Reusuable Feminine Pads - Crafting For A Cause Link-up AND Recipe Book Extended!

If you remember back about a month ago, I announced the Crafting For A Cause for August was to make reusuable feminine pads for girls in third world countries. Many of them are not allowed to go to school during their menstrual cycle because they don't have pads! Totally sad and gross. I'm grateful to live with the circumstances I live with!

Hopefully, some of you thought this was an important enough cause to make some pads and contribute them. The goal was 250 and so far 279 pads have been received! That's awesome, but there is still room for MORE. If you made some pads (or want to make some), link up your post about it at Ladybird Ln. for your chance to win a prize.

If you want to see how to make some of these reusuable feminine pads, click on over to Ladybird Ln. to see more.

Also, do you remember the post about the 50+ Bloggers Recipe Book where all the donations go to help the American Red Cross?

Drum Roll Please.......

Grand Total

$19,250



Are you thinking what I am thinking? It is SO CLOSE to being $20,000! Only 75 more books or ebooks and we would hit $20,000! So our new goal has been made. Paper Coterie (the ones donating all the time and paper for printing the books) has been contacted and they will leave the book up on their site until we hit $20,000! I know we can sell 75 more. Let's hit $20,000! Just 75 more $10.00 donations!

If you were thinking about buying the book, but didn't get around to it, you have one last chance (and I think it will go quickly) to buy the recipe book for charity!



So a GREAT BIG THANK YOU is in order!

THANK YOU!

Crafting For A Cause - Reusable Feminine Pads For Africa

I am SOOO excited to introduce our Crafting for a Cause project for AUGUST!

Carlee(Ladybird Ln.), and I are teaming up with the fabulous Kristy from Hopeful Threads to bring you an AMAZING project.



Kristy's fun little blog is all about service! EACH month that you can help out with... She is also constantly giving fun prizes away! In fact you can win a beautiful FAT QUARTER BUNDLE, just by adding the {cute} Back to School From HERE to THERE button on your blog! More information HERE!

<a href="http://www.ladybirdln.com/p/ladybird-lend-hand.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Back to School" src="http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n514/LadybirdLN/button.jpg" /></a>



This month we are doing a project where you can help kids in your community with school supplies HERE. Or/and you can help girls in different countries with feminine care items in other countries so they have the opportunity to participate in school all of the time.

HERE



I'm sure many of you are getting in the mode for all the back to school preparations. The shopping lists of notebooks, pencils, crayons and backpacks are endless....as are the aisles of these goodies at the local chain stores! For the "here" part of our project, we want to encourage you to purchase a little extra of these supplies to donate to others.



Please consider donating to a specific child in need or your own child's classroom. If you pause for a second, I'm sure you can instantly think of how this simple gesture could be a huge help! You can ask the teachers what supplies she might need for the class as well. School Supplies are CHEAPEST right before school. As a teacher I can attest that their are many kids, probably in your own school that can not afford the list of school supplies, or for whatever reason does not have a family that is willing to do so. In my years of teachers there were always those few parents who would go the extra mile, buy extra supplies, or even give money when needed.

If for some reason you don't want to donate locally their are other options. I want to introduce you to "Kids In Need Foundation".

Their mission is to ensure that every child is prepared to learn and succeed by providing free school supplies nationally to students most in need. They have some terrific programs going on right now. You can either donate school supplies, or money, they can buy school supplies far cheaper than you can find in stores.

THERE



Now, for the "THERE" part of our project....and the sewing part! :)

I wanted to offer you the opportunity to consider a "back to school" item many probably never think about.

I feel SO BLESSED to live in a land where I have received a free quality education. I was stunned to find out that in many parts of the world, girls are unable to attend school during their menstrual cycle due to lack of regular feminine products, can you imagine?

So, although you might not think of feminine pads as a back to school item, they are NEEDED in parts of the world. The option of disposable products just isn't realistic or available for many, so these girls are often found trying to use whatever possible. I have heard of girls using trash, or mud, or missing out on school entirely.

