With so much hustle and bustle in our everyday lives, it can be all too easy to not stop and take a minute to reflect on our blessings. Reflection on the good things in life that have been given to us often leads to thankfulness and then the motivation to share and give to others. Ericka and I truly love our company. We readily acknowledge that Violette Field Threads would not be where it is today if it weren't for our loyal and supportive group of fans!
This past summer we spent lots of time brainstorming ideas on how we could give back to our fans. We started with the idea of a small collection of patterns that would be absolutely free. This idea felt good to us, but we both felt we were really only in the beginning stages. So, we started designing our little collection and as the weeks went on, the pieces just started falling into place. We both soon realized that this tiny idea of ours was turning into something that could have a huge impact. That's when the butterflies in our stomach and the nights lying awake in bed planning REALLY started. Yes, it's true. We all love receiving a gift. But, when we're able to give a gift of special meaning, that's where true happiness lies. So, our dear fans, we are giving to you a small, but beautiful collection of free patterns. Our hope is that you, in turn, are able to give the gift of handmade in return. And this is how the GIVE HOPE campaign was born.
The "Hope" is a simple, yet lovely dress and tunic PDF pattern+tutorial that beautifully balances playfulness, feminine detailing, and practicality. The dress is constructed to be completely reversible and easy to fit. These design elements were very thought out, as ease of wear and fit are very important for this project. Hope ranges in sizes from 12 months-10 years.
Even though the design of Hope is simple, the multiple finishing options give this pattern lots of versatility. Start with the simple tunic length for an adorable little swing top. Don't forget that every version is reversible, so your recipient is really getting two looks. The dress version can be made with or without the bottom ruffle. We adore the bottom ruffle look as it adds just the right amount of girlishness and just the right amount of added twirl! It was beautiful to note that all of our testers sent back at least a couple of pictures of their little ones looking so happy twirling in this dress.
There is also a special section towards the end of the tutorial that includes instructions on how to make the Hope extra special. We call this version the Special Finishing version as it includes layered double ruffles on one side of the dress, and one ruffle with one or two layers of trim on the other. This extra special version is a gorgeous option that any girl will swoon over!
During one of our brainstorming sessions, shortly after we can up with the idea of offering these free patterns and hoping our amazing fans would want to pay it forward and sew some of these up to donate, we started to discuss who could possibly become the recipients of these very special handmade items. Ericka quietly and very seriously said, "I really would love if we could find an orphanage in Guatemala." That's all she had to say, and I was on board. We know that hope was needed all over the world, but we have a special connection with the children of Guatemala. Ericka adopted her 3 children from Guatemala in 2006 & 2007. She has been to Guatemala over a dozen times, and has seen firsthand the need these children have.
We reached out to Heather, of Casa Guatemala, and couldn't have been responded to in a kinder way. She is so appreciative and grateful that it makes this whole project seem like it's a perfect fit. Casa Guatemala is a safe place filled with learning, laughter, and love, for the children of Guatemala. Their website is truly amazing. It brings hope in itself, and is a beacon of kindness and responsibility. "Casa Guatemala seeks to provide a safe home, love and nurturing, proper health care, and an excellent education to the children of Guatemala who are abused, abandoned, malnourished, or living in extreme poverty."
We have been bubbling over, nearly spilling the beans several times and we can't believe the day to share this with our friends is finally here. With nervous anticipation, we bring to you our GIVE HOPE campaign.
The GIVE HOPE Campaign launches today, December 22nd and will run through the end of January.
There are several ways you can become involved! The first is by simply adding the Hope pattern in the "Give Hope Campaign" section of our website to your cart. You will notice that this pattern is free and includes a $2.50 donation to this project. Your donation will help to facilitate all aspects of this project from start to finish, including the shipment of all donated clothing to Casa Guatemala. (If you would like to donate more, you can add it to cart as many times as you wish to make the donation amount higher, or you can go directly to Casa Guatemala's website and donate there!)
The second way to give back is to use one of our three free patterns: Hope: a reversible dress, Lola: a tunic, and Evie: a pair of knit shorties, to create a beautiful handmade item to donate. Once you have created one (or more!!!) piece(s) to donate, we ask that you mail them to our studio:
Casa Guatemala serves over 300 children from severely impoverished areas that otherwise would not have access to education, proper nutrition, or healthcare services, among other things. If you would like to learn more about this amazing organization and how you can donate, please visit their Website, Blog, and like their FB page!
You can pick up your copy of Lola for *free* using the code in our FB Group and Evie for *free* using code FREEEVIE2015. Hope is also *free* but includes a donation of $2.50. This price covers the cost of us shipping all the dresses down to Guatemala, as well as covering the marketing and facilitating expenses of this project.
We truly hope that the GIVE HOPE Campaign touches your hearts as much as it does ours! We look forward to seeing your lovely creations and cannot wait to share them with the children of Casa Guatemala!
Additional information for the Give Hope Campaign:
If you are donating a Hope dress for Casa Guatemala, we have some information and a few requests:
*At this time, we need all sizes, 12 months- 10 years. As we start receiving donations, we will let everyone know which sizes we are lacking.
*Hope, Evie, and Lola can be sewn in any fabrics!
*Please package your dress in a clear ziplock (or similar type bag) with the size labeled on the outside.
*Please have your donation(s) mailed in by January 31st, 2016
*Please include your email contact information so we can send you a FREE pdf of your choice as a thank you for participating!
*Please send all finished garments to:
Violette Field Threads
2424 Adelaide Drive
Thompson’s Station, TN 37179
Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts,
Ericka and Jessica
