Thursday, July 05, 2007

Children's bags

A few weeks back, I had a great conversation with one of the staffers of the only women's shelter in our county. I had sent her a batch of little girls' sundresses, but was concerned that I was foisting stuff upon them that they didn't really need.

She assured me the dresses would be put to good use by some of the little girls seeking shelter at their facility with their mothers. And when we got to talking about other needs that might be a match for someone who likes to sew, she suggested some small bags to hold personal care items for children.

She told me that they were usually well-stocked with toiletries to give the adult women who checked in, but that it would be nice to have something age-appropriate to give to the children, too.

I was so glad to use some of the juvenile and novelty prints that were sitting in my stash. Here are a few of the drawstring bags, all filled and ready to be delivered tomorrow:

And here's a look at the contents of one of the bags for an older girl:




There are 20 bags in all. Each one contains a new washcloth, bar of soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and a hairbrush and/or comb, as well as a few other dollar-store goodies like hair barrettes, small notebooks and puzzle books, "Go Fish" cards and bubbles for blowing.

Sewing the bags was a breeze, but when it came to shopping for the contents, I knew I needed to bring in an expert, and a good one at that. I enlisted the services of my young friend Rachael, the 11-year-old daughter of one of my friends at work. Rachael was only too happy to join in the project. We spent a very enjoyable evening shopping together, and I learned more than I ever dreamed possible about what sort of ponytail holders pull your hair and hurt, and what sort are just fine. We had a terrific time, and I feel much more confident about the bag contents as a result. Thanks for your consultation work, Rachael!

9 comments:

Leslie said...

What a great idea and such generous gifts. I know they will be greatly appreciated.

Anonymous said...

Lovely bags, and a great idea to get someone of a similar age to help you fill them! I wish I had that help when it came to shopping for nieces and nephews.

I can't seem to be able to email you either... thanks for your encouragement with the sun-dresses!

Devorah said...

How wonderful! Great idea to get help with the shopping. *g*

Tracy Batchelder said...

Those bags are great! You can feel good about this sewing project because it fills a known need. I bet the girls and boys will like having something of their own.

Maureen said...

Thanks for stopping at my blog. You should pick up "Prodical Summer" I loved it and have even re-read it! Love all the sewing projects you are creating! It makes me want to move the yarn stash offf of my machine and dig out my fabric stash! Great projects! I especially love that little napkin purse! Is it a pattern on the net or from your head?

Anonymous said...

I think that's the greatest idea! I really love it!

Pieces said...

What a fabulous idea--the bags are so cute!

Candy said...

Hi Anne, I have been wanting to email you. I almost hate to email b/c I'm not totally sure I can do what I want to, but need to plan ahead just in case. Life is a bit crazy for me with the new baby and we've just learned that we'll be moving shortly. However, Oct is Infant Loss month and I'd like to do a RAOK not related to the Emmazing Grace Foundation, which is obviously my normal source of donation. Anyway, if life doesn't get too insane, could I make a couple of bags, fill them, and ship them to you. I really like this project and I have kids' novelty fabric already. If this is ok with you, what size are these bags?

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