That's where our plan of sewing this unusual "Back To School" necessity comes in!

This obviously isn't a new need, but one that will always be present. I recently read of the efforts of the Girls Only Project being hosted by blogger Lara at The Farmer's Wife Tells All. She is gathering supplies for 25 young ladies living in an orphanage in Uganda. She has had a great response, and if you are looking for a free online pattern for cloth pads or a place to send the ones you make, I encourage you to check out her project.

Additionally, here is a list of other places to find free cloth pad patterns/tutorials:



Reusable Menstrual Products

Tiny Birds

Jan Andrea

Sew Your Own Diapers

Days for Girls International Feminine Hygiene Program

As for where to donate the finished pads, here are a few suggestions:

Girls Only Project (mentioned above)

DonatePads.org (offers an extensive list of recipients!)

Annabelle's Wish

Who knew there was all this need, and resources. If you know of a local church or organization traveling for a mission trip, this is an easy to carry, light-weight donation that would be meaningful to women of all ages. Kristy from Hopeful Threads will be sending the pads she makes to a missionary she is connected with in Cambodia.

PLEASE HELP US REACH OUR GOAL OF MAKING 250 CLOTH PADS!

We hope you will join us in giving back this way! We have a goal of 250 cloth pads!

Sounds big, but with a little participation from a lot of folks, I know we can do it! And just think of all the sweet young ladies lives that will be touched! Whether you make 3 or 30, every. single. one. matters!

Since we appreciate every bit of participation, we have put together some very nice prizes for those who help spread the word and sew along! :)



The first prize for helping us out with this cause will be given at HOPEFUL THREADS the first of the month from the fabulous... Fat Quarter Shop....and let me tell you...OH BOY!!! You are gonna want in on this!!! For information about the giveaway go HERE!

We are going to have a LINKY PARTY at the end of the month, where you can share what you have made, and be entered to win a BACK TO SCHOOL craft party package... WHOOP WHOOP!!

So, please take a moment to add this button to the sidebar of your blog for the month of August.

<a href="http://www.ladybirdln.com/p/ladybird-lend-hand.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Back to School" src="http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n514/LadybirdLN/button.jpg" /></a>

Share about the project on facebook, twitter or with local friends who love sewing and helping others. The more the merrier and the greater impact we can have!

Now, let's see what other causes, charities and ways to help are out there. Link up whatever it is! Visit the links and decide to help out at least one cause this month!!!

Camp Funk Adoption - Crafting For A Cause (Link up your Cause)

Adoption stories make me cry! I think adoption is such a wonderful thing. I especially love the brave lady who gives her child up for adoption to give him/her a better life. What courage and strength!!!



This month, the Crafting For A Cause is to help the Funk family adopt a sweet little girl who needs a family. Even though they already have 4 kids of their own, they want to bring a child into their family who the love and support that comes from being part of a family. The cost of adoption is very high (over $13,000) and the Funk family is looking for either monetary donations or crafty donations for an auction.

Head over to Ladybird Ln. to read more about the Funk family, this month Crafting For A Cause. There are two parts HERE and HERE.

You can also read about the Funk family on their family blog, Camp Funk HERE.

We feel so blessed to have the family and freedom that we enjoy. We do not have a lot of money at our disposal... but we can craft. That is kind of the idea behind Crafting for a Cause. We hope to showcase you, and simple projects that we can all participate in that will make a difference. We are excited for this journey, and we hope that you will join us! Please join with us in either helping with this cause or share your service/charity project by participating in our monthly linky party. Too often, we all get caught up in our own lives. Let's use blogland as a way of "doing good" for the world and improve it with at least one act of kindness a month.

If you have a service, cause or act of kindness you want others to know about, link it up here to a specific blog post about the good you want to do. Please do NOT link up an Etsy shop or something else to earn money for some material item you want to buy. Exploiting this cause is NOT cool.

Let's put aside our "WANTS" to help others with their "NEEDS."

