Luna Wolf HQ

I thought I'd post some photos of my new sewing room, so you can see where your Luna Wolf goodies are made. If you click on the pictures, you'll be able to roll your cursor over them and read my fascinating (ahem) annotations. Enjoy!

Sewing table, sewing machine, snap press and iron:


Desk, computer, finished pads, files:


Fabric storage, finished pads, packaging materials, tunes:


I should have taken pictures earlier in the day so you could see the view from the window. It's like being in a treehouse.

In other news, a fellow pad maker is starting an online free magazine for women, featuring articles on menstrual related topics and other women's issues. The focus is on empowering women, discussing alternative menstrual products, sharing help and advice, and more. It's called Vermilion Magazine, and the first issue will be available for download on June 1st.

As Vermilion Mag is just starting out, it needs your help to keep it going! Can you contribute a positive article on menstruation, a photo of your cloth pad stash and/or favourite pad, or menstrual related art or poetry? Even a favourite recipe? If so, please contact Vermilion Mag. The editor would be delighted to hear from you.

New home, and donation pads on the way!

Greetings from our new home - a beautiful village near Oswestry in Shropshire! My sewing room/office was one of the first things I set up, and it's a pleasure to work in. A huge double window gives me great lighting for sewing, and shows off a view of towering oak trees. It's a lovely setting for being creative.

The move itself did not go smoothly; in fact it was a bit of a disaster. The movers told us they could move us in one load, and we foolishly believed them. When they realised they couldn't, they left half of our furniture behind, just sitting outside in the rain. Including the bed! My poor partner had to make a 2 hour drive in the early hours of the morning to rescue everything, while I spent the first night in our new home curled up with the dog.

A lot of our stuff is damaged/broken, but nothing that impedes Luna Wolf. Fortunately I had taken precautions and sent my sewing machine, overlocker, snap press, and artwork over with my parents.

I'm delighted to say that while I was engaged in this fiasco, almost all of my donation pads and pad sets sold. This is fantastic! I've been really touched by people's generosity, and I know the pads will make a huge difference to women living in poverty. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who purchased donation pads/sets. The pads are on their way to Sister Hope, who will distribute them in Uganda later this month.

Vicarious Sewing

Packing for Saturday's move has gone way beyond the fun stage, and is now at the awkward, difficult and inconvenient stage. You know, the stage where you can't walk two feet without tripping over a box, and where you keep needing things that are already packed - usually in a box at the very bottom of a towering pile.


I've held off packing my sewing machine and fabric as long as possible, but today I decided it was time to box them up. Good grief, I have a lot of fabric! I guess when it's all folded away in cupboards I don't really notice how much of it there is, but I've filled several large boxes, and still have to find room for several metres of flannel and microfleece, and two 25m rolls of PUL and bamboo fleece! I had a similar revelation with my yarn stash - how did half of my local yarn store end up in the spare bedroom?!

I feel completely lost without my sewing equipment, and am itching to get back to making pads. In the meantime, I'm enjoying crafting vicariously through other people. It's been great to hear about your pad making projects, such as this one by Sarah in California:

Sarah made this fabulous pad using the 9" pattern in my pattern and tutorial set. Having always had a soft spot for owls, I love her choice of fabric! This is actually a pantiliner weight - one of the best things about making your own pads is that you can customise them to get exactly the size and absorbency you want.

The pattern and tutorial set is currently 15% off, along with everything else in store, until Friday 29th. Happy sewing!

Earth Day Giveaway!

It's Earth Day today! In honour of this, a very generous customer is raising awareness of reusable alternatives by running a giveaway on her blog. The winner, who will be randomly selected on Sunday, will receive three Luna Wolf pads - one pantiliner, one medium (9") pad, and one large (10.25") pad. This would be a lovely starter set if you're new to cloth!


To enter, simply leave a comment on this post before 6pm BST Sunday, 25th April. Good luck, and special thanks to Cayt for organising it!

Surprise 15% off sale until 30th April!

