Merry Christmas Everyone!
It is starting to get cold here in Tennessee so we are really getting into the holiday spirit. I hope you are all enjoying this time where ever you are too.
I have updated the Count page and the Helpers page. So many wonderful people are hearing of our project and are helping in any way they can. I have also added a picture of one of our Sewing Hands - Larissa. Please email me any pictures of yourself or your beautiful dresses/shorts so I can post them for everyone to see.
More to follow,
Sharon
Sewing Hands
Peggy, Cheryl, Sara, Deborah, Sharon, Kathy, Lois, Evelyn
Monday, December 5, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
New "Hands", New dresses and New Pictures
Wow! Deborah certainly has been busy in Florida. Go to our Count page to see the latest total.
We have a new Sewing Hand. Welcome Peggy! Peggy has started off with a bang. Check out the picture of her and her dresses.
Lastly, we have had more wonderful people contribute sewing notions, fabric and donations. See them on our Helpers page.
Please send in any pictures of yourself and any ideas that you have used while embellishing your dresses. Peggy used pretty beads on the dress straps. What a great idea.
We have a new Sewing Hand. Welcome Peggy! Peggy has started off with a bang. Check out the picture of her and her dresses.
Lastly, we have had more wonderful people contribute sewing notions, fabric and donations. See them on our Helpers page.
Please send in any pictures of yourself and any ideas that you have used while embellishing your dresses. Peggy used pretty beads on the dress straps. What a great idea.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
MOVE
Sewing Hands has moved over to their own Facebook page. You can follow us there as well as this Blog there. You can find us under Sewinghands4ileavache.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Thank you
If you ever wanted confirmation that there are wonderful people in this world just check out the "Our Helpers" page. The reaction to our project has been amazing. Friends, family, stores and strangers have given generous donations to help us buy fabric - those that can sew have volunteered to make dresses and shorts. So - to all of you - THANK YOU. You not only are helping us reach our goal but most importantly you are touching an unknown child in a different part of the world.....just imagine the smile on their faces and the feeling of joy when they receive new clothing that was made just for them!
Sewing happy,
Sharon
Sewing happy,
Sharon
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Minor Correction
Sewing Hands:
I have been told that the orphanage has about 70 children - to which I immediately thought Hurray! 70 is easier to complete than 200....but then I found out there are two schools with about 200 children in each. The whole island is very very poor. Don't you think we should help every child?
So, our goal is still 200. We also learned that many of the children are older (teenagers) so Deborah has found a pattern for sundresses and we will also be getting a pattern for men's pj bottoms that we can sew as shorts.
Please spread the word of this project with all of your friends and relatives. We need all of the help we can get!
Sharon
I have been told that the orphanage has about 70 children - to which I immediately thought Hurray! 70 is easier to complete than 200....but then I found out there are two schools with about 200 children in each. The whole island is very very poor. Don't you think we should help every child?
So, our goal is still 200. We also learned that many of the children are older (teenagers) so Deborah has found a pattern for sundresses and we will also be getting a pattern for men's pj bottoms that we can sew as shorts.
Please spread the word of this project with all of your friends and relatives. We need all of the help we can get!
Sharon
Monday, October 17, 2011
Super Kids !
Check out the website of New Horizons. The other half of this ministry is my brother's wife Ellen and her super kids club. These kids are definitely super - 15 of the young girls are excited to help Sewing Hands with dresses ! Deborah, along with two of the ladies from Landcrafters, are going to instruct the girls over the next four weeks. They will pick their own fabric and embellishments. I can't wait to get pictures so I can share them with you.
Thank you girls !
Thank you girls !
The Story
Many of you have not heard the story of how Sewing Hands came about. Here it is:
Last summer my dad was reading an article in one of his boating magazines about a little island off the coast of Haiti. Knowing that my brother, Bob, took supplies down to Haiti he was eager for Bob to check into this island. Dad pestered Robert a few times about checking out this article and the island but Bob, being constantly on the go and busy with his ministry, neglected to do so. My dad then passed away a couple of days after Thanksgiving. Bob was on his way down to Haiti with tons of food and supplies when it happened.
The problem arose when just shy of the island Bob was notified that there was too much colera and violence for him to bring the boat close to shore. So there he was with tons of food and nowhere to deliver it. Some say that it was dad's voice from heaven that reminded Bob of this little island: Ile a Vache (translated as Cow Island). Bob got out his charts and headed that way. When he arrived the waters were rough but he found a passage that led him up to the island where (low and behold) a young man in a canoe was waiting to help him to shore. I believe Bob said something like "take me to your leader". I'm sure this 3 masted sailing schooner looked like a miracle to those who saw it. And it was an answer to prayer for Sister Flora's orphanage as they had been very low on food. Check out the link to Bob's blog under the Star of the Sea page. He has wonderful pictures of the kids.
