Chicken Little Sews

Chicken Little Sews Chicken Little Sews is a sewing blog. It is written to encourage others to sew.

Sewing Tip – Take time to sew. Sewing can relieve stress, improve your mood and boost your self-confidence. It also it...
09/17/2025

Sewing Tip – Take time to sew. Sewing can relieve stress, improve your mood and boost your self-confidence. It also it also increases your problem-solving skills. A couple of hours of sewing can be like a mini-vacation from your everyday chores and worries!
New post on my blog at

Over the past year, I have been sewing a core wardrobe of twelve pieces that makes 80 outfits.  I took on this project in order to give a presentation to the Lansing Clippers American Sewing Guild Chapter about how to make a core wardrobe.

Sewing Tip: When altering one piece of your pattern, think about what other pieces that alteration might affect. It co...
08/07/2025

Sewing Tip: When altering one piece of your pattern, think about what other pieces that alteration might affect. It could affect all pieces that are sewn to the piece you are altering. Make changes to all pieces affected before you cut your fabric.
New post on my blog at https://chickenlittlesews.blogspot.com/.

I finally completed the last piece of my 12-Piece Core Wardrobe.  It is a grape denim skirt made with the Tommie Jeans Skirt pattern from Style Arc.  I am relieved that all twelve pieces are completed.  Now I can concentrate on getting my visual aid and handouts ready for the presentation of the ...

Sewing tip: When lining a vest, it is easier to work with slippery lining if edges are serged before you begin. It is ...
07/18/2025

Sewing tip: When lining a vest, it is easier to work with slippery lining if edges are serged before you begin. It is easier when sewing together and won’t ravel when pulling the vest through the side seams to turn right side out. I learned this the hard way!
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The eleventh piece of my 12-piece wardrobe is a faux leather vest.  When I first started sewing this wardrobe, I did not intend to make a faux leather vest.  I knew I would probably make a vest, but I did not intend to use faux leather.  As I planned this wardrobe, I searched my fabric stash befo...

Sewing Tip: When fitting a pattern, make sure you document any changes to your permanent copy so that your pattern will...
06/24/2025

Sewing Tip: When fitting a pattern, make sure you document any changes to your permanent copy so that your pattern will be ready to use when you need it again.
New post on my blog at

The eleventh piece of my 12-piece wardrobe is a faux leather vest.  When I first started sewing this wardrobe, I did not intend to make a faux leather vest.  I knew I would probably make a vest, but I did not intend to use faux leather.  As I planned this wardrobe, I searched my fabric stash befo...

Fitting Tip: If you want to learn to fit pants patterns, learn to read the wrinkles. Nancy Zieman’s book, Fitting Fine...
04/28/2025

Fitting Tip: If you want to learn to fit pants patterns, learn to read the wrinkles. Nancy Zieman’s book, Fitting Finesse, has some good information on reading wrinkles. After you understand what the wrinkles are telling you, you can make corrections to your pattern.

New post on my blog at

I just completed the eighth piece of my 12-piece core wardrobe.  It is a black and white print blouse made from the Kayla Shirt Pattern from In House Patterns.  It is the same pattern I used to make the grape print shirt I made a few months ago.  I did make a few changes to the pattern.  I had t...

New post on my blog at
04/05/2025

New post on my blog at

I just finished making the buttonholes and sewing the buttons on the jean jacket that I wrote about in my post on April 3rd.  It is a relief to finally have it totally done!  A picture of the jacket is shown below.

Sewing Tip: When fitting a pattern, keep a written list of all changes you make to the muslin. Then, after the muslin ...
04/05/2025

Sewing Tip: When fitting a pattern, keep a written list of all changes you make to the muslin. Then, after the muslin fits the way you want, you can make sure you make all the changes to your pattern. Don’t forget to make changes to the other pattern pieces that may be affected by changes you make to another piece. For example, if you make a full bust adjustment (FBA), it will affect the length of the front bodice piece as well as the width. Therefore, if you have a front facing piece, it will not fit after you do the FBA unless you remember to lengthen it.
New post on my blog at

For more than a month I have been going through something like a sewing slump, but not exactly.  I call a sewing slump a period of time when I just can’t get interested in sewing anything.  That is not my current problem.  I am very interested in making a few things for a core wardrobe, but rec...

Fitting Tip: Compare your measurements with those of the pattern. If the pattern doesn’t give you the finished measure...
02/22/2025

Fitting Tip: Compare your measurements with those of the pattern. If the pattern doesn’t give you the finished measurements, you should measure them from seamline to seamline on the pattern for all appropriate areas (i.e. bust, waist, hips) and compare those measurements to yours. Then, you can add or subtract from the pattern in those areas as needed. Don’t forget to allow for ease.

New post on my blog at https://chickenlittlesews.blogspot.com/2025/02/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html.

There are good reasons to use a pattern over and over again once you get it to fit you.  The best reason is the time it can save you.  Fitting is a process that takes time, but is definitely worth the effort.  Once you have fitted the pattern to your measurements, you can use it over and over to ...

Sewing Tip: When fitting a new pattern, use one-inch side seams. This will give you a little extra room if you need to...
01/28/2025

Sewing Tip: When fitting a new pattern, use one-inch side seams. This will give you a little extra room if you need to make the front and back a little larger.
New post on my blog at

The Lansing Clippers, a chapter of the American Sewing Guild, had a recent program where the members were challenged to fit a pattern and make a tee top.  The pattern was the ABB (Anything But Basic) tee top from Cooper Creek Patterns.  I joined the challenge and set about the task of fitting a ne...

Fitting Tip: When using a top pattern for the first time, compare your upper bust measurement to the bust measurement o...
12/30/2024

Fitting Tip: When using a top pattern for the first time, compare your upper bust measurement to the bust measurement on the top pattern. Choose the size that is closest to your upper bust measurement. That will give you the best fit across the shoulders and upper bust. That is where the garment will hang from your body. If you get that to fit, then you can make other changes as needed for a better fitting top.

I recently took an online class for learning how to fit a shirt pattern.  The class was taught by Alexandra Morgan from In-house Patterns Studio.  I took the class because I needed a new shirt pattern before I make a shirt for the 12-piece core wardrobe that I committed to make and show at a sewin...

Sewing Tip: Do your research. Plan what you want to sew and read the pattern before you begin. Make sure you understa...
10/07/2024

Sewing Tip: Do your research. Plan what you want to sew and read the pattern before you begin. Make sure you understand how to complete each step of the sewing process. If you don’t understand something, seek advice from someone else who sews before you begin. That way, you won’t get stumped half-way through the project and give up before finishing it.
New post on my blog at

In early September I posted about my plans for making a 12-piece wardrobe and several other items I wanted to sew to add to my wardrobe.  It seems like if I voice what I intend to do, something will inevitably pop up to throw a monkey wrench into my plans.  This time was no exception.  I have bee...

Sewing Tip: Pressing is an important part of sewing. Press as you sew; do not wait until the article is finished. Pre...
09/06/2024

Sewing Tip: Pressing is an important part of sewing. Press as you sew; do not wait until the article is finished. Press each seam flat as sewn. Then press them open. This embeds the stitches and will give you smooth seams.
Check out my new post at https://chickenlittlesews.blogspot.com/.

Of course, I always sew with a purpose; that purpose usually being to add to my wardrobe or make a gift.    Now, I have another purpose to think about when I sew.  I am committed to giving a presentation to the Lansing Clippers (ASG chapter) in September of 2025 about a 12-piece coordinated ward...

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