As many of you know our on line dolly world is made up of more then just talented doll lovers who create items and sell them on Etsy for more then just profit. Many of the motivation's behind what Etsy shop owners I have worked with and interviewed have felt a "Call to Duty" and create items for dolls to benefit charities and what I like to call "Doll Ministries" one of these people who has heard the "Call" is Elaine of My Grandma Sews Etsy shop.
Elaine shared with me her reason for creating for 18 inch dolls...
"I used to be a high school English teacher, so I really enjoy
writing. That's the main reason why I also blog about other non-sewing
stuff at http://www.mygrandmaknows.com .
Thanks to a junior high home economics class and my
mother, I learned to sew when I was a young teenager. My mom sewed to
save money, and she often combined leftover fabrics to make play clothes
for my nieces and me. I credit my mom for instilling in my a love for
mixing prints together on the same garment."
"It wasn't until December 2013 that I got interested
in sewing for 18" dolls. My sister asked me to make something for her
granddaughter for Christmas. I enjoyed that project so much that I
immediately began my pattern collection. I've sold some doll clothes
locally and in my Etsy shop."
"Recently, I was thinking about a way to use my passion for doll sewing
for a greater good. One morning as I was reading my Bible and praying, I
had the idea to sell my doll clothes and donate the money to an
organization called Forward Edge International and their ministry, the Villa Esperanza, in Managua, Nicaragua.
I'm familiar with this mission and their work in Nicaragua because one
of my former students serves there as a field worker. The Villa
Esperanza means Village of Hope, and their mission is to rescue girls
who live in a nearby dump and are vulnerable to drug abuse and sex
trafficking. I thought it would great to use my passion for sewing and
girls' passion for doll clothes to help girls in another part of the
world."
"For the next three months, I will be donating all of the money from my
doll clothes sales to the Villa Esperanza to be used to help the girls
buy Christmas gifts for their families who still live in La Chureca, the
village in the garbage dump."
Her blog My Grandma Knows is a delightful read! A great way to see what wonderful things Elaine is up to!
Check out her sewing site at http://elainesearer.com/ to see all the wonderful items she is creating and sharing!
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MyGrandmaSews
Thank you for a lovely write up, Karen! I love it!
ReplyDeleteElaine is a dear friend and wonderful role model for living her faith in God before others in tangible ways. She teaches an adult women's Sunday school class at our church and an is involved in other ministries close to her heart. Thank you for sharing Elaine's story with your blog readers!
ReplyDeleteGreat designs, style, and spirit.
ReplyDeleteElaine is not far from me (approximately 3 hours)! That's really neat to "meet" such skilled and caring people in my own backyard (so to speak).
ReplyDelete