"Dress a Girl Around the World" and other sewing plans for 2025

 This is a shortened version of my last post (click here for full version) - just a note of what I'll be doing in 2025 without all the rationale and story!

Dress a girl around the world.

I like to try to do some good when I can.  I’m not altruistic. I won't get into a debate here about whether pute altruism exists, but I can only speak for myself when I say that doing some good for someone else makes me feel good too.  As far as I can, I sponsor friends when they are raising funds by doing a race and I donate here and there to worthy causes.

Recently I came across the charity, Dress a Girl Around the World UK. (registered charitable organisation 501(c)3) Their mission is to send clothes to children in countries such as Zimbabwe, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Gambia and Syria. However, instead of collecting used items, their aim is  to provide the very best new dresses and shorts made especially for children living in poverty around the world.  There is a UK coordinator who takes / sends the items periodically to where they are needed. 

There are a variety of pattern styles and there are various criteria for the clothes.  For example, they need to be long enough to preserve modesty, the fabric needs to be sturdy as it may be washed in a river, no buttons or zips as they would have no facility to repair them if they broke

These dresses and shorts are made by volunteers in this country who make as many or as few items as they wish.

This is RIGHT UP MY STREET!  A perfect fit!  I can be creative, work with different lovely fabrics, have no time pressure, not worry about whether I’ll sell anything and I’ll be doing some good and getting a warm fuzzy feeling. Win-Win

You can check out the Dress a Girl Around the World Facebook page here.

 

So this is my plan for sewing.

• Do some good – “Dress a girl around the world.”
• Do a few alterations for family and friends –  I’m choosy about what I do though because my skills in this area are limited.  I won’t work on anything very expensive!
• Make things for family and friends – but check it’s something they want!
• Make clothes for myself – to this end I’ve signed up for a pattern blocking course to learn how to fit myself well and to design my own clothes.
• Have a go at making anything I feel like having a go at.  
• New Facebook page called “Fran Made It” just to post photos of what I've made. I'm not sure how this will evolve, but I'm happy for it to be organic.
• Do the odd craft fair if I fancy it.
• Donate any ‘unallocated’ items  to schools / church / charity shop for fundraising.