Here is a round up of some national and international charities that count on your lovingly sewn items. Thank you to all the members who made recommendations! So here is the round up!
I am a smocker, so of course we have to start there! I have explained in a previous post, that Wee Care is a public service project of the Smocking Arts Guild of America, where gowns, blankets, and bonnets are donated to hospitals across the country for pre-mature infants. This post contains a round-up of free Wee Care patterns if you would like to participate! I have designed a Free Wee Care Smocking Pattern. I also have two additional Wee Care patterns for Newsletter Subscribers that will be delivered to your inbox.
If you enjoy sewing children's clothes than you might want to sew some dresses for girls around the world. Dresses are given to girls who have none. The goal is for the girls to know that they have dignity. Guidelines for the dresses and information on where to donate can be found at:
and at:
I made a few dresses to send to Little Dresses for Africa. You can read about it in this post. Another way to help girls is to sew sustainable hygiene products so girls can stay in school. Information can be found at:
Along similar lines, Sew Powerful asks sewists to sew purses that are given to the girls in Zambia. The purses contain feminine hygiene products that are sewn by women in Africa providing a source on income for them and their families.
If you would prefer to keep your sewing simple, then consider sewing a colorful pillow for children with cancer or other life-changing illnesses. Donation and pattern guidelines can be found at
You can also help children with cancer by sewing blankets and donating them through Project Linus.
If you are a quilter and willing to invest some more time, Quilts for Kids sends quilts throughout the US and abroad to comfort children encountering various difficulties. They even offer kits, so putting your quilt together is simple.
If you are willing to invest a greater amount of time, or if you are part of a quilting group, then you might wish to participate in Quilts of Valor and make a quilt for our military.
For the knitters among us, Warm Up America accepts all kinds on hand knit garments, but they also take simple 7 x 9 inch knitted rectangles that are made into afghans.
Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation accept all manor of sewn items and have a great resource list of free patterns.
This past November was the Giving Challenge over on the Sewcialists blog. There are numerous posts with patterns and stories of how people sew for charity. You can find all the posts here.
The Christmas season has just past, but also don't forget you can sew or smock an ornament for Trees for Troops (here are the details).
For my readers in Australia (thanks for reading!), check out Sewing for Charity Australia, as well as the SAGA chapter in Sydney.
If you would like to sew to help the animals in Australia devastated by the fires, you will find patterns and some help at Silke Touch Quilting.
All of the organizations I have listed above provide ways you can mail your sewing donation to them. There are many local opportunities to use your sewing skills to benefit charity, including sewing chemo hats, walker caddies, mastectomy pillows (this pattern was specifically recommended on Instagram) and Alzheimer's activity mats. Consider contacting your local visiting nurses association, hospital, nursing home, or shelter to see what they need. Free sewing patterns that can be used to sew for local causes can be found here. I have also started a Sewing for Charity Pinterest Board that you can follow for more ideas. I am sure there are many wonderful organizations that I haven't listed, where do you donate your sewing?