Welcome to the Litchfield County 4-H Clever Crafters fundraising page. We're not just crafters; we're storytellers, committed to the values we've imbibed from UConn Litchfield County 4-H and the Litchfield County 4-H Foundation.
The American Mural Project’s 'Recycled Runway' offered us a unique canvas. For this special event, we crafted five exceptional dresses from recycled materials. But these aren’t just dresses. Each one narrates a unique 4-H tale, reflecting on a specific program or event from the past year. They symbolize the creativity, dedication, and spirit of our 4-H youth and the broader community they represent.
Supporting our initiative is a dual act of goodwill. Half of our proceeds are dedicated to the Litchfield County 4-H Foundation, underscoring our ongoing commitment to empowering and nurturing the youth. The other half aids the American Mural Project, a testament to the power and unity of collective artistic expression.
By joining hands with us, you're not merely contributing funds. You're endorsing tales of perseverance, innovation, and community that each dress embodies.
Please scroll below to read a description of each of our dresses and the members who contributed to the effort.
With appreciation,
Elaine Pelizzari, Leader
Litchfield County Clever Crafters
Dress One - "EcoChic Ensemble: Bringing Friends and Sustainability Together" - shows how a united community can support young people through 4-H. This dress concept was born after one of our members was the top "friends of 4-H" fundraiser for 2023. An annual effort to support the Litchfield County 4-H. She began to think about all the businesses cards she was collecting and what would happen to them when the fundraising drive was complete. Materials used: Giveaway bag, from Dave Jones Realty LLC forms the dress base and top, Business cards from 4-H fair supporters from the last three years sewn together make up the dress, the red accents are T-Shirt yarn created from swag from yet another 4-H Fair supporter USA Waste & Recycling. All materials were heading for recycling. Four members worked on this dress - Vienne P, Morgan T, Mae E. and Anna C.
Dress Two - "Sock Sagas: The Upcycled Runway Story of Giving" tells a captivating story of kindness, sustainability, and community impact. Clever Cavies, our sister club, collected over 4600 socks in their drive and inspired this dress. Materials used: This dress also uses a giveaway bag as the base - this time from Torrington Savings Bank who helped us run the Sock Drive. It also uses socks from members of Clever cavies - the club who ran the sock drive - and a few old socks from members of clever crafters. Members Brynn E. and Leeloo B. spearheaded the sock dress with help from all the Crafting club friends to pull it together at the end including Mae E and Elsie S.
Dress Three - "Ribbon Reflections": Probably every 4-H alumni has a story about what happened to their ribbons and awards after their 4-H career was complete. The lucky ones sit in a box or cabinet. Many get tossed. Its not something people talk about. This dress pays tribute to the cherished ribbons and awards that are soon to be tossed. Materials Used: The Ribbon dress was the first dress we conceptualized but took the longest to get materials for. We collected ribbons from our our own discards but then also asked for help from 4-H alumni and received and overwhelming amount from around the county. Beautiful rosettes and flats in every color you can imagine. Some as old as 30 years ready for the trash. This may not be the last "ribbon couture" dress you see on the recycled runway. All the members wanted to work on the ribbon dress. This year Elsie S. was the lucky designer with Samantha S, Eppie B. and Genny C. also on board.
Dress Four - "Farm to Dress" represents sustainability, innovation, and the spirit of agriculture. Inspired by the "Farm to Table" movement, our "Farm to Dress" concept adds a unique twist by showcasing the journey from the farm fields to a beautiful wearable work of art. Materials Used: Did you know seeds expire and after that they go in the trash? Neither did we. We used those expired seed packets to make this beautiful top and flowing feed bag skirt. A lot of the sewing labor is thanks to member April K. with designers Sophia N. and Olivia S. also a great help to pull this ensemble together.
Dress Five - "Dairy United", is a tribute to the amazing success of Operation Community Impact. This operation helped local families facing food shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Led by UConn 4-H faculty, 4-H youth members, and volunteers, they worked hard to distribute 250,000 pounds of dairy products across the state. Our dress cleverly uses empty dairy containers as a symbol of care, sustainability, and community service. Materials Used: Getting these milk jugs to stay together was no simple task - it was a process and the crew that worked on the Dairy united dress was committed to the vision. They also used discarded butter containers, yogurt containers, and again - a disposable bag base - we just found that worked well this year. Emily K and Genny C where the primary designers with a great deal of assistance from Eppie B.
