Dress a Girl gets national exposure with TV interview on "The Better Show"

This past fall I was asked if I would like to be featured on "The Better Show" for a segment they call "Women Who Inspire."  I had the opportunity to travel into NYC to do an interview with Audra Lowe of "The Better Show" about Dress a Girl Around the World.  It was lots of fun and I really enjoyed being able to talk about DAG knowing how many people would be able to see what we are doing to help bless little girls with their own pretty pillowcase dress!  What a great opportunity to share!

Watch for yourself by clicking this link:  The Better Show-Dress a Girl Around the World

If you are interested in helping, please respond in the comments below or email me at dressagirlct@gmail.com.

We are always in need of financial help to purchase those things that are not donated such as trimmings, labels, postage and supplies.  100% of your donations are used for Dress a Girl Connecticut as we seek to bless girls worldwide.  If you can help us, please click the "DONATE" button on the top right of this page.  Help us brighten a little girls Christmas this year.

Dresses looking for a ride! :)

Are you traveling to a country with basic clothing needs for it's girls?  We are an organization of caring people who want to bless little girls with a new pretty pillowcase dress to raise her self esteem, maker her feel pretty and put a smile on her face...as well as meet basic clothing needs.

A girl in Zimbabwe waiting for her first pretty dress.

My name is Janine and I am the Connecticut State Representative for Dress a Girl Around the World.  We transform ordinary pillowcases into extraordinary, beautiful pillowcase dresses.  Each dress is handmade by a caring individual who selflessly constructs the dress, primarily out of donated materials, into something any girl would be proud to wear.  The dresses aim to meet basic needs but more than that, to make the girl who is blessed with it feel pretty.  The dresses are put on a girl right over any existing clothes she may have and a moment is spent on her level to fasten the ties over her shoulders.  She is told that the dress is a gift from someone who made it by hand simply out of love for her.  She is told that there is a God that loves her and that she is important.  For some girls, this is more individual attention than she may have had in a long time.  In many countries, girls have no value, no worth in the eyes of the people.  However, every person, every girls is special and important to God and we are trying to spread God's love by sharing these dresses with girls everywhere.

You can see she feels pretty and loved!

To date, Dress a Girl has blessed 126,000 girls in 64 countries with dresses of their own.  I am actively looking for people in and around Connecticut who are traveling where there is a need for these dresses.  I can offer you dresses and all that I ask is that you bless the girls as described above and take photos of the girls receiving the dresses so that we may share those pictures with everyone that sews for us.  The photos and stories are what drive all of us to continue to sew.  I can hardly put into words how awesome it is to see a dress I made on a girl who is smiling and feeling good about herself!  This goes for every person who sews for Dress a Girl. 

Dress a Girl Connecticut has made over 4500 dresses since I started in 2010 and we have many women getting involved each day.  It takes many volunteers, generous donations-both of materials and financial donations to keep us going.  Every penny we receive in will be put back into dress materials, label costs and shipping when necessary.

If you, your organization or your church are traveling soon, please contact me to arrange to get dresses to bless girls.  I currently have about 500 dresses looking for a ride to a needy girl.

Dress a Girl Connecticut is 2 years old! New sewing date this weekend!

Dresses made in Connecticut bless girls in Romania!

Dress a Girl Connecticut has been sewing and blessing girls for two years now!  How we have grown in just two years!  It started a small group of 25 women sewing at my church, Cornerstone Church in Cheshire.  We have grown to well over 200 across New England that have helped in some way!  Small groups of friends are coming together to sew in their homes, churches and clubs and then sending finished dresses to me.  I am humbled and touched at how this affects those that hear what we are doing to bless little girls worldwide.  I love that it moves them to get involved and make a difference in the life of a girl!  Girls are shown love when blessed by their very own handmade pillowcase dress.  They feel pretty and smile ear to ear when blessed.  Their self esteem is raised.  That is a wonderful thing!

