H.O.P.E. Designs - Carolina Coast Dress sewing pattern

About 2 weeks ago I found the blog Create H.O.P.E. Designs and I know it was God that brought me to that site. It only took a few seconds of reading about all the children in need, that my heart was touched. Before I became a Mom I was an elementary school teacher and taught first through third graders and absolutely LOVED it, so there's a special place in my heart for little ones. Even though those children were not my own, I treated them like they were. I always looked for the goodness and kindness in those children and found it in their innocent hearts. Every day they inspired me when they said something kind to a friend when they thought no one was listening, when they prayed for others in their morning prayers and petitions, when they tried to draw Heaven and I overheard a boy tell a friend, "I hope Heaven has rope swings so we can swing from cloud to cloud," and I learned more about myself and other's needs through it all. I encouraged them, guided them, inspired them to create and learn and received so much back from them each day.

Once I became a Mother to first my son and then my daughter, I stayed home to be their Mom. My world suddenly was filled with playdates, to-do-lists, laundry piles, diaper boxes and was wonderful! I could not have asked for anything more in my heart. But, my world got a little smaller in a way because I wasn't going to work each day, meeting with my co-workers, talking to "my" students and cheering them on as they learned to read or write. When I started sewing some of my children's clothes it was a renewed sense of self, of joy, of love, of inspiration in my heart. I was using my talents and started teaching my friends to sew. Watching my friends learn and fall in love with their new skill of sewing and creating something with their hands encouraged me to help other Moms do the same thing. Wanting to share my talents and creativity, I started creating my own PDF sewing patterns for beginners. This was a way for me to teach others something that I loved and encourage and guide them to love it, too. It came naturally to me to simply whip up a drawing, sew up a sample, create a pattern and write up a tutorial. It was like making a lesson plan for my first graders - step - by - step. Seamingly Smitten was created and my heart and soul are inspired to keep helping and creating others!

But, I know God wants me to share my gifts and talents, like I did when I was teaching. So it made so much sense and felt so "right" to want to help out the H.O.P.E. Design organization. They are an organization created by the designers from the Izzy and Ivy Designs sewing pattern collection. These ladies have huge hearts, the desire to help and know just where they want their help to go. Please go read about what they are doing with each pattern sale. It will inspire you! Each pattern is sold for $5.00 and every dollar - every single cent - goes to orphanages (so far either China Little Flower or One Heart Bulgaria) that are overflowing with children to provide them supplies, caretakers, medical supplies and in turn, HOPE.

I am so happy to be a sewing pattern designer and to share this pattern with H.O.P.E. Designs. It is called the Carolina Coast Dress and will be sold exclusively through H.O.P.E. designs. When you purchase this sewing pattern 100% of the proceeds will go directly to help those children who don't have voices, yet need as much love, care, clothing and a family as we do.

I will keep you posted as to when it debuts. I enourage you to purchase any H.O.P.E. Designs patterns so those little children that you or I will never know, will never see, but our hearts can reach out to them, can have more HOPE each day!

God has given each of us so many talents and traits that we should share with one another.
 I sew. I design. I create. I love.
This is what God wants me to give back.

Happy Sewing!
Jenny
Seamingly Smitten