Dresses and Dollies...

Brynwood Needleworks- Charlotte's Dresses

I received the last gift of dresses at our guild meeting in November from Charlotte G. She included the fabric to make the dolls, so my friend, Jamie took the dresses (and the fabric pieces) and made all the dolls to send out with our shipment.

Brynwood Needleworks- Jamie's Dollies

 

Aren't they sweet? All of them have smiles on one side and and sleepy faces on the other. These will be added to the other dresses we received for this drive - and they'll all be sent off to our Orlando ambassador group.

 

Our totals for this drive are: 35 dresses and 33 dolls

 

While the Dress A Girl Around The World program will continue, I need to close the Dressed In Joy  group and effort - at least for now. Handsome and I have the farm in Wisconsin, our home in Florida on the market, and we have no final plan yet for when it sells. I'm not really able to give this effort the attention is deserves. 

 

I remember when I first learned of the DAG program, and asked you, my friends and readers, to participate. I actually never thought it would be more than a single drive when I first approached all of you. You all know how it grew from there! Final totals since we started making and delivering dresses and dolls is pretty incredible. 

 

Our group made a total of 725 dresses and 429 dolls!

If anyone cares to continue making and sending dresses and dolls to the Orlando ambassador group, please send me an email. I have more labels that I'm happy to share (free), and I can give you the name(s) of my contacts. You would be making dresses on your own, and no longer affiliated with my Dressed In Joy group. As I'm leaving for the farm today, I won't be able to send labels until I return, but I'll keep track of names and send them out when we return to Florida the end of the month.

 

I am beyond humbled by our combined efforts, and I want you to know how much I - and all those little girls - appreciate everything you have personally done to make this happen. Thanks, and thanks again.

 

Firecracker Dress Drive...

Brynwood Needleworks - Dressed In Joy - Marcy's Dresses and Dollies

It's almost time to deliver the dresses and dollies for the Firecracker Dress Drive!

Brynwood Needleworks - Dressed In Joy - Marcy's Dresses

All of these gorgeous dresses have been sorted and packaged for their upcoming trip to Orlando.

Brynwood Needleworks - Dressed In Joy - Sherry's Dresses

They're all so wonderful, and I know every one of them will be loved and appreciated. As I sort through them, I frequently hold them up for Handsome to see. He asked me to convey - on his behalf - how impressed he is with the sheer variety and creativity that goes into each one.

Dressed In Joy - Danice's Dresses

 

After our last drive, the Clermont group decided to break away from our original group. They're close enough to the Orlando ambassador and work group - and one of their members frequently travels between the two groups - so they now deliver the dresses they create on a weekly or monthly basis. 

 

We wish them all the best as they continue their efforts for the Dress A Girl Around The World organization. 

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Dressed In Joy - Pat's Dresses

 

With that (and summer vacations) in mind, I set our goal for this drive at 100 dresses, and we're close to meeting that goal. There's still time if you'd like to contribute a dress or two. I'll be making my own dresses in the next few days.

Thank so much to Marcy, Sherry, Danice, and Pat for the dresses we've already accumulated. Marcy, your doll faces make me giggle as I packaged them with their matching dresses. I'm always impressed with your time management and ability to create so many dresses. Ladies, again, I'm grateful beyond words. Thanks, and thanks again.

I'm planning to deliver them to Orlando in about a week. If you're interested in making a dress (with or without a doll), please let me know so that I can plan to include it in this delivery.

Brynwood's Blog Birthday...

Brynwood Needleworks

  Goodness, how time flies! In fact, I almost missed that March is my anniversary month. It's hard to believe that I've been blogging for seven years.  

Brynwood Needleworks - Family

In that time, I have shared stories and images about my family;

Brynwood Needleworks - Studio Threads

invited you into the nooks and crannies of my studio space;

Brynwood Needleworks - Strawberry Roses

and shared processes, tutorials and finished projects made by my hands.

Brynwood Needleworks - Strawberry Thief Clutch Wallet

You've watch (and cheered) as I tried new things and reinvented my small business;

Brynwood Needleworks - Dress A Girl Campaign

 

and many of you joined me in making dresses and dolls (616 so far!) for young girls around the world.

