Sewing Dresses for Tots and Teens

Nancy Church of the Federal Way Fourth Ward, Federal Way Washington Stake, recently looked for a service project she could do at home. Learning of the desperate need in Third World countries for children’s clothing, especially little girls’ dresses, she thought, What if I were to sew 100 dresses? After reading a pamphlet from the Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center, she visited a fabric shop and purchased a simple pattern for a girl’s dress.

Ten days and 10 bolts of cloth later, Sister Church had sewed 102 dresses ranging in size from 2 to 14. After checking with the humanitarian center, she learned that she could drop the dresses off at a bishops’ storehouse and that they would be sent to Utah.

Sister Church, who first began sewing at age four to make clothes for her dolls, felt blessed to be free from headaches that often plague her after sewing long hours. “When we wish to help others,” says Sister Church, “the Lord helps us magnify our talents and opens the way for us to serve.”—Edgar E. Eaton, Auburn Seventh Ward, Auburn Washington Stake