Unselfish Sewing: Join Us!

Have you already read about Skirt Week? If not, read more here. Entries are already rolling in, and later this month the tutorial fun begins. We'll follow that with info about sponsors and prizes, and then a really fun week of voting for our favorites. It's a fun time all around.

But today, I'd like to talk about dresses.

As much as my first daughter loved it when I made a dress for her, my second daughter FLIPS for it. And now that the second is old enough to know what's going on, they're both interested the instant they see me making something new. And this time, the dresses I'm working aren't for either one of them. Or me. There's been a little bit of consternation about that, but I'm taking the time to explain to them, too.

I'm making a few dresses for a new friend, Margaret. She's collecting them to send to Africa, for little girls who only get new dresses every once in a long while.

I'm making them sturdy, without zippers or buttons that could be impossible to repair in a remote village. I'm making them from cotton, because synthetic fabrics are really uncomfortable in heat. And I'm keeping them simple, putting my time into making a number of them. I'm making them because I can, and because I think we can all find our own small way to help.

From now through the end of May, Margaret is collecting these dresses. She has partnered with a school in Tampa, Florida that is teaching kids to sew. So if I didn't have time to make a few dresses, I could send supplies instead. In fact, I have more in my stash than I can use, so I'm sending both. She'll take any fabric and notions you've got. She's also secured a sponsor for shipping that will help get these from Tampa to Africa. She even has a back-up plan to handle it if she gets too many. What a great problem that would be.

If you'd like to join us, and we'd really love it if you would, click here to sign up. We'll e-mail you all of the particulars. Would you like to invite your friends to help, too? Please do. Let's make a few simple dresses for some girls who will really, really appreciate them.

This little 18mm rotary cutter is my new bff. There'll be more talk about that another day.

I used my coverhem machine on the hems. As I was working on them, appreciating that I have the crazy luxury of using the machine-- especially in this context-- I was afraid I didn't get the tension quite right. I want these to be sturdy. So I added an extra line of stitching just to be sure it's not going anywhere.

The print is "Hoopla - Garden" by Moda. It's one I've had
in my stash for too long, so it was time to put it to good use. 

I topstitched the contrast band too, just in case. Because I pictured a little girl who could be so excited to have a new dress... I'm hoping it will last.

Here's the first of the four I'm making. A sturdy grosgrain ribbon to tie it up. I hope there's someone crafty in the vicinity of this size 4-ish recipient if she isn't a bow fan. Would be easy to shorten it and hide the knot in the casings for a kid that's not as into flourish. Although that's probably my first-world ridiculousness talking. I'm feeling grateful for a lot of things this Mother's Day weekend, including being able to make these for girls that will appreciate them.

I'll be back tomorrow to point you toward some great, simple tutorials that will get you rolling- including one that even the non-sewiest sewer can get excited about. And on Monday, Adrianna has something fun to add.