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…

Sewing with Sarah's Latest Posts

Quilted Oakley Vest for Stripes Month!

By Sarah | February 8, 2018

Is winter stilling hanging on where you live? I heard the ground hog came out and saw his shadow, so we’re all in for at least six more weeks of “official” winter weather- which means more time to sew up some of my favorite winter patters (see? I’m looking on the bright side, even if…

Lady in Red…

By Sarah | February 2, 2018

I’m really on a roll this year- February has barely dawned, and I’ve knocked out the first item in my #menswearmake9 (see that post here!), I’ve got my first pair of jeans in progress (see my sewing goals post here), and now I’ve completed my first #makenine item for myself: McCalls 7441! The timing was…

Hit the Road Pants!

By Sarah | January 31, 2018

I wrote more about fitting boys and men in my last post, but essentially, when it comes to my twins, every winter, we have this choice: A) Pants that fit at the waist but are way too short B) Pants that are falling down but are long enough to cover their ankles It’s no choice…

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-…

Xpress Yourself!

By Sarah | January 26, 2018

I like to think I work out regularly. Or maybe I just dress in workout clothes regularly. Either way, the new Xpress tank from Greenstyle is my new fave! I made three versions during testing. The first is a orchid (maybe? I’m famous for killing plants, so feel free to correct me) print ITY with…

Raglan Round Up! (Part 1)

By Sarah | January 24, 2018

When I first started sewing indie patterns I was shocked that pretty much every designer had a raglan pattern. Why, I wondered? Don’t they know that style has already been “done”? After sewing a couple though, I quickly realized that while the basic design was the same, they all put their own spin on the…

Geranium Dress and Hank & Clementine Fabric Tour!

By Sarah | January 18, 2018

I hinted at it in my last post, but I’m excited to finally be able to share the other birthday dress I made for this precious girl! A few months ago I was contacted by the Phat Quarters shop, asking if I was interested in participating in a fabric tour for the new Hank & …

Birthday Girl!

By Sarah | January 17, 2018

This girl. You wouldn’t believe how she lights up our lives- and today we get to celebrate, because she’s turning TWO!!! Before I had kids (and when my twins were young and the days seemed so L-O-N-G) people would always remark about how “time flies with little ones”- and I would do a little mental…

New Year, New Trends

By Sarah | January 14, 2018

Does anyone else feel like sewing gives them a creative license they don’t usually feel when buying clothes off the rack? I am one of the slowest to adopt new trends when shopping at the mall (I usually spend a couple years bad-mouthing them before sheepishly jumping on board and hoping everyone has forgotten my…

2018 Goal Post!

By Sarah | January 8, 2018

Note: This post will refer frequently to my 2017 Reflections post. If you haven’t read it, go check it out so you know what the heck I’m talking about, then hurry back! Hey hey! It’s a new year! Which means it’s time for GOALS! Sewing goals, more specifically, since I don’t think you care as…

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…

Instant luxury: Velvet Bellavista Top

By Sarah | January 3, 2018

I hope you had a fantastic New Year’s! As you know, I celebrated in my pajamas (see my last post for an explanation), but that doesn’t mean I don’t need something fancier to wear now and again- and the new Bellavista pattern from Itch to Stitch, made up in a stretch velvet from Style Maker…

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…

Inspire Tights Sew-Along: Day 2

By Sarah | October 5, 2018 |

Welcome to Day 2 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! The Schedule As a reminder, here’s our…

Fail Friday: Shibori Dyeing

By Sarah | July 21, 2017 |

Happy Friday! You’ve almost made it to the weekend, and that means its time for some humor at my expense in this week’s episode of Fail Friday! Regular failure is considered a learning opportunity here at Casa Sarah, so let’s dive right in and see what lessons I’ve learned this week! A few weeks ago,…

The Family that wears Sketchy Essentials Together….

By Sarah | May 12, 2017 |

When people find out I sew, they often ask me if I “save money” with my hobby. Which always provokes a laugh from me because no, I don’t really save money by sewing my own clothing, a la Laura Ingalls Wilder. Making my own clothes could be economical, if one chose to do it that way…

Raglan Sew-Along: Day 2

By Sarah | December 11, 2018 |

Welcome back to the Raglan SewAlong! Yesterday we selected our supplies, decided on our options, and cut out our fabric, so today we’re ready for the fun stuff: sewing! Raglans are a pretty quick garment, so today’s post will be brief, but that’s also a great opportunity to add a little something extra to your…

Sailing away!

By Sarah | June 16, 2017 |

As I’ve mentioned before, we have several trips to the beach planned this summer, but I was so busy creating a capsule wardrobe for myself, I realized Princess needed some new clothes for our trips too! When I saw the Sailor Dress from Ellie and Mac, I knew this would be the perfect pattern to…

Not So Basic Leggings….

By Sarah | May 6, 2019 |

If you haven’t already figured this out based on the sheer number of athletic posts on my blog, I wear leggings alot. I never thought I’d be on the #leggingsarerealpants team, but here I am, wearing them as a main staple for my very active life. I’m currently training for a half/full marathon (haven’t decided…

Pattern Review: Jalie Criss Cross Nursing Top

By Sarah | July 15, 2017 |

There are many nursing friendly patterns out there, but patterns specifically designed for nursing can be hard to come by. That’s where my love for Jalie comes in- they have a great line-up of patterns designed to make a nursing mama’s life easier (and what nursing mama doesn’t need a break somewhere?!) but it doesn’t stop…

Valentine’s Day Comfort Wear

By Sarah | February 12, 2018 |

I’m excited to be hosting a Valentine’s Day Sew-Along for Greenstyle Creations this week, and as preparation I decided to sew up a new Valentine’s inspired Pajama set for myself- because the best gifts are the ones you make yourself, right? However, I had a bit of a conundrum- I am WAY more into comfortable…

Instant luxury: Velvet Bellavista Top

By Sarah | January 3, 2018 |

I hope you had a fantastic New Year’s! As you know, I celebrated in my pajamas (see my last post for an explanation), but that doesn’t mean I don’t need something fancier to wear now and again- and the new Bellavista pattern from Itch to Stitch, made up in a stretch velvet from Style Maker…

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