Stitch by stitch, a small but devoted group of local sewers is doing their part to instill confidence – and even protect – girls a world away who are living in poverty.
The Methuen Day Stitchers, part of the American Sewing Guild’s Boston chapter, recently took part in the Dress a Girl Around the World project, donating 25 made-with-love dresses. Methuen’s Karen O’Day leads the group, which meets monthly at the Senior Activity Center.
“This year, one of our members came up with the idea to join the Dress a Girl Around the World as our one charity project this year,” she explained. “For those girls, it’s life-affirming, I’ve been told … we’re trying to see these girls into a better part of life.”
The nonprofit Hope 4 Women International distributes dresses to impoverished areas in dozens of countries worldwide. For example, they deliver to Uganda three times a year.
Not only does a new dress bring joy, dignity and self-confidence, but it’s a message to potential predators that this child is loved and cared for. When Dress a Girl Around the World distributes dresses, it also educates families about the dangers of sex trafficking. A label sewn on the front pocket of the dresses bears the pink Dress a Girl Around the World label, “indicating to predators that this girl is under the care of an organization,” according to dressagirlaroundtheworld.com.
Volunteer dress-makers follow a simple pattern (tutorials for Classic A-line, Tiered Peasant and Twirly T-shirt dresses are available on the website) and quality is key.
“Because they’re in such poor countries, you have to make a French seam. It’s very, very strong – the kind you get on jeans – thick, so they’re sturdy enough, for example, to be worn over and over,” O’Day explained.
Methuen Day Stitcher and lifelong sewing enthusiast Edie Garrant said that, as a mom of boys, making the dresses has been a treat as well as meaningful.
“When people see the label on the right pocket, they know this girl belongs to a group and they’re probably less likely to take her,” she said, adding that darker colors are best because “you don’t know that they’ll be washed that often.”
Fellow Day Stitcher Dawn Metcalf is part of two sewing guilds and, upon hearing about the project, started sewing right away.
“I’m trying to imagine who will get (my dress),” she said. “I hope she’ll feel protected and loved.”
Some of the volunteers also sent Dress a Girl Around the World other items they’ve stitched in the past.
“Hopefully we can lend a very small hand to these girls who need protection,” O’Day said.
If you love to sew and would like to do so in a social setting, consider joining the Methuen Day Stitchers. Bring what you’re currently working on, swap some fabric and/or get ideas on new projects! They meet the second Tuesday of the month from 12:30-3:30pm at the Methuen Senior Center, a place they’ve called “home” for at least the past 9 years. Open to all adults. For more info, call the center at (978) 983-8825.
