Leagan's Laundry Across the Globe

When our oldest daughter, Leagan (lay' gun) was a year old, I began searching for unique clothing that captured the essence of being a little girl.  I took to the internet, specifically ebay.  There were some very talented seamstresses with some very high price tags on their creations!  Finally, one day, I took the plunge and ordered a sweet little chenille dress and bloomers only to open the package and think, "I can TOTALLY make this myself!!!".  Upon opening the package my nose was overcome with the smell I'd smelled many times.  I'm not even sure what it is, but my mind raced back to my childhood home and my mom's sewing room.  Watching her thread the bobbin, and then thread the needle...right down to the hum of the machine.  It was all so vivid to me.  Now, I'd never used a machine but I was sure I could do this!  I raced to Wal-Mart to buy my very first sewing machine.  It was very basic, but that was certainly all that I needed.  I spread out some paper sacks from the local grocery store, did some research via the internet, measured a few of my baby's outfits and within minutes had a pattern to create off of.  I wish I would have taken a picture of my first outfit.  I am sure I would laugh now, but then...it was a dream!  Here are some of my favorites that I made in the years to follow.

When I initially began sewing, I did it for Leagan.  However, we were constantly stopped to ask where we found her outfits and so after little consideration and even a smaller amount of prayer...Leagan's Laundry was born in 2002. I decided as a stay at home mom it would be a great supplemental income for our little family! It found it's way into an upscale boutique here in town and was in the beginning of negotiations for another.  I was facing the downside to running a one man show, buying fabric at retail and not wholesale, more demand and less time to do it all since the Lord had added another beautiful daughter to our family among other challenges.  In the summer of 2005, I decided to pursue another at home career path that took me away from sewing except for my own girls for several years...until they were too old to want to wear the cutesy things their mommy made!  I dabbled in Leagan's Laundry a couple of years ago and it spread to other cities and states, not really with a purpose...just simply because I love to create the outfits. 

 Now...I am  relaunching the line for a purpose.  If you are familiar with my blog, you already know that my family is traveling to Uganda in December to help a sweet friend there at the orphanage in which she works.  Since I am still a stay at home mom, I feel like this is my way to help raise money for our trip and so the profits from every outfit I make will go towards our Uganda fund.  (I previously made donations to Breedlove, but that will no longer be the case...all of the profit will now go to either our travel expenses or to the orphanage itself.)

I spent yesterday reflecting how when I started Leagan's Laundry I wanted it to go nationwide, even contemplated sending some to hollywood to get the stars on board.  (BIG vision for this little line!)  Although I loved creating the dresses and outfits, I was mainly concerned with what kind of financial gain would accompany the clothing.  God has brought me full circle, and will be outdoing my goal of nationwide.  Through him, little girls in Uganda will be wearing Leagan's Laundry in December.  Not because they are from families who could afford it, but because they have a God who is a father to the fatherless...a God who stirred a heart set on banking some cash with the talent HE gave and shook that heart over the course of YEARS until it cried out for the orphans and wept for those who do not have a mommy to make clothes for them.  Incredible to see how Leagan's Laundry was also a part of This Road even before I knew it existed.  Thank you Jesus.