Men’s and Women’s Forester Coats

By Sarah | April 29, 2018 |

Late last year, when I tested the Trailblazer collection (mens, women’s, children’s and nestledown- whew! that was quite a project, you can read about it here), Lisa hinted that there was a coat in the works, and asked if the trailblazer folks would be interested in testing it. I said yes, of course, because my…

Ahoy!

By Sarah | April 18, 2018 |

Do your kids love to play pirates as much as mine? These three little scally-wags love pretending they are on a ship, shooting cannons (marshmellows!) and finding treasure- so when I saw the panels available for the latest round from Peekaboo Fabric Shop, I was almost afraid to show them, knowing they might demand pajamas,…

Portlander Shorts Hack!

By Sarah | April 16, 2018 |

Counting how many Portlander pants I have is a bit like asking me how old I am…I’m pretty sure I’m over 35, but unless I do the math, I can’t *quite* remember by how much 😉 That’s totally OK though, because it gives me the freedom to sew a few more pairs- and since I’m…

Side Tie Skirt Hack

By Sarah | April 12, 2018 |

I’m pretty happy with my pattern stash- I have a selection of favorite designers, and a very (almost embarrassingly!) large collection of patterns to choose from (curious how I organize them? Check out my post here on pattern organization). When I find a new style I want to sew, the most efficient thing is usually…

More Fit Gear!

By Sarah | April 6, 2018 |

Sewing activewear can be kind of addicting- its fast, easy, and gets lots of daily wear- what’s not to love? Hopefully you aren’t sick of seeing it on my blog, because here’s another winner! I took some time off from sewing during Spring Break, but as soon as I got back, I dove into the…

Hacked! Summit Peak Hoodie with Nursing Access

By Sarah | March 31, 2018 |

I’ve been waiting on the women’s Summit Peak Hoodie ever since I tested the children’s version late last year. I’ve actually thought about using the largest kids size, but that can be problematic, as I’m not really proportioned like a kid, despite being pretty petite. So I was really excited to see it finally come…

Xpress Tank Sew Along: Day 3

By Sarah | March 31, 2018 |

Welcome to the third and last day of the Xpress Tank SewAlong! This week we are taking a little time for ourselves amidst the holiday chaos (and I do mean a little- this pattern is quick!) to whip up some Xpress Tanks for the warmer weather to come. If you don’t have your pattern yet,…

Xpress Tank Sew Along Day 2

By Sarah | March 29, 2018 |

Welcome to the second day of the Xpress Tank SewAlong! This week we are taking a little time for ourselves amidst the holiday chaos (and I do mean a little- this pattern is quick!) to whip up some Xpress Tanks for the warmer weather to come. If you don’t have your pattern yet, you can…

XPress Tank Sew Along Day 1

By Sarah | March 29, 2018 |

Welcome to the first official day of the Xpress Tank SewAlong! For the next three days, I’ll be sharing a post per day walking you through the steps of sewing the Xpress Tank by Greenstyle Creations. If you don’t have your pattern yet, you can grab that here. If you missed my first post on…

X-Press Tank Sew Along: Fabric and Supplies

By Sarah | March 26, 2018 |

Welcome to the first post in the X-Press Tank Sew-Along Series! The Xpress tank from Greenstyle Creations is one of my all time favorite workout tops, and just like a can of pringles, once you make one, you’re going to want another, and another! One of the best things about this pattern is it’s versatility.…

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Sedimentary Sews

By Sarah | February 10, 2023

  Hello sewing friends! I’m back today to share some more sewing makes and family photos, but instead of the ocean, this time we are focusing on the desert! There are so many amazing desert places to visit, and despite spending quite a bit of time in the Southwest, I feel like we’ve barely scratched…

More Ocean!

By Sarah | February 7, 2023

Hello again friends! Today I’m back with one of my favorite outfits of all time, because it’s all about my favorite place in the world: the ocean! We often get asked where our favorite place that we’ve been is, and anywhere with an ocean easily tops the list for me. I grew up in Southern…

Tested: Nustle Joggers (and bonus Green Tee)

By Sarah | February 2, 2023

Hello everyone! Today I’m back with another test, this time for the new Nustle Joggers from Itch to Stitch. Until now, my favorite jogger pattern has been the Carita’s from Pattern Niche (formerly New Horizons, most recent pair HERE), and I’ve made them in both kid and adult sizes quite a few times. In general,…

Snazzy New Workout Set!

By Sarah | November 18, 2022

Hey friends! See, I promised I’d be back shortly, and here I am! I’ve got another fun outfit to share today, one that involved a bit of struggle and some new techniques for me, and I”m excited to share it! When this “Secret Forest” print arrived in my mailbox from Sew Dynamic Fabrics, I fell…

Celebration Outfits!

By Sarah | November 15, 2022

Hey friends! Long time no blog- I think last time I posted we were leaving Maine and into New Hampshire. It’s been a whirlwind fall filled with hiking, rock climbing and exploring. After New Hampshire we continued our tour down the east coast, stopping in New York, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Georgia before finally…

Throwback 90s Sweatsuit!

By Sarah | September 1, 2022

Hello friends! I’m back again today with a new me made outfit. This time, it’s a sweatsuit set that has a decidedly 90s vibe, and I’m not mad about it! When I received this “dark jungle” brushed jersey fabric from Sew Dynamic, I knew I wanted something soft and cozy. The fabric feels like athletic…

Matchy-Matchy!