Brynwood Needleworks - Linens and Ribbons

 

Thank you for traveling with me for the past seven years of my joyful and creative life. I hope you'll continue to join me as I endeavor to make my blog and each post more interesting than the last. In fact, you can look forward to a new look very soon!

 

Gratitude Gifts...

Brynwood Needleworks - "Dressed In Joy" Key Fobs

I kept busy while I was waiting for a client's embroidery to stitch out yesterday. I made "thank you" gifts for the dressmakers from our original effort.

Brynwood Needleworks - "Dressed In Joy" Key Fobs

I finished creating all the key fobs with the Dress A Girl labels on them, so today, I'll be mailing them out to our out-of-town contributors. My plan is to hand deliver the key fobs for my guild and local friends.

I'm so happy that I can give a small token of my gratitude to each of the talented individuals who made dresses in our first dress drive. Once these are on their way, I'll recheck my list and see if there are any new dressmakers from the Valentine Dress Drive that are new to the effort. If so, they'll each get one, too.

 

Some of our latest dresses are already on their way to needy, little girls. That's the most wonderful gift of all. 

Tag Was My Co-Pilot...

Brynwood Needleworks - Tag

I left home at 6:30 yesterday morning, with my boy as my co-pilot. North Port to Orlando is about 2 1/4 hours, so it was nice to have company for the drive. 

I arrived a little early, but Linda and ladies from Clermont arrived within minutes. It was nice to see Linda S., Karen and Linda T. again, and to meet Cindy and Dee. 

Tag was happy to wait outside in a covered breezeway with a full dish of cool water. He could see everything inside from where he was hanging out, and of course, the ladies thought he was adorable.

Inside, we moved around a room that was filled with Dressed In Hope (the Ambassadors' group) ladies, hard at work. Linda S. asked them about how they organized their smaller work stations, and I spoke with their leaders regarding dress destinations and my work in North Port to steer and inspire our group. 

I shared a few quilter's secrets that will make it easier to create dresses. I also showed them our doll heads (and explained Jamie's process to print the faces on the two-sided doll heads). They were eager to learn and receptive to our ideas. It was impressive to be in a room filled with so much enthusiasm.

Delivery Day  (l-r: Karen, Linda S., Dee, Cindy, Linda T., and Donna L.)

When all was said and done, our dress count was 416, and that included 346 dolls. I've updated my previous post to reflect the final numbers.

It was very gratifying to hear from our Ambassadors that our group is their top producing group of dress and doll makers. I arrived home mid-afternoon, tired but immensely happy.

I wish that I were more of a word smith so that I could adequately express just how much I appreciate everyone who is taking part in this ongoing effort. Your generous hearts and talented hands continue to create some of the most lovely dresses and sweet dolls for little girls who with treasure your work.

I am so very, very proud to have brought you together to be part of such a worthwhile cause. I will continue my role for as long as I possibly can, and I thank you again. You really are the best!

Before I close out this effort, I guess I'd better tell you our next deadline...

 I'm calling it the 2016 Firecracker Dress (and Doll) Drive.

Deadline: July 8, 2016

(Please plan to hang on to your creations until closer to the deadline. I'll let you know when I'll start taking in shipments, so they don't come in too early.)

The Traveling Dresses...

Brynwood Needleworks - Dressed in Joy

I'm on my way to Orlando this morning. It's time to deliver the dresses that were shipped to Brynwood - to be joined with the dresses created in Clermont, and delivered by Linda today - to our Dressed In Hope Ambassadors.

In these boxes (in the photo) are:

• 83 dresses with coordinating dolls
• 18 dresses with unassembled doll heads and fabrics
• 52 dresses without dolls, coordinating doll fabrics in the pockets
• Totaling 153 dresses sent directly to me

The Clermont ladies have created 227 dresses. I'll find out tomorrow about how many dolls they've made to go with their dresses.

One of the dressmakers, Karen, will also join us with (another) 36 dresses and dolls. (She already made 48 dresses and dolls that I posted about HERE.)

So, here's the math:

• 153 
• 227
•   36

VALENTINE DRESS DRIVE TOTAL:      416 dresses!!!!!

You may remember that I requested 300 dresses for this drive. Once again, these awesome, generous volunteers have outdone themselves. Aren't they incredible?!!

