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…

Sunset in the Palms…

By Sarah | May 24, 2022 |

One of my favorite parts about being in south Florida for the winter were the sunsets. We’ve seen desert sunsets, mountain sunsets, and ocean sunsets, but nothing beats a sunset when you’re on a small chain of islands, surrounded by nothing but water and views. It became a nightly tradition to walk out to the…

Dark Floral Obsession…and a Cami Tank Hack!

By Sarah | May 22, 2022 |

Yall, I don’t know what it is about dark floral prints, but I’m obsessed. Something about the juxtaposition between light and dark, the air of midnight romance, maybe too much Bridgerton…whatever it is, I can’t resist a good moody flower arrangement on a cut of fabric. So, when I saw the aptly named “Floral Nights”…

Tropical Paradise!

By Sarah | May 19, 2022 |

Hello friends! Today have a couple fun new makes to share with you. Our winter in the keys really did feel like a tropical paradise, and when I saw this print come up from Sew Dynamic Fabrics, I couldn’t resist snagging a yard to make myself something. I started with the Greenstyle Spark Tights, which…

Like Father, like Son! Jalie Men’s Tees & Tanks for My Favorite Boys

By Sarah | May 16, 2022 |

Hello friends! I’m really excited to share some of my newest sews today- not just because they’ll get alot of love from their recipients, but because they gave us such an awesome opportunity for family photos. When folks ask me why I sew (usually after being shocked that I don’t sew to sell) I always…

Swim SewAlong Day 5: Topstitching & Jalie Claudia Bikini Top Review

By Sarah | March 23, 2022 |

Hello friends! I’m back with Day 5 of the Swim SewAlong! Every day this week, I will be walking you through the construction of the Greenstyle Cami Tank and the Jalie Gigi Swim Bottoms, through video tutorials, blog posts and support in the Fabric Fairy Facebook Group. You can use any patterns you’d like, but those…

Swim SewAlong Day 4: Elastic and Strap Binding & 5 out of 4 Patterns X Factor Review

By Sarah | March 22, 2022 |

Hello friends! I’m back with Day 4 of the Swim SewAlong! Every day this week, I will be walking you through the construction of the Greenstyle Cami Tank and the Jalie Gigi Swim Bottoms, through video tutorials, blog posts and support in the Fabric Fairy Facebook Group. You can use any patterns you’d like, but those…

Swim SewAlong Day 3: Sewing Main & Lining, Bonus Greenstyle Moxi Shorts stack!

By Sarah | March 21, 2022 |

Hello friends! I’m back with Day 3 of the Swim SewAlong! Every day this week, I will be walking you through the construction of the Greenstyle Cami Tank and the Jalie Gigi Swim Bottoms, through video tutorials, blog posts and support in the Fabric Fairy Facebook Group. You can use any patterns you’d like, but those…

Swim SewAlong Day 2: Cutting Fabric & Edgewater Tegan Pattern Review

By Sarah | March 20, 2022 |

Hello friends! I’m back with Day 2 of the Swim SewAlong! Every day this week, I will be walking you through the construction of the Greenstyle Cami Tank and the Jalie Gigi Swim Bottoms, through video tutorials, blog posts and support in the Fabric Fairy Facebook Group. You can use any patterns you’d like, but…

Sewing with Sarah's Latest Posts

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…

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…

New Arrival: Sundown and Moondance Tanks!

By Sarah | August 7, 2017 |

We just got back from a family camping trip, and although I’m a bit late to the party, I’m excited to share a set of tanks I’ve been testing for Striped Swallow Designs for the past couple weeks! The Sundown and Moondance Tanks are part of the “Crossing Paths Collection”, come in both women’s and…

Serape in the Sun

By Sarah | June 30, 2017 |

When I was a kid, we had this old Serape woven blanket that my dad picked up in Mexico on his travels. The colors were incredibly vivid, and despite heavy use, the blanket never seemed to show it’s wear. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of laying on this blanket at the beach, resting…

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…

Inspire Tights Sew-Along: Day 3

By Sarah | October 7, 2018 |

Welcome to Day 3 of the Inspire Tights SewAlong! If you don’t have your pattern yet, you can get it here. Catching up: Need to catch up? Check out Day 1 HERE on the blog. It’s got lots of tips for selecting your size, adjusting your fit, and cutting your fabric! Day 2 is HERE on the blog.…

My Favorite things in (sewing) life are FREE!

By Sarah | August 8, 2017 |

There are a number of sayings in our culture cautioning people not to trust a free product- and while sewing is far from being an economical hobby (at least for me!), I’ve actaully found the opposite to be true with regard to patterns: many of my favorites are FREE! In fact, a designer’s free pattern…

Trend Mashup: Velvet, Faux Leather, and Athleisure

By Sarah | January 4, 2018 |

If you’ve hung around these parts long, you know my motto is pretty much comfort first. Which is why the athleisure trend is so hot- lounge-wear that you can wear outdoors? Who can turn that down? Not me, certainly- and I have a stack of joggers and sweatshirts to prove it. But I decided to push…

It’s all about the hemlines, baby!

By Sarah | October 24, 2017 |

I’m still on a fall florals kick, and I love it when a test comes along that gives me a chance to sew them up, rather than letting them languish in my stash! The new Mama Adelyn pattern was perfect for this large scale double brushed poly from Pretty Posh Prints, and I was especially…

Moxi Shorts Sew-Along: Day 3

By Sarah | July 24, 2018 |

Welcome to Day 3 of the Moxi Shorts SewAlong! If you don’t have your pattern yet, you can get it here. If you still need to order fabric, you can find the stretch woven HERE (Use code “moxie” for 10% off (through 7/27/18). Catching up: Need to catch up? Check out Day 1 HERE on the blog. It’s got lots…

Lightening things up for Spring!

By Sarah | April 23, 2019 |

The weather forecast FINALLY shows a week of sunshine around here, and if I was like any normal person, I’d be breaking out last year’s capris and tanks. Of course, as my friends would tell you, I’m pretty far from “normal”- so naturally my response is to make new things for Spring instead! I started with…

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.

Find us on

Join our Sewing Group