Best of Guest Blogger: Lil Dresses for Haiti – Stitching for Change

The message for this project is simple and heartfelt: You are beautiful and you are not forgotten.

Over a year after the devastating earthquake, there are still thousands of children living in tent cities in Port au Prince lacking basic human needs – like clothing. Making clothing is definitely something Laura Lee knows about. She is the head of DC Threads, a community that wants to keep sewing and fiber arts alive and well in DC. For nearly 3 years DC Threads has provided an opportunity, at their monthly free sewing lounge, for over 200 new and experienced sewists to come together and create. The idea for “Stitching for Change” was borne out of a desire to capture the skill and enthusiasm blossoming at the DC Threads Sewing Lounge to help those in need.

Laura Lee head of DC Threads

Last Friday a group of us met at Bits of Threads Sewing Studio in Adams Morgan, where we worked with donated pieces of fabrics and pillowcases to make these lil dresses. A mix of prints were chosen, the arm holes were cut using a simple pattern, elastic was added to the neckline, bias on the arms with loose ends to tie up, and make a bow right on the shoulders. Some people added pockets and Baby Rick Rack to personalize. It took about two to three hours to complete one dress. Here is a link to a dress tutorial very similar to the dresses we made.

Note: When looking for resources in a limited budget, especially fabrics, I suggest a visit to one of the Goodwill Stores. Buy an extra large sized dress and cut it apart then you can use it for this or other projects.

To participate in the next Lil Dress for Haiti sewing day contact Laura Lee at DC Threads.

For more information on Bits of Threads Sewing Studio please visit their site. Â

For more images of this event please click here.

Abigail de Casanova has been involved in the fashion industry for over 13 years. As a hairstylist and makeup artist she focuses on getting her clients ready for special events as well as working on photo shoots and fashion shows. Her work as a handbag and jewelry designer has been showcased at the MTV Video Music Awards, The Cannes Film Festival, among other high profile events including movie premieres in New York and Miami. She is the President of The DC Fashionista Group which was founded in 2006, a networking group for designers, models, photographers, makeup artists and hairstylists in the Washington, DC area.