Good use of sewing skills

Beaconhills students Megan and Bodhi show some of the dresses they made for the Dress a Girl initiative.100288

IT’S no secret that most girls love to buy new dresses, but for some it’s not an option.
That’s why every Wednesday and Friday during lunchtime, 14 girls from Beaconhills College in Berwick get together to sew dresses for girls in developing countries.
It’s part of a worldwide initiative called Dress a Girl Around the World, established by charity group Hope 4 Women International and based on the premise that every girl deserves the dignity of owning at least one dress.
Teacher Mary Gast started the lunchtime activity because, as a textiles teacher, she thought it would be a fun project for her students and a good way to improve their sewing skills. It has proven to be both.
“The girls have been so keen and really excited about this, and their sewing skills are sky-rocketing,” Ms Gast said.
So far the girls have sewn two dresses and hope to complete 12 more. They follow a simple ‘pillowcase’ design, but have chosen their own fabrics and embellishments such as pockets or frills.
Ms Gast said usually her younger seamstresses would tend to “be a bit over the top” with their designs, but she said the students were thinking carefully about the quality and functionality of the garment, mindful of its eventual destination.
“And I think they have really enjoyed the camaraderie of the project,” she said.
The dresses may eventually be sent to children from the college’s sister school in East Timor. Since 2003, the college has raised more than $50,000 for the Hatolia Pre-Secondary School in East Timor.
Ms Gast is about to become the Victorian co-ordinator for Dress a Girl Around the World. For more information, contact her on Mary.Gast@beaconhills.vic.edu.au