By Sarah | August 23, 2022

  Hello friends! Fall is upon us, and I’m really enjoying seeing the leaves change and the weather get cooler up here in Maine. I don’t have any intention of staying into the winter (brrr!!) but for now, we are soaking up the autumn vibes and hoping for a spectacular leaf peeping season! I’ve also…

Tested: Itch to Stitch Soller Top

By Sarah | August 7, 2022

Hello friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful summer! We have been so busy hiking, rock climbing, swimming, biking and playing that I’ve barely touched my sewing room since we came to Maine. I had alllll these plans for what I was going to make, and then poof! Time has just flown by, and I…

Little Miss 4th of July!

By Sarah | July 3, 2022

  Hello friends! Happy 4th of July! This year, we are celebrating Independence day in Bar Harbor, Maine and hope to enjoy parades, fireworks and BBQs with our traveling family. While I sewed this swimsuit up in Massachusetts, we just got to Maine yesterday, and took our first dip in the Atlantic Ocean this far…

Tested: Greenstyle Courtside Dress and Shorts

By Sarah | June 20, 2022

  Happy summer y’all! We are happily three-quarters of the way up the East Coast, and loving every minute of the cool, pleasant days we’ve been having. We are currently in New York, and this state in particular has blow me away with its natural beauty and amazing hiking trails. We sorely missed hiking in…

My FAVORITE beach in the world…so far (and a new bikini to wear on it)

By Sarah | May 29, 2022

Hello friends! I hope the Swim SewAlong that I did a while back has continued to inspire you to sew your own swimsuits, I know it has for me! Since we’ve been chasing a consistent 75 degrees, I feel like swimsuits have become a type of year round uniform, so there’s really no reason to…

A New Kind of Animal Print…

By Sarah | May 28, 2022

Have you ever noticed that animal prints are always big cats or snakes? Rarely does any ocean creature get the opportunity to show its colors outside of the sea, so when I saw the whale shark print from Sew Dynamic Fabrics, I knew I had to sew it up and give these amazing animals their…

Open Back Top SewAlong Day 2: Back Binding

By Sarah | July 25, 2017 |

Welcome to Day 2 of the Open Back Pullover SewAlong! You can join in (there’s still plenty of time) HERE! If you don’t have the pattern yet, check the sewalong event for an exclusive discount code, and then grab it HERE. Need to catch up? Find the Supplies post HERE. I’ve made a quick video…

Christmas in Mexico, New Year’s in Los Angeles

By Sarah | January 2, 2020 |

My last post (check it out here) left off with us in Yuma, on the way to Mexico for Christmas. Heading south of the Border as a family is something I’ve wanted to do for a while- but it seemed that the fear of the unknown always stood in our way- where to cross, where…

The Family that wears Camo together….

By Sarah | January 30, 2018 |

One of my sewing goals for 2018 was to make more things for my husband and sons, and to delve more into their fitting needs, as well as my own (see the whole post here). I’ve had 30 years (plus or minus a few…won’t say which!) to evaluate my body shape and its fitting idiosyncrasies-…

Super G Sew-Along: Day 1

By Sarah | May 24, 2018 |

It’s no secret I’m obsessed with the Super G tights from Greenstyle Creations- I’ve made 6 pairs, and don’t see any reason to stop, so I thought I might as well host a sew-along to spread the Super G love! If you’re new to Sew-Alongs, here’s how they work: I will be breaking the pattern…

Eating my words: Centerfield Swing Mash-up

By Sarah | August 16, 2017 |

I’ve been invited to many LulaRoe parties, but never had the slightest interest in attending. Why would I spend precious fabric money on poorly constructed clothing in strange prints when I could make my own? Plus, as I usually (politely) explained to the hostesses, the every popular “Carly” dress and endless variants just wasn’t my…

Tested: Made for Mermaids Jade Dress/Peplum

By Sarah | August 13, 2019 |

I have a bad habit of signing up for too many things whenever we come back from a trip. Every time, I swear I won’t do it, and without fail, here I am again, with the third blog post in as many days, because I just couldn’t resist committing to just one more project (can…

Matchy-Matchy!

By Sarah | August 23, 2022 |

  Hello friends! Fall is upon us, and I’m really enjoying seeing the leaves change and the weather get cooler up here in Maine. I don’t have any intention of staying into the winter (brrr!!) but for now, we are soaking up the autumn vibes and hoping for a spectacular leaf peeping season! I’ve also…

A collection of DayDreams…

By Sarah | April 20, 2017 |

Whew! I survived my first SewAlong! It was a blast, and I learned so much! I especially enjoyed the opportunity to help people as they created the dress for the first time, and to see what they made of it. I love how everyone’s take on a pattern can be different: this pattern looks awesome…

Family Photos!

By Sarah | February 22, 2018 |

It’s become a bit of a tradition in our family to take family photos every spring- we started after my daughter was born, and its fun to see our family change throughout the years. It’s also a beautiful time in our city- we live in an agricultural almond production area, and the trees bloom every…

Tip Tuesday: Pattern Storage and Organization

By Sarah | August 14, 2017 |

By now, you know that I own more than a few patterns. I actually don’t know the full number- it’s probably in the thousands (asking a seamstress how many patterns or yards of fabric she owns is akin to asking a woman her age. Just don’t do it if you want to be happy. Compliment…

Sarah Connell

About Sarah Connell

Sarah is a wife, mother and avid seamstress. She is passionate about teaching, encouraging and empowering other women to express themselves creatively. 

Follow her sewing adventures on SewingwithSarah.com or your favorite social site.

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