Pillow Fight! - And Pillowcase Tutorial!

I am so excited to be here at Someday Crafts... My name is Carlee, and I have a little blog with my sister Alyssa called Ladybird Ln. Before I get into my post today, I want to tell you a little about MICHELLE!

She is very SCARY.... or so I thought the very first time I met her.. You see, she was the teacher I student taught under... She intimidated me at first, but I soon realized what a great teacher she is, how much she cared about each of her students, and how well she was preparing me. Your first year of teaching, everyone says is really hard and challenging with a lot of surprises, but it was NOT for me. It was busy of course, but I didn't feel there was anything I couldn't handle. I attribute most of this to Michelle, she trusted me to do some very challenging things as a student teacher, that prepared me well for my first teaching job! I think so highly of Michelle, and I stalked her blog even before I knew she was the gal behind it all!

I am so excited to team up with Michelle for Crafting for a Cause! I feel so blessed to have the family and freedom that I enjoy. I do not have a lot of money at my disposal... but I can craft. That is kind of the idea behind Crafting for a Cause. We hope to showcase you, and simple projects that we can all participate in that will make a difference. I am excited for this journey, and I hope that you will join us! You will have the opportunity to share your service/charity project by participating in our monthly linky party. We will also give you the opportunity to participate in our featured service project for that month!

We decided to start our first service project with a PILLOW FIGHT,

a Pillow Fight--For a Cause!

This month, I am featuring a project very near and dear to my heart. I have a great friend, Malynn, who is 14 years old, and has undergone some tough TOUGH medical stuff recently. She has been in and out of the hospital for the past 6 months. One might expect after all the medical problems she has endured, she would be bitter and resolved. But not Malynn! She is amazing in so many ways. Instead of focusing on her issues, she wants to help others. Malynn is an incredible seamstress, at the age of 14, she far surpasses my sewing ability! Just look at one of her latest purses..

Yup, she is amazing! She has made it a goal to donate 100 bright cheerful pillow cases to Primary Childrens Medical Center, to brighten up the patients rooms! When she was in the hospital, it was so comforting to have her own pillow.

I decided I wanted to help her out with this great cause.... and what better way than a

PILLOW FIGHT!

It is called Pillow Fight--For a Cause! Essentially, this is a pillow contest where you can enter your homemade ruffly throw pillows, your sweet decorative pillows, your fleecy flower pillows, your bedazzled pillowcases... pretty much anything pillow related, that you have made. THE CLINCHER IS, in order to enter this contest, you must donate a pillowcase, one pillowcase per entry! A bright, cheery, fun pillow case! You can either send it to me, and I will let Malynn donate it, or you can donate it to a local hospital, womens shelter, etc. You just have to let me know that you donated one!


We have some FABULOUS prizes for this contest. HUNDREDS of dollars worth of prizes! We will have guest judges narrow down the pillow field to ten, and then open it up to voting. The top three pillows will receive some amazing prizes. Sponsors for this event include... Kati Cupcake, Cap Creations, Sew Obsessed, Vinylize It, Funky Polkadot Giraffe, Naptime Crafters... And Malynn and I are even going to throw in some prizes. We will also have one random prize for anyone who links up--sound terrific, I think so! For more information click HERE!


So are you in? What is that you say, you don't know how to make a pillowcase? Well, let me show you! Creating a pillow case is simple, fast, and fun. It is a great beginner project, for any age. This would be a great project to teach your child how to sew! It took me less than an hour to complete this pillow case, and that was taking pictures as well!

Basic Pillow Case

Cutting List:
Main Body Fabric: 3/4 yard fabric {or 27 inches by Width of Fabric (WOF)}
Band Fabric: 1/4 yard fabric {or 9 inches by WOF}
Trim Fabric: (Optional): 1 strip, 2 inches by WOF

Instructions:
All seams are 1/4 inch, unless otherwise noted.

