RALEIGH, N.C. — A Wake County middle school is making a global impact by sewing.
What You Need To Know
The service learning project is with Dress a Girl Around the World
Students are making and sending 50 dresses to an orphanage in Mexico
Donations to the school for the project will be accepted
Shannon Adcock’s Family and Consumer Sciences classes at Dillard Drive Magnet Middle School are making dresses that will be sent outside of the country to girls who desperately need them.
The group plans to sew and send 50 dresses to an all-girls orphanage in Mexico.
It’s all part of a service learning project called Dress a Girl Around the World.
“Each dress has its own personality and character,” Adcock said. “Students were allowed to choose their fabric, the trimmings for the pockets, and I love how every dress is different and has its own personality.”
Students do everything from cutting out the pattern to sewing the cloth together and ironing the ends.
“I’ve learned the little girls don’t have washing machines possibly, so they may wash it in rivers or lakes, so we have to add extra interfacing to make sure it is like nice and secure,” student Amaya Brayboy said.
It’s a life skill that will never go out of style.
“They know they are making these dresses for little girls who may not even own one dress, and you can see how seriously they take this,” Adcock said. “I remind them a lot, this is bigger than me, bigger than you.”
Gift cards to Joann Fabric and Craft stores can be dropped off at Dillard Drive Magnet Middle School or the following supplies can be donationed:
- Fabric — 3 yards of 100% cotton fabric for one dress (fabric suitable for girls, and not see through)
- Spools of all-purpose thread
- Ball-headed straight pins
- Magnetic pincushions
- Seam rippers with large handles
- Quilting clips
- Organ brand sewing machine needles (Size 14)
- Shears for cutting fabric
- Pinking shears
- Seam gauge
- Iron-on interfacing