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Days for Girls



Join us to find out more about Days for Girls and sew components for kits for Days for Girls.  We decided to do each component for two months.  Here's the schedule for 2023:

Jan / Feb - drawstring bags
Mar / Apr - shields
May / Jun - carry pouches
Jul / Aug - liners
Sep / Oct - drawstring bags
Nov / Dec - shields

If you are joining us for a hands-on sewing sessionWe   
Please bring basic sewing supplies - such as scissors, seam ripper, bobbins for your machine, etc. in addition to a variety of machines (sewing vs. serger), mini-iron, rulers, rotary cutters, etc..  Details are listed on the Facebook page events. (https://www.facebook.com/Days-for-Girls-Wilmington-Delaware-Team-273098353612014/

In addition, donations are welcome - financial, 100% cotton quilting or flannel for shields and liners, poly cotton for the bags.  Other items we can use include Size 20 KAM snaps and 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, and PUL (polyurethane waterproof laminated fabric).

How It All Began

Days for Girls began in 2008 when Founder and CEO Celeste Mergens was working with a family foundation in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya where she began assisting an orphanage. In the wake of historic post-election violence, the population at the orphanage had swelled from 400 children to 1,400.

As she was getting prepared to return to Nairobi, Celeste went to bed with the devastating situation weighing heavy on her mind. In the middle of the night, she woke up with a nagging question: “What are girls doing for feminine hygiene?” Seeking an answer, she ran to the computer and sent an email to the Assistant Director of the orphanage.

He replied right away, “Nothing. They wait in their rooms.”

Celeste learned that girls were sitting on cardboard for several days each month, often going without food unless someone would bring it to them. This set in motion her first intervention - disposable pads. But Celeste and her team quickly discovered a major problem - without any place to dispose of the pads, this was neither a viable nor a sustainable solution. It was time for Plan B: a washable, long-lasting pad.

The first Days for Girls Kits were quite different from the design in use today. Each of the 28 iterations that followed would be informed by extensive feedback and designed to meet unique cultural and environmental conditions in communities throughout the world. What would eventually become clear in the years following Days for Girls’ beginning was just how much of a difference hygiene solutions would make in assisting women and girls to break the cycle of poverty and live lives of dignity.

Today, Days for Girls has reached more than two million women and girls in 140+ countries with DFG Kits and menstrual health education. This translates into over 115 million days of dignity, health, and opportunity!


Instructor: Melody Kasprzak
Instructor Bio: Melody was taught to sew when she was 10 by her mother and has been sewing ever since. Her mom also taught her to embroider, including crewel and counted cross-stitch. Melody has tried other needle crafts, including needlepoint, knitting, crocheting, and quilting. However, machine embroidery is her current favorite.
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This class cannot be purchased online. Please contact the store for more information.
To adequately prepare for classes and events, we ask that you please register at least 2 weeks prior to the start date.  Your space in class will not be held withhout payment.  Each class has a minimum, and maximum, number of students and may fill, or be cancelled, prior to your payment.

If a minimum number of students is not met, you will be notified, and your class fees refunded, at least 1 week prior to the class start date.  If you need to cancel cancel, please call the store at least 1 week prior to class for a full refund. No refunds of class or kit fees will be issued for cancellations under 1 week before the class start date. No shows will forfeit class and kit fees.


Upon registration, please review the list of supplies needed for the class on the class listing. All supplies should be purchased prior to class. Classes typically do not include time to purchase supplies. Unless otherwise noted, all supplies are available at Sew What! Inc.  Students will receive a 10% discount on all supplies listed.

We are diligent about enforcing copyright laws; if a book, pattern or embroidery design is required for a class, each student must purchase their own copy. There are no exceptions.

Students should bring their sewing machine with all of the appropriate parts (including the instruction manual, foot control and power cord). Students must be familiar with the basic operation (i.e. winding a bobbin and threading the machine) of their machine for creative classes, and the machine must be in good working condition. Alternatively, a student may pre-register to rent a sewing machine (when avail;able) for creative classes at a rental rate of $20 per class session.  Students who experiences great difficulty with their sewing machine during class may need to rent a machine.

Please be considerate of others. Do not bring children to class, wear heavy perfume or use cell phones during class. Please be prepared to start class on time.  Our doors typically open 30 minutes prior to your class start time to allow you to set up your sewing space. Classes begin and end promptly at the scheduled time.