There is a lot happening now with Dress a Girl Around the World!  We are currently sewing dresses nationwide to go to Cambodia in the fall.  We have a request for 10,000 dresses and the deadline to ship them to the port in South Carolina is the end of August.  We have sent about 500 so far from Dress a Girl Connecticut!  Keep sewing!

I would like to invite you all to our next sewing event.  We can fit about 60 so if you think you can make it, please RSVP to me as soon as possible. Come for some of the time or join us for the whole time.  If you sew, bring your machine and thread and we will set you up to sew.  If not, bring an iron and ironing board, sharp scissors, pins, PILLOWCASES, or a dish to share at lunchtime.  We will be working and having fun too!  Bring a friend if you'd like!

JOIN US!

Saturday, August 25, 2012
9am-3pm
Cornerstone Church
1146 Waterbury Road
Cheshire, CT
***** RSVP to dressagirlct@gmail.com ASAP *****

In June, I attended our first Dress a Girl Around the World conference in Arizona.  I'd like to share with you how our mission is changing from simply providing a pretty dress to a girl who may not have one to blessing a girl with God's BEST.  This means the dress must meet some criteria that we feel is very important.  Here's a wrap-up:

• Always start with pretty, clean pillowcases and materials.  Think to yourself, would I wear this or put it on my own daughter/granddaughter?  The material/pillowcase must NOT BE SEE THROUGH.  The test is, if you can hold your hand under a single layer of the material and you can see the outline of your hand, it is too see through.  Consider lining dresses with any thin materials/pillowcases you have or use these materials to make bias tape.  We want to respect the modesty and dignity of the girl.  This may also protect her from would be predators.

• The dress MUST BE CONSTRUCTED IN A DURABLE manner using proper materials.  Please remember these dresses may often be washed in rivers on rocks or on washboards with harsh homemade soaps.  There may be no delicate cycle in many cases!  Back stitch when beginning to sew and when ending your stitches.  Hide raw edges to prevent fraying and unraveling over time.  This can be done by serging edges, sewing french seams or encasing raw edges in a double fold.  When making a dress that is 36" or longer, please make a kick pleat at the bottom (side or middle) so the girl can run and play without having to hike her dress up.

• We have found that making the elastic pieces one inch (1") wider for the back of the dress fits the girl better.  We generally use 3/8"-3/4" elastics.  Be sure and tack them in place (backstitching) to ensure they will not fall out before you apply bias tape straps.

• Armholes should be cut between 3"-5" in from the top edge and down from the top of the pillowcase or fabric.  Do not make them any longer or deeper a cut or the straps will not be long enough and the girls chest may be exposed.

• Straps should be made of DOUBLE FOLD WIDE (1/2") BIAS TAPE or grosgrain ribbon.  When using grosgrain ribbon, use FRAY CHECK on ends to prevent raveling.  Stitch the ribbon in place on the casing so that ribbons aren't pulled out and not able to be re-inserted.  Do not use craft ribbon as this is not soft, can fray and is not washable.  Never use wired ribbon or rope of any kind.  Make sure the straps are long enough to go over the girls shoulder and tie in a bow!  Too often we receive dresses that are beautiful otherwise but cannot be used because the straps are too short to tie a bow.  A good rule of thumb is to make your straps a FULL 36" each no matter the size dress!  When sewing straps on, start at one end, folding in edges, backstitch, and sew to the opposite end, folding in edges, backstitch.

• Extra touches make the dress even more special.  Add good sized pockets-minimum 5" wide- (girls love to carry little things around in pockets!), trim such as ric rac, and sewn on bows.  Ruffles are pretty too.  Buttons can be used decoratively as long as they are sewn on sturdily.  Please, NO hot glued items adhered to the dress.  They can fall off over time.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone for your prayers, donating supplies, money for buying supplies and shipping costs, time for helping out, prepping materials, sewing, rolling and bagging, packing and shipping dresses.  It is all of you who make Dress a Girl a success.  To date, Dress a Girl Around the World has blessed over 101,000 girls with our pillowcase dresses in 59 different countries.  We have people sewing in all states of the US, in the UK, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Australia, Canada and Uganda.  There are many more girls out there waiting for a dress of their very own, so please keep sewing! 

