Dist. 128 students make clothes for charity

The 14 students in a clothing construction class Vernon Hills High School aren't just sewing for grades.

Using pillow cases and T-shirts for material, they're making dresses and short pants that will be donated to impoverished African children next summer.

“Each and every student (is) really excited about this particular project,” teacher Jeanne Wolff told the Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128 board during its meeting Monday night.

The students are making the clothes as part of a program dubbed “Dress a Girl Around the World.” They're teaming on the effort with a charitable organization called Hope 4 Women International.

The class' goal is to create more than 100 garments by the end of the school year, then give the pieces to Vernon Hills Principal Ellen Cwick for her planned trip to Uganda next summer.

The students started on the project about two weeks ago. Wolff asked school employees to donate gently used pillow cases and T-shirts for the effort, and they came through for her.

You don't have to ask people at Vernon Hills twice for things,” she said.

For the dresses, the students cut and shape the pillow cases. Some students have added pockets; others have decorated the garments with embroidery.

“I have a few students who love to use the embroidery machine,” Wolff said.

The donated T-shirts are similarly re-imagined into shorts by the students.

It typically takes three class periods to make a dress and one period to make a pair of shorts.

Wolff showed off several of the colorful pieces Monday night.

To learn more about the clothing effort, visit dressagirlaroundtheworld.com. For more about the international organization, visit hopeforkidsinternational.org.