Sewing Patterns
Why Pads?
In past years, ASAH collected panties and washable sanitary pads and our students distributed them at schools in Duk County. Now that we are in Uganda, we want the ASAH girls to give back again. Many South Sudanese girls displaced by war live in Ugandan refugee camps where these basic supplies are unavailable. “Without these basic supplies, girls drop out of school at puberty and may be married off at 14 or 15 years old,” explained Deb Dawson, president and CEO of ASAH. Our research shows that an average of 10 pads per woman or girl is needed to be considered fully stocked. If possible, it is appreciated to have various thicknesses, 4 thick and 6 medium is the desired amount. You will be helping girls avoid potential embarrassment and attend school.
Materials
- Fabric for the pad body top: flannel, jersey, or any other cotton or absorbent material.
- Fabric for the pad body bottom: anti-pill or blizzard fleece. These thicker fleece types naturally repel liquids and make a good water-resistant bottom while providing a non-slip surface against your underwear.
- Fabric for the pad core. You want absorbent fabrics for your core. These could include cotton flannel, cotton birdseye, cotton terry cloth, bamboo, hemp, etc. Basically any thirsty fabric will work. Just remember that if you use microfiber or zorb, be sure to sandwich them between fabrics that are safe to be against the skin.
- Bamboo and hemp are good choices if you want a thinner pad as they are thin, but absorbent. 2–3 layers of bamboo or hemp will give you a medium flow absorbency, use more for heavy, postpartum, or overnight.
- If you use flannel, 6 layers would be a good medium/heavy flow. You would want to add more for heavier absorbencies.
Quoted materials source: Mabe, with Love
Sewing Pattern Ideas
Helpful Links and PDFs
We have found that these sources have great ideas for sewing patterns and ideas. Please check them out and see if one works for you!