I feel like the more I share what we are doing, the more girls will be blessed.  I would love to come and share what Dress a Girl is doing with your church, group, or organization.  Please contact me to schedule a convenient time.  Also, we are in need of financial contributions to help with supplies and shipping to our contacts.  If you feel you can help out in any way, please make checks payable to Cornerstone Church-Dress a Girl Ministry and mail to Cornerstone Church, 1146 Waterbury Road, Cheshire, CT  06410 (this is a tax deductible donation) or bring to our next sewing event!  I hope to see you there and meet more of you all in person!  If you have not gotten involved and would like to, call or email me with any questions you have!

Please continue to keep Dress a Girl Connecticut in your prayers.

DRESSES READY FOR SHIPMENT!

I need your help!  I currently have 134 dresses packed and ready for shipment (and more waiting to be packed and shipped).  These dresses are headed to Cambodia with missionaries that have requested a total of 10,000 dresses from Dress a Girl Around the World.  There is great need in Cambodia to lift up the girls in prayer and to bless them with their own handmade pillowcase dresses!  A new dress for a little girl who has never had one will raise her self esteem and make her feel pretty.  It is a selfless act of love to make these dresses for a girl you may never meet.  It shows her that she is loved.  By others and by God.  We are seeking to provide God's best in the dresses we make.

I estimate that it will cost about $60 to ship these dresses the the port in South Carolina where the group will load them with all the others coming in from all over Dress a Girl sewers onto the ship that will sail to Cambodia in the next few months.  Please pray for the girls of Cambodia and if you can help us with any of the cost of shipping, please click on the "DONATE" button on the right of this page.  100% off you donation will go to helping us bless little girls.  Thank you.

Let's give them smiles like this!

The month of May in Review!

What a crazy month it has been!  So much is happening and I have fallen behind in my blog!  Oh no,  Let me bring you up to date!

In the beginning of the month, I was blessed to be part of West Hartford's Spring Stroll and partnered with BK&CO, a beautiful women's boutique, to showcase what Dress a Girl Connecticut and Dress a Girl Around the World has been doing.  I sold some of our dresses to raise money for supplies, shipping and labeling dresses!  I was so touched at how many people came out and not only learned more about what we do, but donated by purchasing a dress for $25.  That money will make at least another 13 dresses and get them to the girls around the world!  The best part is, so many were touched by this and were thrilled to be able to help and share with whomever the dress will go to what it means and that with their support, many girls will be blessed.  I owe a huge thank you to Barbara and Karen, owners of BK&CO for promoting and supporting our mission.  Thank you ladies!

In late April, I was in Kansas and met up with a friend that I hadn't seen in 2 years.  When we brought each other up to speed on what we'd been doing, I learned she has started going to Haiti with a mission group called HUT OUTREACH.  Joni told me that these kind folks were an organization that aims to help with basic needs of the people in Les Cayes, Haiti.  (Yes, clothing is a basic need-like a dress for a young girl!)  I told her all about my involvement with Dress a Girl and we discussed how God has worked in each of our lives to help us by helping others.  We agreed that it would be great if she could take some of my dresses to Haiti in the end of May with her group.  When I returned home to Connecticut, we emailed each other and she asked me if she could have 1,000 dresses for Haiti!!!

Of course I said yes and set right to emailing, posting and pleading with everyone who helps us in sewing to send me their dresses.  Fortunately, we are an organization that is growing!  Everyone was so helpful and eager to get their dresses sent to Haiti that I was overwhelmed with offers to send dresses to me.  At the time I had to send dresses off, I counted and recounted and was only 53 dresses short! Amazing!  One month and 1,000 dresses!  God is good!  I emailed a few other reps and found that the Chicago rep could send Joni the additional 53 dresses.  We made our goal!  Thank you all who helped in any capacity!  Joni has promised me TONS of photos and a few have already showed up on her Facebook page.  I am dying to see more!  I have many requests from those who sewed to see photos.  I am sure they are hoping to see their dress on a little girl!  What a great feeling that is!

