Little Dresses for BIZAA

Last spring our Church was asked to participate in a sewing project making little girls dresses for a mission trip to Nigeria.  We took up the challenge and made over 100 pillowcase-style sundresses from the Little Dresses for Africa pattern.

The mission group we are working with is called BIZAA.  They specifically work to get children off the Streets and out of Child Labor and into the Classrooms in southeastern Nigeria.  They sponsor children in elementary and secondary schools and now have a vocational school for them as they get older to learn nursing and computer technology. 

The founder of the organization is originally from that area, and now works for a church in the Twin Cities.  When he travels back to Nigeria he brings the dresses and other needed items.  But, he mentioned that the pillowcase-style of dress isn't really appropriate for the girls to wear to Church.  So, I'm working on a design for a simple dress that has a drop shoulder sleeve.

Here's what I came up with today.  I think it will work.  No zippers or buttons, will pack flat, reasonably easy to cut and sew.  Now I have to draft up patterns in a whole bunch of sizes.  And how about that 1960's fabric that was in the donation box?  Back in style again!

Of course, now that I've done all this, I see that there is a new raglan sleeve pattern available from Nancy's Notions.  But I think I like my version better.  No elastic or draw-strings.  Well, I can give our sewing crew a couple of options when we have our sewing day in March.