Seamstresses turn a little know-how into Little Dresses for Africa

From the dark confines of Madison-area linen closets, pillowcases will soon reappear in African sunlight on the backs of girls who'd otherwise be wearing rags.A group of women gathered recently at the new Sewcial Lounge on Monroe Street to turn pillowcases into dresses that will be sent to orphanages, community groups and churches. The Little Dresses for Africa project, which was founded in 2007 in Michigan, has so far sent 560,000 dresses to 33 African nations.Turning a pillowcase into a dress is a beginning level sewing project that can be completed in about an hour, according to Sewcial Lounge owner Sara Myers. "We didn't want anybody not to come because they're not a good sewer."
For the project, machines were loaned to volunteers free of charge and some people brought their own."Some people use new pillowcases, but some use vintage pillowcases as long as they're in good condition," Myers said. "Pillowcases don't wear out as fast as sheets."The premise of Little Dresses for Africa is that any individual or group can sew dresses at their convenience and send them to the organization.Wisconsin's contribution to the project has been enormous, said project founder Rachel O'Neill. She was invited to appear on Nancy Zieman's nationally syndicated PBS show "Sewing with Nancy" to talk about her project."After that appearance, dresses started pouring in from all over the U.S.," she said.
A partnership developed between the nonprofit and Nancy's Notions, which is based in Beaver Dam.The company, with volunteer help, accepts the donated dresses, sizes and sorts them and gets them ready for shipping."So far we've received 69,208 dresses," said Lori Bartruff, vice president of human resources at Nancy's Notions."I get asked that question all the time."Dresses have come in from all 50 states and other developed countries, and many area women drop off dresses at the company's headquarters.
Nancy's Notions pays shipping costs, which are high, and has donated fabric, elastic and double bias tape to people willing to sew.The project got another major boost when NBC News accompanied O'Neill to Malawi to deliver dresses.Girls were targeted by the nonprofit because many are treated poorly throughout the continent."Girls do everything," O'Neill said. "They take care of kids, work in the fields, do the housework and if there isn't enough food, they're the ones who don't eat. I wanted to do something to honor them. And I want the boys to notice that we are honoring the girls.".