Nicole of HUT OUTREACH on left and my friend Joni on the right with girls blessed with our dresses!

Look at that smile!  Doesn't it speak VOLUMES???  All girls are all smiles when they receive our dresses!

Nicole and Joni holding some of our dresses!  Smiling in anticipation of blessing little girls with them!

In May I also did a Girl Scout event with two troops in Kensington.  Daisies and Brownies gathered donations from local churches, schools, the senior center and other organizations prior to our event.  Then I went to speak to them and explained we'd be painting designs on the hems of the pillowcases.  This would add something special to the dresses we would make out of their pillowcases.  I will send them photos when the dresses are finished.  I just love girls helping girls!  Sew sweet!

Daisies and Brownies hard at work embellishing with fabric paints.

Daisies and Brownies hard at work embellishing with fabric paints.

This month I also was contacted me by a lady named Donna.  She was teaching her 8 year old granddaughter Addi to sew.  They decided to sew a pillowcase dress for Dress a Girl and Addi set out to buy bandanas to sew into a "pillowcase" dress.  She insisted on purchasing the materials with her own money and with Donna's assistance and guidance, she made her first dress-nearly entirely on her own!  I emailed back and forth with Donna and she told me this:

"The dress is now in the mail to you.  Thank you so much for this.  Addi is such a wonderful little girl.  She has a heart of gold.  It is so sweet to see her realize children are not as blessed as she is.  She calls it lucky because at 8 years old she doesn't know there is no luck, it's blessings.  I did take a photo when she finished the dress, I'll send you a photo tonight.

The dress isn't perfect.  I started to re-do it but my husband said that wasn't right, that Addi had took so much time with it.  There is a card in the pocket.  If you feel you can't use the dress do what you must.   She has fabric picked out for her next dress."
  

I told Donna that of course we'd use it as Addi poured her heart into it!  I asked Donna to take a photo of Addi with the dress before she sent it to me.  She did that and I first received the dress. I was shocked when I opened it.  It was beautiful!  My daughter was standing nearby and saw it as I opened it.  "I LOVE THAT!" she exclaimed.  I told her about Addi and she was shocked it was made by an 8 year old!  She is about to turn 12 and couldn't believe an 8 year old could make it!  And so cute too!  I opened the card in the pocket from Addi and was brought to tears by it!  Two days later, I received the picture of Addi holding her dress.  Could she be any cuter??

Addi (8) holding the dress she made.

Beautiful!  Made by and 8 year old girl!

Sweet note in the pocket!

Sew pretty!

In May I was also contacted by a woman whose mother had passed this past winter.  Carolyn was a nationally acclaimed quilter and had a house full of beautiful fabrics and notions etc.  The daughter asked if I would be interested in fabrics and of course I said YES!  She delivered to me a car full of boxes all sorted and full of fabrics, notions, tools and more.  There was a miscommunication, however, as she looked at a website and thought we only took in white materials for dress making.  Knowing she was donating materials to be made with her dear mother's fabrics into darling dresses for little girls, I couldn't say no and happily accepted them.  We will lot dye and tie dye the materials and make dresses with it all.  It may take a few years, but we will use it all.

With that being said, I would like to say as a general rule:

WE DO NOT USE WHITE MATERIALS OR ANY THAT ARE SEE THROUGH!

We test for sheerness by holding our hand behind a layer of fabric-

If we can see our hands outline-IT IS TOO SHEER.  

Let's respect the modesty of all age girls and 

provide dresses they will feel comfortable in and not self conscious.

After all, we want to provide God's best for the girls!

HOST A DRESS A GIRL TIE DYE EVENT WITH YOUR 

FRIENDS, CHURCH YOUTH, GIRL SCOUTS OR SCHOOL!

On the same line of thinking, if you have a group or organization that would enjoy hosting a tie dye event for a good cause, please consider taking a box of material from me and dye it so that it becomes a useable fabric for us to make dresses with.  Lot dying is also a possibility.  Please contact me at dressagirlct@gmail.com for more information.  Remember, I am in Connecticut and we would need to find a way for you to come and pick up the fabric.  I can provide direction in how you can obtain good and vibrant dyes to use.  The dyed dresses are really cute!!

