Sometimes thereB次元官网网址檚 a silver lining, but in Rita PaulhusB次元官网网址檚 dresses, the lining is usually pink or red.

B次元官网网址淚n March 2015 I was diagnosed with terminal cancer,B次元官网网址� she said, sitting in the sewing room of her Colwood home. B次元官网网址淚 cleared 40 years of craft material to make this a palliative care room.B次元官网网址�

But when her cancer symptoms didnB次元官网网址檛 immediately take a turn for the worse, Paulhus decided to rethink the space. SheB次元官网网址檚 not sure how she stumbled across their website B次元官网网址� some may call it fate B次元官网网址� but it was at that time she discovered B次元官网网址檚 Dress a Girl Around the World campaign. Their goal is to elevate the self-esteem of girls around the world and they have delivered roughly 500,000 dresses through the campaign.

After discovering this, Paulhus dusted off the little black Singer sewing machine sheB次元官网网址檚 had for 50 years and bought a self-threading serger. B次元官网网址淓very girl deserves a new dress and this is probably the only new dress theyB次元官网网址檒l ever get,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e hand delivered to the girls so the girls actually get the dresses.B次元官网网址�

Paulhus sews all of the dresses with the help of her friend, Margaret Murphy. So far the pair have sewn more than 100 outfits. Earlier this year they sent two batches overseas with Doctors Without Borders volunteers. The first saw 20 dresses go to Guatemala and the second shipment was 30 delivered to Ethiopia. After reading in the Gazette about trips volunteers with the Westshore Sunrise Rotary Club have made to Haiti, Paulhus decided that would be the perfect place to send some of the dresses.

Through a friend she knew from dog sitting, she met Clare Fletcher, who needed someone to watch her dog. Paulhus spoke about the overseas dress project and Fletcher quickly got involved. She went out and bought new underwear to send in the pockets of the dresses.

When Paulhus mentioned she was trying to track down Bob Beckett and the team heading to Haiti, Fletcher was able to connect the two.

B次元官网网址淚 cried when I picked those dresses up,B次元官网网址� Fletcher said after delivering them to the Langford fire hall before the team left. B次元官网网址淭he dresses are amazing B次元官网网址� TheyB次元官网网址檙e just so well made. ThereB次元官网网址檚 so much love in each one.B次元官网网址�

Paulhus added, B次元官网网址渆very one has to be as beautiful as the others, so no little girl feels like she got less.B次元官网网址�

But Fletcher wasnB次元官网网址檛 just blown away by the level of detail and care that has gone into each dress. B次元官网网址淪heB次元官网网址檚 got such a golden heart,B次元官网网址� Fletcher added.

After the dresses were sent to Haiti, PaulhusB次元官网网址檚 stockpile started to dwindle. Now, she and Murphy have their sights set on sending at least another 50 dresses to Guatemala in January. After that they plan to send another 50 to Ethiopia next summer. Paulhus added itB次元官网网址檚 a daunting task when her closet is empty.

Her hope is that others will join her little operation. B次元官网网址淲hat I need is more ladies to sew and we need fabric donations,B次元官网网址� she said, listing thread, buttons and elastic.

SheB次元官网网址檚 hoping that some residents of the West Shore or others around the region hear her story and think itB次元官网网址檚 a perfect project in which to get involved.

Or, if fellow sewing enthusiasts have cotton fabric or cotton-blends stockpiled that they donB次元官网网址檛 know what to do with, she noted, it doesnB次元官网网址檛 take much to make a dress for a baby.

B次元官网网址淚t would really help a lot in the whole process,B次元官网网址� Paulhus said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 funny how you tell someone and they tell someone and it grows from there.B次元官网网址�

katie@goldstreamgazette.com