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

Baby Harbor Knot

By Sarah | April 7, 2017

A few weeks ago, Striped Swallow Designs worked their drafting magic again and came up with the women’s Harbor Knot, a semi-fitted tee with a perfectly on-trend twist at the side seam. I’ve seen tops like this come up frequently on the pattern hacking groups, but there is NO WAY I would have been able…

How to Insert Clear Elastic into a Seam with your Serger

By Sarah | April 7, 2017

Ready to wear clothing makes great use of clear elastic in seams to provide structure, stretch and durability. Check out my video on how to apply clear elastic quickly and easily with your serger! I have the Brother 1034D serger, available here on Amazon. You can find clear elastic on Amazon as well here. Full…

How to Gather with your Serger

By Sarah | April 7, 2017

Sergers can do so much more than just sew and finish seams! Watch this video to learn how to use your serger to gather fabric- no more pulling on long basting threads! I have the Brother1034D serger, which I purchased on Amazon here. Its a workhorse, and sews very well for the price. Full Disclosure:…

Spring is in the Air!

By Sarah | April 6, 2017

My goal this year is to sew up as much of the Princess’s spring/summer wardrobe as possible. Last year, as a small baby, she wore mainly footie pajamas, and those are pretty boring to make  (at least in the quantity she needed- due to baby spit up, poo-splosions, etc.) and I wasn’t feeling very inspired.…

Twirlin’ in Red White and Blue Sparkles!!!

By Sarah | April 1, 2017

Hello friends! I have something really fun to share with you today! My first strike offs! I hinted at it in my last post, and here they are! In case you’re unfamiliar with what a strike-off is, they are essentially samples of fabrics that will be run as a pre-order. To help customers to get a…

GreenStyle Midway Bomber Jacket

By Sarah | March 27, 2017

Floral jackets have been EVERYWHERE this season, and I’ve been dying for one of my own. Self made, of course, so it won’t fall apart at the seams after a few washes (Target jacket, I’m looking at you!). But, I’ve been too scared to dive in and make one on my own without some serious…

Waterfall in the Garden

By Sarah | March 27, 2017

Ahh…waterfalls. When I’m stressed out (so much fabric, so little time!) I like to close my eyes and imagine myself by a forest stream at dusk, listening to the water cascade over the rocks as it flows toward a magnificent waterfall that can be heard rushing in the distance. Just close your eyes and picture…

Patterns for Pirates Heartbreaker Cami

By Sarah | March 14, 2017

It’s time I told you: I’m a pirate! No, not the kind with a parrot and an eye patch (the closest I’ve come to that is a pet lovebird in junior high) but the sewing kind- a swashbuckling member of the Patterns for Pirates Sewing Pattern Group. I have many (as yet unblogged) versions of…

The good kind of Clique (and a M4M Mama Ella and Greenstyle Brassie Joggers)

By Sarah | March 12, 2017

I have to be honest, I wasn’t one of the popular girls in high school. Not even close. In fact, I think they kinda hated me. But whatever! Now I’m part of new COOL clique, one that involves one of my favorite things: FABRIC! A couple weeks ago, Dhee, of the Fab Clique, reached out…

GreenStyle Open Back Pullover and Stride Tights

By Sarah | March 9, 2017

When I’m not sewing (or taking care of the kids, or keeping up with life), I love to run and workout. I’ve been running for seven years (took it up right before I got pregnant with my twins- THAT was a sanity saver), but just recently got into TRX training, which I do at a…

An Easter Dress for the Princess

By Sarah | March 9, 2017

Can you believe its March already? We’ve got leprechauns running around and its almost time for Easter, which means: Easter Dresses! Growing up, picking out my Easter dress was one of my favorite things to do, and I’m no less excited about sewing the perfect Easter dress for Princess this year. Now that she can…

This one’s for the boys!

By Sarah | March 3, 2017

   I’m back with another pattern testing adventure, the Willow and Redwood vests from 5 out of 4 Patterns for two of my favorite guys! I could have alternately titled this post,  zipper immersion therapy, because with four! zippers a piece, these vests will desensitize your zipper fears FAST. I’m happy to say that thanks…

Tutorial: Shortening a Nylon Coil Zipper

By Sarah | April 26, 2017 |

We are stitching up some awesome jackets right now during the Midway Bomber Jacket Sewalong! Today, we are sewing in our zipper, and while a metal zipper is the easiest to shorten, sometimes you just want or need to use a nylon coil zipper, like I did on my exposed zip. So, my very helpful…

Another Fall Favorite!

By Sarah | September 24, 2018 |

I seem to have a problem…I can’t stop preparing for fall, even though it’s still 100 degrees outside, and cooler weather is at least a month or more away. I even made cinnamon pear butter today, in the crock pot, which is delicious but required me cranking down the A/C a few extra degrees to…

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…

Sewing Traditions: Fit Capsule 2019

By Sarah | March 10, 2019 |

Do you have some favorite sewing traditions? I’ll admit, I’m not very good at participating in holiday traditions (I’ve even been called a “grinch” on occasion), but I love sewing ones- especially those that involve sewing activewear (so quick! so satisfying!) The Greenstyle FitCapsule challenge is one those annual sewing events that I look forward…

When the dog eats your Ice Cream….and other tales of summer

By Sarah | March 15, 2019 |

    I believe firmly in sewing controlled weather…if I start sewing for summer, it will TURN INTO summer, right? It’s a theory of weather management that’s never failed, so since I’m officially tired of winter, I decided to start sewing rashguards. I’ve sewn my kids’ swimwear for the past three years running (check out…

Hey June June!

By Sarah | May 31, 2019 |

Hey friends! It’s June first, and in my book, that means SUMMER!! (Please don’t educate me about complicated things like the solstice and actual astrological constants as they pertain to the seasons, because my brain has been turned OFF for the next three months!) This year, that means that not only do I get to…

Fall Style: Wine & Lace

By Sarah | August 6, 2019 |

I’m back home, and busy working on blog posts to document the last legs of our trip, but in the meantime, I took advantage of all the extra SPACE (nothing like going from 200 square feet to 2600 to give you an appreciation for the ability to spread out!) and whipped up a new athletic…

Fail Friday: Sewing Machine Maintenance (or lack thereof)

By Sarah | August 10, 2017 |

I have a confession to make: I am a BAD BAD BAD sewing machine owner. I haven’t maintained my machine properly in over three years. Aside from some occasional dusting and a few forays into the bobbin case with my lint brush, I haven’t oiled her, cleaned her, or taken her in for professional maintenance.…

Happy Jeans Dance!

By Sarah | May 7, 2018 |

I hinted at this on Instagram a few weeks ago- but I finally did it! I completed my first pair of me-made jeans, and guess what? Just like everyone said, it wasn’t all that hard. Sure, there was a bit of a learning curve, especially with the fitting, but the actual construction process was more…

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,…

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