If you would like to get involved and sew for us, please contact me.  I have supplies that I can provide to you and instruction as well.  The dresses are quite easy and quick to make and have a HUGE impact on the girl that receives the dress!

Keep up to date by following me on Facebook.  Please "like" my Dress a Girl Connecticut page to hear what we are doing and see recent pictures!  If you like what we are doing, share it with your friends.  The more people that hear about what we are doing, the more that may get involved and help us to bless little girls!

Visit us in West Hartford this Saturday!

I am honored to have been asked to partner with a fabulous woman's boutique ~BK & Co~ in West Hartford Center this weekend for the West Hartford Spring Stroll.  Click here for more information!

They seek to bring attention to charities that business owners in West Hartford support.  It is a wonderful opportunity for me to share Dress a Girl with even more people and perhaps get more people involved in donating and sewing!  This just means more girls will be blessed with dresses!

I will be selling pillowcase dresses for $25 to raise money for shipping dresses and to help buy more supplies to bless more girls.  100% of the money will go back into Dress a Girl!  It is a wonderful way for me to raise money and for you to out one of our cute dresses on a little girl in your life.  Walking advertising too!  Just share where the dress came from and how your money has dressed that many more girls!

Think you'd like to help sewing dresses?  I will also have kits available for $5.  Kits include a pillowcase or fabric sewn into a pillowcase form; all the notions needed to make the dress, directions and an address for you to send the finished dress back to me.  In this way, you can sew a dress, donate a small amount and bless a girl.  If you find you enjoy it and want to continue, you can start collecting pillowcases and supplies needed to sew the dresses!  I am always in need of more help sewing!

Please come out and support Dress a Girl Connecticut!  I look forward to meeting you!

Great turnout this weekend and another date planned!

What a great turnout on Saturday!  So many new faces!  What a week this has been!

I am so pleased that the recent articles and video articles have brought Dress a Girl to so many! 
http://www.myrecordjournal.com/following_farrah/dress/  What a wonderful blessing this has been to our ministry!  So many have asked how they can help.  Obviously, we need pillowcases!  Please-nothing see through!  We want the girls to have modesty and proper coverage.  We also need help sewing and constructing dresses-consider volunteering your time!  We can show you how to make the dresses!  They are SEW EASY! :)

One of our young helpers models a dress!

We also need financial assistance.  We buy supplies for dresses, labels and shipping supplies and shipping costs.  We estimate that $100 donation will make and ship about 50 dresses.  $500 donation will make and ship 250 dresses!  Know of a company that may want to give back?  Corporate sponsors welcome!  Any amount of donation is welcome and 100% will go towards dress supplies and shipping.  We want to bless as many girls as possible!

We also want to find local groups going on missions trips that can carry dresses with them and bless girls with their own handmade pillowcase dresses!

Our next sewing date is Saturday, March 31 from 9am-1pm at Cornerstone Church, 1146 Waterbury Road, Cheshire, CT  06410.  Watch for more to come about this date!

Please contact me with any questions you may have!  I love to talk Dress a Girl!

Join Us to Sew (No experience necessary!)

"DRESS A GIRL AROUND THE WORLD"

 Imagine a World Where Every Little Girl Owned at Least One Dress

 
 

Join Us!
The Dress a Girl Ministry is meeting
this Saturday, February 18th
9:00am - 12:00pm

Cornerstone Church Sanctuary 

1146 Waterbury Road

Cheshire, CT  06410

Whether you sew or not, we need help cutting, ironing, pinning, 
rolling & packaging dresses for shipment to David Wagner of 
Father’s Heart Ministries.  These are very fun, easy to make &
will make a huge impact on the receiving girl!

Please come, bring a friend if you like, be involved!  

You’ll be helping to bless a little girl who might not have ever owned 
a pretty new dress if it weren't for your kindness and generosity. 

