Seattle-Limbe Sewing Circle
Launched in 2015, the sewing circle started with 16 women who volunteered to meet at Pike Place Market with a DaysforGirls trainer from Blaine, Washington. These women, who called themselves the Saturday Sewing Sisters, met monthly at the market more frequently in homes learning to sew the components of the DFG menstrual care kits.
By the end of the first year, the Saturday Sewing Sisters had outgrown the market space and moved their monthly gathering to First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME). During that period, they became a certified DFG Chapter welcoming volunteers of all ages, faiths, ethnicities and genders and established a relationship with Congregation Beth Shalom, Assumption Catholic Church (both in Seattle) and Bait-ul-Ehsan Mosque in Monroe, Washington. It became clear that the group needed a more inclusive name—Seattle-Limbe Sewing Circle.
Each site rotated hosting 30 - 50 volunteers which increased the number of work sessions within a month. The Seattle-Limbe Sewing Circle provided a unique opportunity for volunteers to participate in a truly diverse community, forming lasting relationships while working side by side, cutting, stitching, ironing, and assembling colorful menstrual care kits. Everyone’s contribution was valued.
In 2020, gathering in-person came to a halt due to Covid. However the sewing circle pivoted and began sewing masks for distribution throughout Seattle and King County. We returned again to FAME Church once we were able to resume creating menstrual care kits in-person and continued through 2025.
We are extremely proud of the amazing community that created over 7000 menstrual care kits for 10 years that consequently generated new projects for Seattle-Limbe Sister Cities Association.
Why menstural care kits?
A UNESCO report on puberty education and menstrual health management estimates that one in ten girls in sub-Saharan Africa misses school during her menstrual cycle. This may equal as much as twenty percent of a given school year; in some cases girls drop out of school altogether due to lack of menstrual care products and facilities.
Consider these facts:
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Most girls in developing countries lack access to menstrual care supplies.
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Girls are often isolated from their families or communities during their menses, and use leaves, mattress stuffing, newspaper, corn husks...anything as a substitute. These alternatives often lead to embarrassment and painful infections.
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In some cases, men exploit girls in exchange for money for products.
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Menstruating girls who are not in school are often considered "eligible" for marriage regardless of age, which forces early marriages and pregnancies, thereby eliminating chances for education.
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Addressing this issue is one of the keys to social change in developing countries. Together WE made a difference.
SLSCA Sewing Circle
is a chapter of
Days for Girls
The more education a girl achieves, the greater the chances that she'll...
be healthier,
earn more income,
have fewer children, and
provide better health care and education to her own children
...all of which can lift households out of poverty.
In sum, the more education a girl receives, the greater the benefits
for all.