So, in memory of Captain Dave, we are sewing for the children of Ile a Vache. My sister Stephanie will be creating a label that will go on each of the parcels of clothing that will be sent. It will give our name (sewing hands), the size and that this is in memory of dad. I will include a picture of the label once it is designed.
Happy Sewing,
Sharon
Last summer my dad was reading an article in one of his boating magazines about a little island off the coast of Haiti. Knowing that my brother, Bob, took supplies down to Haiti he was eager for Bob to check into this island. Dad pestered Robert a few times about checking out this article and the island but Bob, being constantly on the go and busy with his ministry, neglected to do so. My dad then passed away a couple of days after Thanksgiving. Bob was on his way down to Haiti with tons of food and supplies when it happened.
The problem arose when just shy of the island Bob was notified that there was too much colera and violence for him to bring the boat close to shore. So there he was with tons of food and nowhere to deliver it. Some say that it was dad's voice from heaven that reminded Bob of this little island: Ile a Vache (translated as Cow Island). Bob got out his charts and headed that way. When he arrived the waters were rough but he found a passage that led him up to the island where (low and behold) a young man in a canoe was waiting to help him to shore. I believe Bob said something like "take me to your leader". I'm sure this 3 masted sailing schooner looked like a miracle to those who saw it. And it was an answer to prayer for Sister Flora's orphanage as they had been very low on food. Check out the link to Bob's blog under the Star of the Sea page. He has wonderful pictures of the kids.
So, in memory of Captain Dave, we are sewing for the children of Ile a Vache. My sister Stephanie will be creating a label that will go on each of the parcels of clothing that will be sent. It will give our name (sewing hands), the size and that this is in memory of dad. I will include a picture of the label once it is designed.
Happy Sewing,
Sharon
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Welcome to the Sewing Hands for Ile a Vache Blog
The leaves are turning colors and the temperatures are dropping here in Tennessee. Our thoughts are quickly changing from barbeques in the backyard to baking cookies and hiding away Christmas presents. As the winter looms closer many of us quilters are looking forward to binding our stash of quilts just so we can snuggle under them! This winter however I for one will be at my sewing machine making drawstring shorts for the Haitian orphanage that my brother visits. And that brings me to the purpose of this blog.....
This past summer my mother and I decided to start a project making "pillowcase" dresses for the girls in the orphanage that my brother Bob helps through his ministry New Horizons. Quickly our plans grew to include drawstring shorts for the boys. With 400 children at the orphanage we knew this was going to be a huge task but we already had seen the smiling faces of the kids in the Bahamas when they got last year's pillowcases and stuffed animals - we knew that the dresses and shorts would be genuinely enjoyed and thoroughly appreciated.
I started showing Mom my favorite quilt stores in the area. Since Patsy and I practically live and breathe quilting I thought Mom would get pretty tired of being taken to yet another store but boy was I surprised! We went to Mountain Stitches in the Gatlinburg Arts and Crafts Loop. My Mom didn't stop saying "oohh, aahh" the whole time. When we told Susan what our plans were she immediately jumped on board - making our first dress so we could see how to do it. donating bolts and yardage of fabric as well as a massive amount of rick rack. This was the beginning of more stores, more donations and more wonderful people committing to helping out. Please see the Stores and Sewers pages to see who is now involved.
If you would like to be involved we would love your help. Just email me at sewinghands4ileavache@gmail.com . In the coming weeks I will be adding pictures, embellishment suggestions, pattern instructions and a count of what we have done so far. If you are already one of our sewers please send me pictures of your work and let me know how you are doing so I can add it to the blog.
Happy Sewing,
Sharon
This past summer my mother and I decided to start a project making "pillowcase" dresses for the girls in the orphanage that my brother Bob helps through his ministry New Horizons. Quickly our plans grew to include drawstring shorts for the boys. With 400 children at the orphanage we knew this was going to be a huge task but we already had seen the smiling faces of the kids in the Bahamas when they got last year's pillowcases and stuffed animals - we knew that the dresses and shorts would be genuinely enjoyed and thoroughly appreciated.
I started showing Mom my favorite quilt stores in the area. Since Patsy and I practically live and breathe quilting I thought Mom would get pretty tired of being taken to yet another store but boy was I surprised! We went to Mountain Stitches in the Gatlinburg Arts and Crafts Loop. My Mom didn't stop saying "oohh, aahh" the whole time. When we told Susan what our plans were she immediately jumped on board - making our first dress so we could see how to do it. donating bolts and yardage of fabric as well as a massive amount of rick rack. This was the beginning of more stores, more donations and more wonderful people committing to helping out. Please see the Stores and Sewers pages to see who is now involved.
If you would like to be involved we would love your help. Just email me at sewinghands4ileavache@gmail.com . In the coming weeks I will be adding pictures, embellishment suggestions, pattern instructions and a count of what we have done so far. If you are already one of our sewers please send me pictures of your work and let me know how you are doing so I can add it to the blog.
Happy Sewing,
Sharon
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