 Any questions, please contact Janine Mahan, Dress a Girl Connecticut at dressagirlct@gmail.com.

Hope 4 Women International's "Dress a Girl Around the World" has blessed over 61,000 girls with their own pillowcase dresses in 56 countries including the US.  Volunteers are sewing dresses in all US States, Canada, Uganda, the UK, Philippines, Australia, and Hong Kong. 

****Please donate new & gently used pillowcases****
All colors & sizes welcome!

Financial donations can also be made to:
“Cornerstone Church-Dress a Girl Ministry”, 

1146 Waterbury Road, Cheshire, CT  06410

 

Together, we really will dress girls around the world.

Sewing in a jiffy!

A few weeks ago I was contacted by a woman who works for MyRecordJournal.com.  This is an online news website that wanted to feature Dress a Girl Connecticut on their site!  She asked if I had any dates planned for a sew-a-long that she might come out and video record what we are doing and interview me.  A couple of days later called the administrator at our church to find that she was in Mexico for a week or so!  The deadline was fast approaching and I was under the gun to get a date on the books at Sal's House-a cottage for fellowship on our church property.  I intended to throw a few people together and do a mini-sewing event.  On Wednesday of last week, I booked a Saturday 9am-12pm slot to use the cottage.  I frantically advertised it on Facebook, emailed and talked it up.

Saturday morning came and I had 5 women all show up to help throughout the morning.  It was perfect!  Not too many and they came staggered so that I actually got to talk with everybody!  We even had two new people come help that hadn't before!  Some ironed labels on, another sewing instructor that has been sewing for us did some sewing too. 

As it turned out when I was setting up, I realized just how many dresses I already had completed that just needed to be rolled, bagged and packaged for shipping.  I set a big table up and showed a friend how to do just that.  We worked on opposite sides of the table and talked while we worked.  I am usually running around like crazy instructing, helping and trouble shooting and don't really get to catch up with people as I would like to at sew-a-longs.  This was really nice for me.  And, I loved the smaller setting of Sal's House!  We rolled and bagged hundreds of dresses that have been sitting in a giant covered plastic container on my deck for months just waiting for funding to ship!  I will be so glad to mail those dresses out!  These will go to David Wagner in Florida to be taken to Africa and South America this year on his missions trips.

Dresses completed & labels just sewn on

Sewing on labels

Supplies boxes

Rolling/bagging dresses here

Rolled and Bagged & Counted!

Cutting, Serging & Sewing Station

Sponsor a Woman, Host an Event, email sign ups, Slideshow and Pillowcase party info!

In mid-January, I spoke to a group of Delta Kappa Gamma's and they were so moved by Dress a Girl and what we are doing in Connecticut that they opened their wallets on the spot and donated just over $100!  Now that I have that money in hand, I can afford to ship some of the dresses!  How wonderful!

The video recording went well, she interviewed me and a few others as well.  She took video for nearly 3 hours.  The article will run on Valentine's Day and I am anxious to see how it comes out.  I hope this drums up more interest and excitement for Dress a Girl and that more people will want to become involved.  I also hope that a Corporate Sponsor will come forward!  Surely there is a company out there that would like to help a not for profit help bless little girls by helping with shipping costs and supplies costs?

Either way, my hope is that more eyes be opened to see what we are doing to help bless girls!

Why do we dress little girls?

Why do we dress little girls? Well, it is the right thing to do.  When I heard there was a need for this, I was drawn to it.  It brings smiles to their faces, raises their self esteem and let's them know they are worthy and loved.  They feel the love of those that touched their new dress but also that of a love by Jesus.

I was listening to my bible reading today and a verse kept coming to my mind.  Do all things to glorify God.  1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

I will admit-not everything I do is glorifying God.  I fall very short everyday.  But I am working on this.  This morning I started thinking that I want to make sure that my work with Dress a Girl is done to Glorify God.  So I did a little research on the subject of how Jesus felt about caring for children.  Here is what I found:

Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord (Ps 127: 3)i. We are responsible to care for them and to bring them up to be God-fearing and loving (Deut 6: 4-9)ii; (Prov 22:6)iii.
 

