to sew cloth...  the cloth will fall apart while you wash it..  :)

Bye now,
Anic

Cloth Pad Story 4 - Huru Kits in Kenya

I stumbled upon this website today,  The Huru International.


What do they do?   They provide Huru Kits free to girls leaving in poverty in Kenya.     It was founded in 2008 and by 2nd May 2011, Huru had distributed 15,299 Huru Kits to girls.

The Huru Kit is packaged in a drawstring bag that doubles as a backpack, and includes:
        -Eight reusable sanitary napkins
        -Three pairs of underwear
        -Soap to wash the sanitary napkins
        -Waterproof bag to safely store used sanitary napkins
        -Educational insert featuring information on proper sanitary napkin usage, and HIV/AIDS prevention
        -Various other items [as suitable]

Through this they help:
        - Keep girls in school
        - Educate girls on HIV/AIDS prevention
        - Encourage local, sustainable job development
-- Read more on their facebook:

This is recent news about them distributing 374 Huru Kits in Nairobi to displaced Kenyan girls:
   http://www.huruinternational.org/girls-living-in-internally-displaced-persons-camp-receive-huru-kits/

An excerpt from the post with a very touching poem:

 “AM ON THE BALANCE BEAM – ME AS A GIRL” 

Am on the balance beam, which side do I fall? I wish to be a person of integrity but sometimes my integrity is compromised. I wish to be a person of respect but sometimes my respect is stolen by circumstances. Please save this girl, to be able to know the good side of the balance beam. Every month I have to submit to nature and experience my monthly periods, sometimes I wish one was given choice, I would never choose to be a girl, because when I menstruate I have to be absent from school, I have to use unhygienic materials and even fall on the hands of hungry monsters, who ask for sex in exchange of pads.

I really love my life, but circumstances can’t allow me to prove this. My mother says she has no budget for pads and says I should know how to organize myself since I am mature. Please help me with the kind of organization my mother talks of or you should help me organize myself as nature takes its course.

Before I quit the stage, I have a request to make, please help me to know the side of the balance beam I should be on. Life is so harsh, please come to my rescue, it’s very dark, please shed some light and save me from dishonest sympathizers ready to tear my life. Allow me to be in school throughout to achieve good marks.  Let’s all join hands and keep girls in school.

How can we help?  Donate a Kit..  or buy pads from http://amysragbag.com/, she donates 10% sales from her non-discounted items to Huru International.

The Huru kit is US25.  It can change a girl's life forever..

Here is another way of helping..   Donating pads to 150 ladies in Uganda by 1 June 2011, USD5 per pad,  organised by another organisation:

http://www.gladrags.com/c-54-donate-pads.aspx