Chicago Sews Newsletter: March 2025
Issue No. 21
March was a busy month for Chicago Sews! We hosted our usual virtual Sip & Sew, an in-person gathering at Sew on Central, and an Insiders outing to the Chicago History Museum. It feels like our group of members grows more dynamic and connected with each passing month. We hope you feel that way and welcome any feedback you may have about the types of events you enjoy most or additional ideas for how we can strengthen the sewing community in Chicago.
Looking Back
March Sip & Sew
We started this month's Sip & Sew by checking in with everyone who had shared a “Sew Accountable” goal in February. Most of our participants who shared a goal had positive progress to report! It seems like stating goals out loud to supportive listeners had a real impact. Should we make goal-sharing and progress-reporting a regular part of our Sip & Sew routine?
We also shared our event theme for the month of March and April—Patchwork Garments. We encouraged you to bring your scraps and remnants to Sew on Central to start piecing them together in honor of National Quilting Month (March) and Earth Month (April). We invite you to come out to our next meet-up to finish the work of turning your pieced-fabric into a fabulously unique garment (event details below).
March Open Sew
On March 8th we met up at Sew on Central in Evanston to “Sew Our Scraps” into one-of-a-kind patchwork pieces. We encouraged everyone to interpret this theme however they wished. Some members went in a color-blocking direction, while others stayed more true to a traditional patchwork style. We also had a few people working on other types of projects. As always, even if we do have a monthly theme, it's ok to bring whatever project you're interested in working on sewing. The most important thing at every event we host is welcoming sewists of all interests, backgrounds, and levels!
Insiders “Dressed in History” Exhibit Tour
Our first Insiders special event of the year was a guided tour of the “Dressed in History” exhibit at the Chicago History Museum. The exhibit included a variety of garments from different time periods, and showcased different aspects of life in Chicago. The array of textiles, techniques, and time periods provided ample inspiration. The exhibit also put into perspective how a sewing project is more than it may seem—it is part of the fabric of history.
If you're not a Chicago Sews Insider yet and you'd like to learn more about it, you can read about it here. As always, if you have any questions about it, you can email us at chisews@gmail.com.
Looking Ahead
Sip & Sew: Friday, April 4
This month's virtual Sip & Sew is “Spring-Cleaning” themed. Join us to get motivated to clean up your sewing space so that it “sparks joy”. If you've got a tip or technique for keeping your sewing space neat and organized, we'd love to hear that too.
Patchwork: Part 2, Saturday, April 12
Our April in-person event is the second part of our mini-series making patchwork garments. We are excited to do our part for Mother Earth while also doing something we love. Whether or not you've been working on a scrappy patchwork project with us, we invite you to bring a project and supplies to the Northtown Library Branch to sew and socialize!
(If you have a sewing-related event that you would like featured in the Chicago Sews newsletter, please email chisews@gmail.com)
Spring Cleaning Inspiration
Here are a few resources if you want to get a jumpstart on doing some spring cleaning in your sewing space:
The blog post is full of tips for keeping your sewing machine in tip-top condition.
If your sewing pattern stash has gotten out of control, this article will walk you through the process of getting it organized.
If you find patterns that you know you aren't going to make again, feel free to donate them to the Chicago Sews free pattern library by bringing them to any of our in-person events.
If you don't have a dedicated sewing room, this video can provide a few ideas for how to set up a sewing station when you have limited space.
Concluding Snippets
Join the conversation with other Chicago Sews members in the chat any time you'd like. Tell us what you're sewing, ask a question, share a sewing win, or get community feedback!
Other Ways to Connect with Chicago Sews