Jesus cared deeply for children (Luke 18 vs 16)iv. At the time of baptism we commit to bringing children up within the Christian faith. We need to ensure that they do not stumble (Luke 17: 1-3)v3. 

Our love for them is an expression of God's love through us (John 4:19-21)vi. We need to teach
parents responsibility and care for them as a precious gift (Jas 3:1)vii.
 

Our care should be not only for our own children but also the children in our community. Jesus spoke strongly about caring for others in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Children and others in need are those we are called to serve.

Well, in a nutshell, I think we are Glorifying God in our mission to Dress a Girl Around the World.  I will continue to work to do this everyday.  If you hear me doing otherwise, call me on it!  It will keep me on track!

Have a blessed day!

Blessed by Delta Kappa Gamma Lamda chapter!

Last night I was the guest speaker at the Lamda chapter of a Delta Kappa Gamma meeting.  DKG is a a group of key women educators impacting education worldwide.

Here is the link to find out more about this wonderful group: www.deltakappagamma.org/ct.

These are the purposes of the group listed on their website:

To unite women educators of the world in a genuine spiritual fellowship;
To honor women who have given or who evidence a potential for distinctive service in any field of education;
To advance the professional interest and position of women in education;
To initiate, endorse and support desirable legislation or other suitable endeavors in the interests of education and of women educators;
To endow scholarships to aid outstanding women educators in pursuing graduate study and to grant fellowships to non-member women educators;
To stimulate the personal and professional growth of members and to encourge their participation in appropriate programs of action; and
To inform the members of current economic, social, political and educational issues so that they may participate effectively in a world society.

This was really fun for me to share with them what Hope 4 Women International and Hope 4 Kids is all about and most of all...what Dress a Girl Around the World is!  It went well and was very well received!  Many of the women were moved to donate on the spot and I collected just over $100 to help pay for supplies and ship more dresses to David Wagner of Father's Heart Ministries in Florida! What a blessing as I have about 700 dresses ready to ship!

Even better, many took a copy of the dress instructions and seemed interested in making dresses on their own or with sewing groups they are part of!  I told them I would email them once we had our next sewing date scheduled.  Most women live fairly close to our town and many are in it!  I always need more help sewing so that would be really nice.

I so appreciate offers of help whether it is financial, offers of supply donations or help constructing dresses!  No sewing experience is necessary and I will help you if you need/want to learn how to use a sewing machine.  Please share this website and my Facebook page with your friends that they may also learn what Dress a Girl Connecticut is doing to bless little girls around the world!

It's a New Year!

Happy New Year!

Christmas & New Years are behind us and I am looking forward to all 2012 will hold for Dress a Girl Connecticut!  What a wonderful year 2011 was for us and I just know God has great things in store for us this year!

I am looking forward to a busy year in sharing what Dress a Girl Around the World is doing and how people in Connecticut and nearby can help with Dress a Girl Connecticut in blessing girls with their own pretty dress!

I am starting to plan events for the year as well.  If you'd like to plan one of your own, I am happy to help!  Just contact me at dressagirlct@gmail.com for more information!

I am always looking for people who are traveling to countries where there is a need for these dresses.  Maybe someone from your church is going on a missions trip?  We can provide you with as many dresses as you can carry with you!  All we ask for is that you take photos of the girls receiving or wearing the dresses so that it can be shared with those that sew.  It is "SEW" inspiring for us all!  It brings us great joy to see the smiles on the faces of little girls whose self esteem has been raised and spirits lifted to simply receive a pretty new handmade dress of their own.

If you would like to help but don't know how to sew, there are many other ways you can help.  We always need donations of supplies.

Here is a list of items we need constantly:

• Double bias tape:  We use 1/2" width double bias tape.  Each dress requires 2 pieces of 1 yard each for the straps.  This gets very expensive to buy and I always welcome donations!  We love colorful double bias tape!

