Pattern review: Chickens!

Occasionally my mum, AKA Grandma G, is going to send over her review of a sewing pattern for you sewists who want to make something adorable—and who would like to know a little more about a project before you commit. Today's project: awesome plush chickens, designed by blogger LiEr. The best part is that if you squeeze them, eggs come out. Click here to see the chicken's bottom; this is a G-rated blog and you must be 18 or older to look at this picture. The pattern is available as a PDF download for $12 at the end of LiEr's post. (Also see her cuuute pigs and other patterns for sale in her sidebar.) Grandma G's comments:

"What a fun project this was! As the chickens progressed, I would hold the pieces up, look at them and laugh because they were so cute and funny! The pattern was very well designed with easy-to-follow directions. As the instructions say: 'It is assumed that the sewer has basic to intermediate sewing experience, including knowing how to sew around curves, attach simple gusset-type pieces, sew darts and do top-stitching.' The pattern is not difficult, but I wouldn't choose it as a first project for a beginner sewer. I would also add that you need to know how to embroider just a bit.

There are lots of tiny pieces to cut and sew around. They're not hard to work with, but they do require a little time and patience. I found the hardest part was sewing the wattles into the beaks, and then turning the hen's beak right side out, because it was so small and the felt did not turn easily. I did then make the rooster's beak bigger... after all, roosters are bigger, right? I also changed a couple of things from the original pattern, mainly the placement of the face parts, just to look a bit more realistic, and I made a different tail and bigger comb for the rooster. I would certainly recommend this pattern. The fleece made for a soft, huggable chicken family, and my granddaughter loves them!"

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