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Stitching & Crafting Room:  Dolls for Mozambique  |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6838 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6838 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 20 2017 : 06:17:20 AM
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My good friend here in town, who hosts our knitting group, is going to Mozambique in March to visit her son and family who are living there. Her son is working on a PhD in Public Health and doing some fieldwork in Mozambique on Malaria. About two weeks ago, his wife, who was part of our knitting group while they lived here, asked if anyone could make some dolls for a pre-school where she is volunteering with their 18 month old daughter. She said that Mozambique is very poor and that the school has few resources for the children to play with. My friend is only able to take a small suitcase because it must be able to fit in the overhead bins. It will take her 4 different connecting flights for 39 hours to get from the US to her son in Mozambique. I have been mulling over what I could make that would be washable and easy to pack and here is what I came up with. I took a stuffed gingerbread doll, traced around it for a general form, made some changes and created my pattern. Secondly, I remember my mother sewing dolls for pediatric patients at our local hospital and they were cut with pinking shears and simply sewn together and stuffed. With some muslim fabric and bright fabric and rickrack, I created a sort of apron skirt. I also have this little box of buttons from my mom who loved to make clothes for babies and children. The little strawberry buttons made perfect hearts for the dolls. As you can see, I kept the faces simple with colorful button eyes.. Voila! The Girls for Mozambique Project are ready for departure and travel on March 15. This little project was so much fun for me because it was a total distraction that took about 4 hours. It felt good to do something for some children on the other side of the world who have so little and whose future could be very limited and diminished. Education is the key and hopefully getting an early start in a pre-school will yield opportunities for work and a middle class life out of poverty. I really hope the girls love their new little dolls to play with!
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Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015 |
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hudsonsinaf
True Blue Farmgirl
3162 Posts
Shannon
Rozet
Wyoming
USA
3162 Posts |
Posted - Feb 20 2017 : 06:24:33 AM
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Those are adorable Winnie! Wouldn't it be neat if a group of us could work on a project to send overseas!?!? We are so blessed!!!
~ Shannon, Sister # 5349
Farmgirl of the Month - January 2016
http://hudson-everydayblessings.blogspot.com/ |
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Blessed in Colorado
True Blue Farmgirl
7398 Posts
Debbie L.
Oregon
USA
7398 Posts |
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sargesproudwife
True Blue Farmgirl
174 Posts
Christine Marie
NY
USA
174 Posts |
Posted - Feb 20 2017 : 12:17:32 PM
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Oh Winnie! BEAUTIFUL! The dolls and the idea behind them. Lovely! I purchased a doll for my daughter when she was about 18 months old from a Mennonite family. The mother had 2 of her girls make them for extra money so that they would understand the value of a dollar and that you have to "work" for things. My daughter, to this day, still sleeps with her doll named "Rapunzel". They are so much softer than the hard, plastic ones that are purchased from the store. I'm sure the girls that get these will cherish them and love them!
Christine
Sister #7295
www.etsy.com/theginghambow
www.theginghambow.wordpress.com |
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katmom
True Blue Farmgirl
17447 Posts
Grace
WACAL Gal
WashCalif.
USA
17447 Posts |
Posted - Feb 20 2017 : 2:55:43 PM
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Oh Winnie,,, what a lovely idea... and these dolls are simple and sweet....
not over priced made outside the USA dolls... I might have to give this a try and make 3,, 2-girls & 1-boy,, in the likeness of my grandkiddos...
Luv It!
>^..^<
Happiness is being a katmom and Glamping Diva!
www.katmom4.blogspot.com & http://graciesvictorianrose.blogspot.com
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AFinkberry
True Blue Farmgirl
310 Posts
Ally
Kalama
Washington
310 Posts |
Posted - Feb 20 2017 : 4:00:04 PM
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Very cute! And great job! Safe travels to your friend!
Ally
Farmgirl Sister #5672
"There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness." ~His Holiness the Dalai Lama |
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suny58
True Blue Farmgirl
4521 Posts
Dianna
Jack
Al.
USA
4521 Posts |
Posted - Feb 20 2017 : 5:31:06 PM
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The dolls are absolutely precious and I wish I could see the faces on those girls! I agree with Shannon. We ARE so blessed and I too would love to form a group to send something over there. My husband works in Niger on and off. he said if you send clothes or boxes there they get to the airport and are pilfered through before they get to their destination if at all. He said it's funny because he will see people wearing the uniforms that are sent to his company!
Farmgirl #7703
Dianna
"Blessed are they that see beautiful things in humble places, where other people see nothing." Pissarro |
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Nancy Gartenman
True Blue Farmgirl
9094 Posts
Nancy
West Seneca
New York
USA
9094 Posts |
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MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
7965 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
7965 Posts |
Posted - Feb 21 2017 : 11:18:46 AM
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Winnie, your dolls are so cute. They will be very loved at that preschool. You are so kind to help out and make a difference for those kids!
Krista |
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Beverley
True Blue Farmgirl
2707 Posts
Beverley
atlanta
Michigan
USA
2707 Posts |
Posted - Feb 21 2017 : 3:59:58 PM
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in any one forms a group for making dolls for overseas or here in the United States, please count me in and email me incase I miss the thread!
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog....Charles F. Doran
beverley baggett
Beverley with an extra E...
https://sites.google.com/site/bevsdoggies/
http://bevsdoggies.blogspot.com/ |
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rachelbee
True Blue Farmgirl
207 Posts
Rachel
Carmel
IN
USA
207 Posts |
Posted - Feb 23 2017 : 1:54:27 PM
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Reminder to anybody looking to donate items like this to children overseas- I've read somewhere else about choosing patterns but I can't for the life of me find it. Depending on the culture, I've seen recommendations against using certain colors, patterns, animal motifs (they may be considered unlucky or unclean), and Islamic traditions may not permit human or animal figures. It would be a shame to put the work into one of these lovely dolls only to have it not go to use, so it might be worthwhile to learn about the local culture before creating them. Also a recommendation to keep in mind who these are going to, and to maybe choose a different skin tone for other countries as appropriate.
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Rachel, #6992 |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6838 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6838 Posts |
Posted - Feb 23 2017 : 4:31:21 PM
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Great information Rachel! Thanks.
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015 |
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Stitching & Crafting Room: Dolls for Mozambique |
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Dolls for Mozambique