  

Brynwood Needleworks - Dressed in Joy - Honduras

I received photographs from our Ambassador (Dressed In Hope) to share with our dress and doll makers. Some of our dresses went to Honduras. I shared these on the Dressed In Joy - Brynwood Needleworks group page with our dressmakers, but thought you'd like to see them, too.

Brynwood Needleworks - Dressed in Joy - Honduras

These little girls were so thrilled to receive dresses since our dresses were last taken to Orlando. When I shared these with our contributors, they recognized some of their own creations. (Handsome and I hope to travel on one of these delivery trips in the future.)

Brynwood Needleworks - Dressed in Joy - Uganda

Some of the last dresses also made their way to Uganda. It's sweet, smiling faces like these that inspire us...and me...to continue to create and collect dresses and dollies.

I'm humbled and excited to announce that, to date, Brynwood Needleworks has inspired our doll and dressmakers to create a total of (drumroll, please).................

SIX HUNDRED SIXTEEN DRESSES!!!   

On behalf of the children who will receive these beautiful dresses and dolls,

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. (I'd better get on the road!)

Still Counting...

Brynwood Needleworks - Dressed In Joy Dresses

 

I'm still counting and packaging dresses, preparing for my trip to Orlando on Thursday. Linda and some of the ladies from our Clermont/Heritage Hills work group, as well as Karen from the Tampa area will be joining me once I get to Orlando. Together we'll present our dresses to our Ambassador.

I'll give you a complete total - and post photographs - on Friday. I know you'll be as impressed as I am with the number of dresses that have been produced for our Valentine's Day Dress Drive. 

I'd love to stay and chat, but I want to finish getting these dresses ready for the trip. I know there are going to be a lot of happy little girls when they get this shipment!

Nearly One Hundred Dresses Already...

Brynwood Needleworks - Karen's Dresses

It was a rainy day yesterday, but the sun was shining in our dining room! Karen and her husband, Keith, came down from Palm Harbor, Florida to deliver the dresses she made for our next Dressed In Joy effort.

Karen brought forty eight dresses - with matching dolls! FORTY EIGHT!!!

Brynwood Needleworks - Karen's Dresses for Dress A Girl

We had a chance to sit and visit before they left, but we made sure photos were taken to share with our FaceBook group - and you!

These dresses are part of our Valentine Dress Drive, our first effort in the new year. Dresses are due to me by February 13th, and will be delivered to our ambassador shortly after that. We already have ninety eight dresses toward our goal of three hundred, with commitments for more from our Clermont, FL work group.

 

Once the dresses arrive here, doll-less dresses are paired with a dolly, made by some of my local friends; Dress A Girl Around The World labels are sewn to the pockets; and then I confirm sizes, and package them for delivery. 

If you're interested in taking part in our charitable effort this year, please let me know and I can add you to our roster. You can also request joining our closed FaceBook group (so we can share addresses, etc. privately). The FaceBook group link is HERE. You can also read more about what we're doing (and find patterns) by clicking on the Dressed In Joy (our name for our Brynwood Needleworks group) link HERE.

Thanks to Karen and Keith for delivering the dresses yesterday; and to Karen for sharing her wonderful dressmaking skills. The little girls are going to love them!

A Day For Dollies...

Brynwood Needleworks - Donna and Jamie Making Dolls

My friend, Jamie and I spent most of our time at Nifty 50s yesterday, making dolls to go with Marcy's dresses. Marcy included doll fabric to match each dress, which she tucked into the dress pockets.

Jamie found a template for the doll faces on the internet and, after prepping the fabrics (which I'll explain below), ran them through her inkjet printer for us.

Brynwood Needleworks - Susie, Cutting Doll Hair

My friend, Susie helped by trimming the dolls' "hair" after we sewed the heads up. (She used to be a hairdresser, so this was her obvious calling!)

Brynwood Needleworks - Friends Admiring Dresses and Dolls

There was a lot of interest in what we were doing. I showed off dresses and then we'd elicit giggles each time we showed the finished doll to match the dress.

One group of ladies took pictures of some of the dresses and dolls. I think we may have inspired more volunteers to help in the future!

Brynwood Needleworks - Finished Dolls

Here are some of the finished dolls.

Brynwood Needleworks - More Dolls

Of course, all of them have different hairdos. Some are long, some are short, and some of spikey. All are adorable!