With wrong sides together, fold the band fabric in half lengthwise and press. Do the same with your trim fabric.
Baste together the folded trim piece to the folded band fabric. 1/8 inches from the raw edges along the length of the strips.

Basting, simply means create a long running stitch, so that the two pieces stay together. Don't worry if they do not line up perfectly at the ends, we will fix it later on.

Pin the band/trim to the right side of the pillowcase panel along the long edge, raw edges together, with trim sandwiched in the middle.




Sew together. Zig zag, serge, or overlock raw edges together (To help prevent fraying).



Trim up the uneven layers of your pillow. I used a rotary cuttery, ruler, and mat. But you could just use scissors!

Your pillow case should look like this now!

Fold the pillowcase right sides together. Pin together, making sure to match the band seam line. Sew a strait seam along raw edges. Zig zag, serge, or overlock raw edges.


Turn right side out; Press! You are finished Easy Peasy right! Below is some pillow case inspiration, all of these pillow cases are ones that I made, or that were given to me. Pillowcases make great gifts!

I tried to make this tutorial as strait forward as possible, but you can email me with any questions!
Please come join the Pillow Fight, on our blog! You can link up your pillow creations
June 15-22!

I am trying to spread the word about this contest, I would love to donate 100 pillow cases! I can not imagine what it would be like to have a child in the hospital for extended periods of time. I hope these pillowcases can be a comfort, and reminder of home! Please put a button on your blog, or contact me, I would love to come to your place and guest post about it!

Thanks Michelle for letting me crash your blog today! I am so excited to do a Crafting For A Cause project each month with Someday Crafts!

<a href="http://www.ladybirdln.com/2011/05/pillow-fight-for-causepart-1.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Ladybird Ln" src="http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n514/LadybirdLN/Pillowfight.jpg" /></a>



THANKS, Carlee and Ladybird Ln. Didn't I tell you that this would be a great idea for our first Crafting For A Cause? A bright, colorful pillowcase for sick kids in a hospital! Love it!




I hope you all would like to join in and brighten some kids' days!

Introducing "Crafting For A Cause"

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A couple months back, an up and coming craft blogger and friend (a former student teacher in my SPED classroom), named Carlee at Ladybird Ln, contacted me about how she tries to highlight a charitable cause on her blog each month. I thought that was a fabulous idea! I liked it so much that I asked if I could partner with her on her great cause! She said....YES!!!

Hello and Welcome, Carlee and her sister, Alyssa. Carlee is the one on the right!

(This is an awesome blog that you should probably start to follow!)

I get a few emails every month asking if I will post about a charity or someone who needs help or a fundraiser. Unfortunately, I have usually said "no" because I feel if I do it for one person, I have to do it for everyone and I don't want to turn this blog into just a call for help. I have felt guilty about this, but always thought this was the most fair way to handle it.

BUT NOW, I have an idea I love where we can announce charity and calls for assistance using our craftiness!

I'm really excited to introduce

Crafting With a Cause!

Every month, usually the first Friday of the month, Ladybird Ln. and I will hold a linky/blog hop that highlights the charity Carlee or I choose. We will tell about our charity/service or cause and if you have a charity/service or cause you are working on, you can link it up for others to see. Our only requirement is that it needs to be linked to a post telling about the cause, not just to an etsy shop or website selling something. We want it to be legit, not just a money maker for people looking to boost an income. Let's keep this an honest cause!

Carlee has an amazing knack for finding inspirational causes.

You can see the last few months of charities that Ladybird Ln. has highlighted HERE.

Tomorrow, Carlee will introduce the June Crafting For A Cause. I LOVE it and I think it is something all of you will love too! I almost cried when I read about it!

I hope you decide to share your crafty talents in contributing to good causes through our Crafting With A Cause. We encourage you to take the button provided and publicize it on your blog! Spread these good causes to blogland and let's improve some lives!

Whether you want to participate in Crafting With A Cause personally, with a craft group, a young women's group or somehow else, we would love to have you involved!

What do you think about idea? Are you excited? I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments!