Sewing for Charity

IMG_5838.JPGThese hospital gowns were made for a children’s hospital in Africa. A little unusual for our group to make, but we were asked and we met the challenge. Sew Blessed Kentuckania is a group of local women who enjoy sewing. We typically make clothing for children who live in third world countries:  t-shirt dresses for girls and shorts for boys. Peg, our fearless leader, doesn’t sew a lick, but she is the queen of collecting fabric, t-shirts, and getting others involved in sewing. She is a woman on a mission and for a woman who doesn’t sew, she has the most incredible fabric stash that miraculously keeps replenishing itself. It has been amazing how many people contact Peg with fabric donations. Sew Blessed Kentuckania, is a group of women who feel blessed to have the skills to sew and the opportunity to clothe children. For some little girls, these may be the only dresses they ever own. We are blessed to be a blessing.

Better Late Than Never…

February Sewing…

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February and March have slipped by quickly for me and a late March snow makes me think Spring will never arrive. But I know it is just around the corner. In February I succumbed to making Helen’s Closet’s Blackwood Cardigan and I’m so glad I did! I used a sweater knit fabric for this quick and easy make on the serger. I’m fairly new to serging and learned that next time I’ll use the differential feed to avoid the wavy stitch line on the bottom band. I will definitely make this again.

 

 

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First Attempt – note the long sides

I also made a simple flowing vest called, For the Sheer Fun of It, from Judy Kessinger’s FitNice System. Fabric is 100% rayon from Joann’s. Such a simple vest took a lot of time! I used this vest to practice a serger rolled hem with Filaine thread. While it is OK to wear, I’ll improve on the next one. I’m always hopeful!  Originally, I kept the long angles of the hem line to accentuate the plaid. BUT when I saw the pictures of it on me I realized that much fabric overwhelmed me! So back to the cutting table to cut the curve on the front pieces. Also got a little more rolled hem practice.

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Altered: curved front

What I learned: use a narrow serged edge instead of rolled edge; cut the curve on the front pieces to avoid the long tails. We took pictures on a sunny day and while we enjoyed the sunshine, these aren’t the best pictures. I put off posting thinking I would retake pictures. Well, that never happened!

Planning to make this is a spring sheer fabric and hoping that will speed the arrival of warm weather.