Brynwood Needleworks - Sleepy Face...Happy Face

Every doll has a happy side and a sleepy side on their head. The little girls only need to turn their dolls over to get the other expression.

Brynwood Needleworks - Doll Heads Printed On Fabric

Jamie printed out lots of faces onto different shades of brown and ivory fabric for our sewing day. These are just two of the fabrics she chose, but there were many different shades. Each doll had both faces, one on each side of their head.

Brynwood Needleworks - Doll Heads Printing Images

Here's a copy of the face templates in case you'd like to help with our effort. You could either make dolls themselves, fabric to donate to our project, or print faces onto fabric to send to make more dolls.

We also accept donations of fabric and trims for dresses and dolls, yarn for doll hair, or polyfill for stuffing the dolls. All donations are welcome. (You can send an email to me if you're interested in participating.)

Printing on Fabric Instructions

Start by ironing the fabric to the shiny side of freezer paper. Trim the fabric and paper to 8.5" x 11" (copier paper size) so it will run through your printer. Either run the fabric through your inkjet printer on the copy setting with this template on the scanner bed, or print from your computer (@ 100%).

Leave the faces on the paper until you're ready to sew. Remove from paper and cut around the heads on the lines. We sew the head piece to each body piece (see files on the "Dressed In Joy" page in the Brynwood menu bar at the top of my blog) before sewing the heads together.

Match up the necklines first (right sides of fabric together), and sandwich the yarn "hair" between the head pieces before you sew. Start at one side and sew all the way around the doll, catching the hair as you sew. Leave the bottom open for turning and stuffing.

After turning the doll right-side-out, stuff the head and body with polyfill. Pin the bottom closed and then use a straight or decorative stitch to sew it closed. After sewing it closed, I like to pink the bottom edge for a finish that won't fray. Done!

We'll be doing this again in a couple of weeks. We have more dresses and will have more faces to make dolls. I bet we have more dollmakers then, too!

Sewing For The Shop...

Brynwood Needleworks - Project Pieces

All the fabric for Grammie's Jammies is headed to the washer. Remember, I always do the worst to it before I sew it up. Hot water. Hot dryer. Then, it will be pre-tested for colorfastness and will shrink up before I cut and sew.

Brynwood Needleworks - Project Pieces

While that's going on, I've got five wallets ready to assemble. Once they're put together, I'll list them in my Etsy shop...just in case someone needs a last minute gift.

Today is Nifty 50s, so I'll be meeting up with my friend, Jamie to make dolls to go with Marcy's forty dresses! Jamie offered to help make the dolls (she already did the faces for the doll heads) and I'm so grateful for the help.


All the supplies were packed in my Explorer last night and I'll head out first thing this morning. This afternoon, I'll be back home to work on the wallets. Busy days are the best days!

What are you up to this week? I'd love to know.

Marcy's Dresses...

Brynwood Needleworks - Marcy's Dresses

I received a large package last week from California, and I knew what was inside. I waited to open it until I could give the contents my full attention.

Brynwood Needleworks - Marcy's Dresses

One of our Dressed In Joy group members is Marcy R. and she's been busy since I set our next goal and date! She made dresses in every size and color conceivable!

Brynwood Needleworks - Marcy's Dresses

She set about making dresses in the most wonderful, colorful, fanciful fabrics you could imagine. Each dress has applique' accents or ruffles, or other trim and each pocket is more than just a pocket. They're also trimmed and bound on the edges. And, inside each pocket is enough fabric to make a matching doll for each dress!

Brynwood Needleworks - Marcy's Dresses

Dear Marcy...herself...alone...created FORTY dresses toward our February goal of 300!! I was shedding tears of joy when I took them out of the box. There was even one, sweet little dolly tucked in the pocket of one of the dresses.

I'll be planning a work group to make up the dolls to fill the rest of the pockets on these dresses after the holidays. Each of these gorgeous dresses will have a little doll to match, and they'll be treasured by every little girl who receives one.

Thank you, Marcy, from the bottom of my heart. As I said on our FaceBook page, your efforts and generosity left me speechless and crying tears of joy. Words are so inadequate in the face of the individual and group efforts of our members. If only the children knew what we know...