Luna Wolf is moving! As of the first week in May, my partner and I will based in a quaint little village near Oswestry in Shropshire. We'll be close to my family and friends, and surrounded by lots of green space - which will undoubtedly delight Freya, our lurcher:


How does this affect you? Well, not much, really. Luna Wolf goes wherever I go, so there won't be any changes in the site, the pads, or the ordering process. There may be short delays in dispatching orders, and it will probably take a couple of weeks to get back into the swing of sewing. Oh, and I'll be just up the road from my favourite quilting shop ever - gorgeous prints here I come!

However, the real reason for this update is that I'd like to clear out as much stock as possible before we move, so I'm holding a surprise 15% off sale until 30th April! Everything in store is reduced for the next ten days, including fabric, patterns, PUL boosters, charity pads, and the Femmecup! This is a great chance to stock up on discounted pads, but you'll need to get in quickly - my sewing time is limited at the moment (packing, argh!), so once they're gone, they're gone.

Enjoy! I'm off to put more things in boxes...

Sister Hope: Empowering Women in Developing Countries

In "developed" countries, we tend to take our access to menstrual products for granted. Whether we use cloth pads, disposable pads, tampons, a cup, or any of the other many options available, the menstrual protection of our choice is just a trip to the shops or mouse click away.

But what about developing countries? According to nonprofit organisation Sister Hope: "Not only are most young girls and women unable to afford proper sanitary napkins, many do not even have access to such products. As a result, young women are using unhealthy materials such as tree bark and leaves, as well as rolled up pieces of newspaper to manage their period. This lack of protection leads many girls and women to miss up to five days of school and work each month, with many forced to quit their jobs or drop out of school entirely. Even more, the use of these unhealthy materials leads to infections and even cervical cancer."

Within the last couple of years, this largely ignored issue has received some attention. There have been drives by major disposable pad companies to send shipments of their products to women in need. However, leaving women dependent on regular foreign aid for their menstrual needs is hardly a permanent solution.

Sister Hope is a nonprofit organisation based in the USA that is dedicated to creating sustainable change. They provide hygeine kits to young girls and women living in poverty, consisting of reusable menstrual pads, underwear, soap, wetbags, and other hygeine products. As well as having less environmental impact, providing reusable pads instead of disposables means that a woman's stash will last for years. She will always have soft, comfortable, absorbent pads to hand, and will be able to handle her period safely and with dignity.

Here at Luna Wolf, I have been busy working on a foldable all-in-one design to offer in donation sets for Sister Hope.


The foldable design has several advantages:

• All parts of the pad can be reached, making it easier to clean thoroughly by hand;


• The fold-out design dries fast, so that after washing, each pad will be ready to use again quickly;


• If only lightly soiled, the pad can be re-folded so that a clean part of the fabric is against the skin;


• Cotton flannel fabric is natural, quick drying and cool against the skin, ideal for warmer climates.


• PUL backing is 100% waterproof, providing complete protection against leaks and helping the pad to last longer.
  

These donation sets are available at Cloth Pad Shop Europe. The cost only covers the materials and some of the shipping fees - I do not make a profit from them. I realise money is tight for most people at the moment, myself included. However, if you do have a little spare cash, please consider helping out women in need by buying a donation set. It really does make a huge difference. Alternatively, why not make some pads yourself?

Sister Hope's next shipment of pads is headed to Mbale, Uganda. Next in line are Cameroon and Haiti. Their goal is 500 pads by May 15th; at the time of posting, they still need 190. Let's help them reach their goal!

A few Tidbits

In celebration of the beautiful sunshine we've been having here, I've been filling the store with spring-like prints. Flowers, blossoms, birds, and cheerful colours all feature heavily, thanks in part to Amy Butler's gorgeous "Daisychain" and discontinued "Charm" collections.


I also have some new stock up at Cloth Pad Shop Europe, including a whopping great night/post-partum pad topped with luscious cotton sherpa. At 14" long, this pad is for when you need to bring in the big guns:


Finally, if you've purchased my patterns/tutorial set but aren't sure which kind of fastening to use, I've written an article about the pros and cons of various types of pad closures. I hope you find it useful!