• Elastic:  We use 3/8" braided elastic in the front and back of the dresses.  Each dress requires two 7" pieces.  We can use white or black elastic.

• Pillowcases:  New or used but in good condition.  Standard, Queen and King sizes.  Any colors and patterns.  We prefer not to use white as it can be see through and we want the girls to feel secure and safe in them.  However, these can be dyed or tie-dyed!

• Fabric in large pieces:  Lightweight cotton and cotton blends of fabrics in any color or pattern so long as it isn't see through.  Keep in mind that most of these dresses end up in very warm weather places so heavy fabrics or materials that aren't appropriate for these conditions aren't the best choices.

Of course, monetary donations are always welcome as I am often buying supplies in stores and in bulk on the internet.  A roll of bulk elastic costs me $25 and will make about 370 dresses!  A bulk of double bias tape costs me $50 and this will make about 70 dresses!  Please see the link to donate at the top of this blog-(a yellow button) through my Paypal account.  100% of your donation will be used for Dress a Girl Connecticut supplies for dresses!

Perhaps you'd like to come to a Sew-a-Long and learn how to cut, sew (It's really easy),  pin, or iron.  Let me know and I will do my best to include you in an event!

A girl in Uganda was just told she'd be receiving her first new dress!  Look at that smile!

Think about the smiles on the girls faces, as above, when they learn they are about to receive a gift of a brand new dress-handmade with love!  No more rags-just a pretty new dress!  Awesome!

Thanks for listening!  Hope to see you at an event this year or perhaps hear how you'd like to help us bless little girls!

May your 2012 be a very blessed one as well!

THIS IS WHY WE SEW!

THIS IS WHY WE SEW!!!

BEFORE...

A young girl who said she has been praying for a new dress as hers is ragged.

AFTER...

The same girl who was just blessed with a beautiful handmade Dress a Girl pillowcase dress.  

Pictured with Dress a Girl Around the World founder, Rachel in Uganda, Africa.

First Central Baptist Church blesses DAG CT with lots of dresses!

About a year ago, I became involved with Dress a Girl and was very excited to tell everyone about it.  I shared this with was my sister and brother-in-law.  Sandy & Dave are members of First Central Baptist Church in Chicopee, MA.  They suggested I share it with their church.  

Before I ever got a chance to do that, their daughter and my niece, Kate, created a PowerPoint presentation for her middle school and shared it with the folks at their church.  She gathered pillowcases for Dress a Girl and ultimately I was able to share more detail with their church about making our wonderful pillowcase dresses with them.  

They have a talented group of sewers there and set right to work making pillowcase dresses for us.  They quickly made about 60 and sent them with someone going on a Mission through their church.  Since then, their church has turned out 140 more dresses and continues to sew!!

Beautiful details!  Matching bias tape, trim, flower and pocket details!
(The wrinkles are my fault)

This is one example of how cute the dresses I received are!  They are simply beautiful!  Someone is making their own bias tapes and using matching fabric on trims and pockets!  Beautiful! 

So cute!  Lace trims really up the cute factor on this otherwise plain dress.

What a blessing and dream come true this is for me!  This is what I hoped would happen when I took this on as the CT State Representative for Dress a Girl Around the World.  An independent, competent, sewing group that really is self sustained!  I thank God for the sewers of First Central Baptist Church!  May God bless you as you do His work in helping us to bless little girls around the world.  

Thank you all!

Looking for opportunities to host a sewing event

HELP WANTED !!!

I have a request from a woman in Manchester, CT.  She is looking for an opportunity to help sew at a sewing event in her area.  If you live in or around Manchester and would like to host an event, I can offer you your first helper!  

Also, I am always looking for opportunities to share Dress a Girl Around the World with organizations.  I would love to come and speak to your group, church or gathering of friends and let you know what is fasting becoming a charitable epidemic!

Please contact me if you can help.  Thanks for listening!

More Girl Scouts help out Dress a Girl!

Here are more pictures of Girl Scouts helping out with Dress a Girl Around the World!  Just love the idea of girls helping girls!