1 Sew Green Mama: Haiti

Thursday, September 29, 2011

More Dresses

Remember the Threads of Love project? Well, it's been a couple weeks since I have had a chance to sew for it, so I decided every other thing I sew will be for Threads of Love. This week, I got 3 more dresses done.

It turns out strapless is working best for the kids in the Orphanage in Haiti. So strapless it is. :-) Since I got all the kids measurements, it's fun to pick a name and sew for that child. These dresses are going to Thamara, Charlinda and Rachel. I think they are 10, 7 and 4.

I just love this lettuce hem. I haven't quite got it down on my serger, so I am still using my regular machine for that, but it works great. On this one I did the blue thread on the top and pink in the bobbin. I like the way it turned out with the colors in the dress.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Cloth Diapers - Haiti

These cloth diapers are made for school age children with special needs. They are for the Threads of Love Project.

Supplies:
Fabric - PLU for outside, flannel or preferably micro fleece for the part that touches the bum and flannel, terry cloth or micro fiber for lining.
Elastic - 1/4 inch
Velcro - 1 inch
Size Tag - small square of fabric makes it easy for the workers to find the appropriate size. Colors are as follows: small-yellow, medium-dark blue, large-red, and extra large-dard green

Take your pattern and cut the PLU and the Micro fleece or flannel.

I had 2 yards and cut enough for 6 diapers.

Then cut the inside piece. I tried a terry cloth to see how it would work, it's really soft, but it's a stretch terry. I didn't like sewing with it. Micro fleece is wicking so the kids won't be sitting in wet and it's soft.

Now cut your scraps up for inserts.

I used 1 terry piece, 3 flannel and 1 hemp scrap that I had. Probably 4 - 6 flannel and 1 terry cloth piece would be good.

Next, I piled up my inserts and sewed them down the middle. I did this incase any are a little smaller the others. I didn't want them to move around inside the diaper.

After you sew the line down the middle of the insert, pin it to the wrong side of the inside piece of the diaper and sew all the way around it.

Then put right sides together of both diaper pieces. **We made a change and use the wrong side of the PLU as the right side. It works the same and a little nicer for the kids in Haiti where it is hot and humid. (Insert the size tag here on the top (back) of the diaper and sew all the way around leaving an opening at the bottom (front) of the diaper.

It's hard to see, but transfer your marks for the elastic to the wrong side of the diaper. Starting at 1 mark, stretching the elastic as you go, zig zag it to the other mark.

Your elastic will go on part that goes around the legs and on the back of the diaper.

Now, flip it right size out and top stitch all the way around closing your opening. I forgot a picture of that.

All you have left is the velcro. Sew the soft side onto the front of the diaper and the rough side to the other part with a little soft piece next to it so you can fold it over during washing.