Toss N Tell – July

Uthando Dolls Project

“Touching hearts and bringing play to life” – Handmade dolls for the children of KwaZulu-Natal

This month we have some very special guests from the Uthando Doll Project. Georgia Efford will be speaking about the project and leading us in a doll making & dressing session then creating jewellery and a shoulder bag for the dolls from our beautiful felt. The aim is to make as many of these dolls as we can – not just on the day but over the next few months then return them at the Christmas party in November when we will hand the family of dolls over to Georgia.

Who are Uthando and what do they do?

KwaZulu Natal (KZN) is home to one quarter of South Africa’s children. Two in every three of them live in poverty and 1.5 million are younger than six. The HIV and AIDS pandemic affects everyone, and the ravages of the pandemic increase the vulnerability of all children. Children need the loving care of at least one adult for optimal growth and development. When one in five children has already lost one or both parents to the AIDS, the care-giving capacity of families is stretched and at times overwhelmed. While nutritious food, clean water, shelter and education are essential for a child’s wellbeing, so is play. Play enables children to develop physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially and spiritually in a more robust way. Through play children have the opportunity to experience delight and to unleash their imagination. They may also express their grief and loss, and come to better understand things that trouble or confuse them. One grandmother may have up to a dozen children in her care, and some children live in child-headed households. Tired, grieving and overburdened caregivers sometimes need help to find a place in their day to day lives to support and join in their children’s play. To support this process, dollmakers around the world, provide handmade dolls, sewn or knitted, for the caregivers to give their children. Uthando is the isiZulu word for love. To support caregivers and their children in discovering the joys and the richness of play, Uthando Project distributes dolls in KwaZulu-Natal.

Bring your credit card as the doll kits & books are an amazing $15 – there will be extra doll bodies & kits available and they make great gifts for fellow creatives.

This is Feltwest’s charity event for the year – the combined sales and then the value of dolls should be a great contribution to this fantastic and worthwhile charity.

What to bring.

• Hand sewing kit needles, thread, scissors – we will be stitching the bodies, stuffing them, stitching the clothes and then making felt jewellery & a should bag for the doll.
• Embroidery thread, ricrac, cord, fringe for decoration – optional
• Fulled felt scraps for jewellery and approx 10cm x 20cm piece for the shoulder bag.
• Felted balls, snakes etc
• NO BEADS OR BUTTONS THEY ARE A CHOKING HAZARD – ONLY FELT JEWELLERY

Supplied in the kit.

• Brown stretch knit doll’s body, cut out and ready to sew up
• A unique selection of fabrics for making clothing
• Fabric or wool for hair
• Thread for making the face
• The doll pattern and clothing pattern suggestions

Schedule

9:30am – Doors open & Library is open for browsing

When you sign in at the Welcome Desk remember to fill out your raffle ticket to go into our 2 raffles per year – one at the AGM and one at the Christmas Party for a credit voucher to use for your membership or towards a workshop.

Special COVID-19 Rules. Please use the WASafe App and QR Code every time you come to Craft House. or use the paper register at the front counter and complete your details.

Please write your name in the Attendance Book and put $2 into money box towards tea, coffee, milk, biscuits and venue hire and take a raffle ticket, which puts you in the drawer for FeltWEST credit voucher. Don’t forget to sign out when you leave.
PS Turn your phone off or to silent!

9:45am – Toss n Tell

10:30 – 10:45am Guest Speaker: Uthando Dolls Project “Touching hearts and bringing play to life” – Handmade dolls for the children of KwaZulu-Natal