I started making these a little while back when I saw mention of it here. I even had some women help me by giving me some pillowcases to get me started. I love playing with ribbon, lace, rick rack, etc on each dress to make it special. I also use any of the trimmed fabric to construct pockets for the dresses. If I can help you with any of it, let me know!

This wonderful project is on my to-do list so I may just have to take you up on that offer!

I have made over 200 of these that were sent to Columbia, Nigeria, and Africa. Fun and easy to make. Nancy's Notions has patterns for making them out of gently used or new pillow covers. She also has a pattern for making them from regular fabric.

We have a group at church and we are sewing constantly for Dressagirlaroundtheworld.org. Our dresses are hand-carried by missionaries or lay persons who are traveling to areas of the world where they are needed. We are doing about 1,500 -2,000 a year. People are so generous in donating everything that so far we have not had to purchase anything and each sewer provides their own machine and thread.

I destashed my fabric ..... ended up with 4 lg trash bags. I called my lqs.... and that take fabric donations for the dresses shorts, ect. You may try your shops in your area. I found that they also can use small pieces for the ladies to make personal products.

Last year, our quilting group at church took a weekend and made over 100. They were fun and easy and we made a pseudo-assembly line to do them.

One of our church groups made some 2 years ago-approx. 100. Now a sewing group at church is making these and have made lots and lots - some of the gals are just using up their stash and not using the pillowcases. It's so fun to see everyone's "inspiration" of the dresses. It's just an ongoing project. We meet once a month and bring whatever we've made. We are also doing the the pillowcases for kids and Linus project blankets, as well as some small local charities. You realize how much need there is when you deliver them.

Dresses
 

A group I belong to makes the dresses - as well as some pants for the boys. We support an orphanage in Cebu, Phillippines and send them over there. When I first started, we sent to Africa, but now the greater majority goes to Cebu. We are planning on making some for the children here in America, but it will take some extra sewing because of the weather extremes. Those to overseas are generally very hot climates and the lighter dresses work well. We have heavier cottons for those we're using here in America.
If you still have the supplies, I would be blessed to receive them. Please send a PM and I'll respond.

Yes, my church is making them to send to Haiti. We sent 364 dresses with the medical team that left last Wednesday and we have another group going this October, so we'll be making them again. I would love to have any extra fabric anyone would wish to donate. It can be any length. For some of the dresses, I pieced two fabrics together for a "bodice and skirt." I think sometimes when you make them out of one fabric, they kind of look like potato sacks; especially when they're the larger ones. I made 42 for this trip. We could use any ribbon, seam binding and fabric that anyone would want to donate.

Yes, I make these regularly.