• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Kristen Welch

We are THAT Family

  • Home
  • About
    • Meet Kristen
    • Privacy/Disclosure Policy
  • Blog
  • Mercy House Global
    • Mercy House Global Marketplace
  • Books
    • Made to Move Mountains
    • Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World
    • Rhinestone Jesus
    • Don’t Make Me Come Up There
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

Blog

DIFOP: Using Pillow Cases to Dress the Poor

May 26, 2010 by Kristen

[The deadline for me to receive items for the Do-It-For-Others NICU project for Hailey’s Hope is Monday. Thanks to all who were involved in this special project. At last count there have been more than FIFTY preemie outfits mailed in!]

I am SO excited to tell you about our newest project that will actually be for June and July: pillow case dresses for little girls in Africa!

IF YOU DON’T/CAN’T SEW———>PLEASE KEEP READING!!!

One of my readers suggested this project and directed me to Little Dresses for Africa. This is a wonderful non-profit organization that is providing simple, sweet dresses for children in Central Africa, hit hard by the AIDS epidemic. Many of these children are orphans cared for by sibling and sometimes clothes are a luxury.  This organization also holds classes during the dress distribution to educate the kids on sanitation, nutrition and family skills.

I was a little worried about the sewing part of this project because I want these DIFO projects to be easy enough for whole families to get involved. And every time I attempt sewing, I break a needle or I trip on something (that last part is probably totally unrelated). So, I asked Twitter for help. I was simply overwhelmed with the response of 15 seamstresses who are donating their time and skill to create dresses from the pillowcases we collect in June!

Our goal: ONE-HUNDRED dresses!!

 

A special thanks to the seamstresses:

Sweetie Berry, MollyFulton, My Blessed Life, Joy in the Journey, Mommy Daily Vent, robinvisbal, Amy_G, Parris Ponderings, Smock Lady, My Soul Reflects, One Stitch Rachel, Signing Charity, Little Miss Random, Troop Petrie, Shouting for Ha, Our Life Upstaestate, Beth Sew Anyhow, Cheerios UnderFoot, Angie.

June 1-30 PILLOW CASE/MATERIALS DRIVE

We need 100+ new or lightly used pillowcases!!

July 1-31  SEAMSTRESSES MAKE DRESSES/MAIL

Items you can send for this project:

  • New or gently used pillow cases
  • Double bias tape
  • 1/2 inch elastic
  • thread
  • air tight vacuum space bags
  • money to help with shipping (I will be dividing supplies and shipping to seamstresses. I will also provide them with a postage-paid envelope to mail completed dresses to the organization).

If you sew and would like to complete your own pillow case dress(es), please send them to the address below. If you can make your own dresses, please note that you DO NOT have to use actual pillow cases, elastic, bias tape, etc. Make them in your own unique way and they WILL be sent to Africa! Here is the dress pattern that the organization suggests.

You can mail these items to:

We are THAT family

8000 Research Forest Dr. Ste. 115-110

Spring, TX 77382

Please ONLY leave a comment if you are able to contribute in some way (every little bit counts!)

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

109 Comments Filed Under: Home

Boob Alert

May 10, 2010 by Kristen

This is a family blog.   So. I thought I should give y'all FAIR WARNING, that while the new BABIES movie is delightful and educational and oh-so-good, there are a lot, A LOT of native boobies in the documentary. And while they aren't displayed in a sexual manner AT ALL, they are still breasts on the big screen with your seven year old son sitting next to you. On Mother's Day. Because that's where you asked your family to take you. After church. [I'm a big fan of ... Read More

86 Comments Filed Under: Family

My Cluttered Heart

April 30, 2010 by Kristen

I've been home from Africa for nearly two months. I probably should be "over" my trip now, back to my old self. Living the life I left. But I'm not the same. I don't ever want to be the same again. I don't really know where God is leading me (and my family), but it's far away from the person I was two months ago. In Africa I witnessed the simplicity of pure hearts. People who had nothing and everything. I looked at my own life, in my own heart and I saw poverty. It was a terrible ... Read More

54 Comments Filed Under: Faith

I’m a “Homeschool” Mom

April 8, 2010 by Kristen

On a regular basis, I'm asked if I homeschool my children. The answer is yes. I've even received a Homeschool Award and been asked to speak at a Homeschool Conference. The answer is also no. Yes, I teach my children at home. Yes, I send them off to be educated at school. I'm a homeschool Mom who sends her kids to public school. Recently, a new friend in my town (who I met thru my blog) asked me what homeschool curriculum I use. She was seriously shocked to learn that I have ... Read More

89 Comments Filed Under: Parenting

I Really Think You Should Join This

April 6, 2010 by Kristen

I love The Blog Frog. Today, they are unveiling an awesome upgrade and I really think you should join! I don't make any money or get freebies for asking you to join the forum on my sidebar. I simply love that it fosters community and friendship among my blog friends and readers! http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10699926&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1 How to Participate in a BlogFrog Community from Holly Hamann on ... Read More

5 Comments Filed Under: Family

I Love Gussy {Giveaway}

April 6, 2010 by Kristen

*UPDATED with WINNER* Congratulations to Sandy a la Mode! You won!I met Gussy at Blissdom this year.And I liked her a lot.Even before she gave the (in)Courage writers these gorgeous laptop bags (only I use mine as an all purpose slash purse slash laptop slash everything bag).She is a self-taught, talented seamstress. She makes the most darling wallets, pouches and bags I've ever seen. Plus, she's adorable and totally looks like a Gussy, although her name is not.About Gussy:"Gussy is a line of ... Read More

208 Comments Filed Under: Home

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

You know the ones …

Subscribe to My Newsletter

Footer

Search

Recent Posts

  • The Best Gift When Time Is Running Out
  • Bless Our (Parenting) Souls
  • We Must Do More Than Watch a Movie
  • Listen. Can You Hear It?

Categories

Copyright © 2008-2024 Kristen Welch, We are THAT Family · Site by Erin Ulrich Creative · Family Portrait Artwork by Marry Me in Spring