Sew Sarah Smith

Rhapsody Blouse by Love Notions : Sewing Pattern Review

Spoiler Alert – I might just have sewn something I really like; the Rhapsody Blouse (& Dress) by Love Notions; having sewn one I can tell you I’ll be sewing this again. And then again! Yoke and Centre Back Pleat detail Whilst the Rhapsody is an easy-wear pattern, it has some lovely design details that elevate it from your everyday ‘peasant’ blouse (for want of a better expression). It has…

New Look 6517 : Sewing a Capsule Summer Wardrobe

I’d eagerly snatched up NL6517 eons ago as I wanted to replicate my favourite, now sadly departed, pair of RTW linen trousers. The pattern features these wide leg pants but also has options for a tunic top (in two lengths) and a simple maxi dress with a side split – all very wearable. As the heatwave hit, I finally dug it out hoping to make a quick summer capsule wardrobe! With that theme firmly…

THE 2021 #SEW TOGETHER FOR SUMMER PRIZE WINNERS!

Home PageAbout Me / Contact MeDecal ShopTutorials Hi! I’m back with the BEST part of every #sewtogetherforsummer challenge – the handing out of the Prizes! These will also be announced across our Instagram feeds (Suzy @sewing_in_spain  Monika @rocco.sienna and myself, Sarah @sewsarahsmith) – If you’re a lucky winner you can expect to receive a DM from one of us very soon – please check your…

My Mississippi Avenue / Simplicity 8231 Sundress Review

I made a dress! It’s been so long since I’ve done that; even longer since I’ve sewn one for myself that I’ve loved. But now I’ve done just that with Sewhouse 7’s ‘Mississippi Avenue’ dress … I knew I wanted to sew a summer dress – a sundress – suitable for this years’ #sewtogetherforsummer sewing challenge and I confess I dithered for a while before deciding on this pattern. And then took just…

Tutorial : How to Sew Woven Adjustable Straps (and Shoulder Ties!)

Hello lovely sewing people! Now that the sun has finally arrived here in the UK my thoughts more naturally turn to sewing all the sundresses – this years’ #sewtogetherforsummer challenge theme! (Click HERE for the full deets). I think we can all agree, one of the things that can be tricky with sewing a sundress, or a strappy top of any kind, is getting the length of the straps right. One way to…

Home PageAbout Me / Contact MePlaces to Join Me!Decal ShopTutorials#sewtogetherforsummer Hello lovely sewing people! I’m just dropping by to let you know I recently recorded an interview for the Sew Organised Style podcast with the incredibly warm human being that is Maria @velowsews, alongside my #sewtogetherforsummer co-Hosts, Monika and Suzy. (This podcast recording is proof, should evidence…

Sewing & Craft Themed Decals!

Home PageAbout Me / Contact MePlaces to Join Me!Tutorials#sewtogetherforsummer Gulp; by some weird process of osmosis, I appear to have opened a little shop! It’s all happend quite organically – I’d created a fun sewing machine ‘chalkboard’ I could make notes on (so as to stop scribbling all over my patterns!) and a few decals to jazz up my own sewing space. I then showed and shared them with my…

SEWING Prizes for #SEWTOGETHERFORSUMMER 2021 SUNDRESS CHALLENGE!

Hello, have we got a bumper post for you today; full of the prizes generously donated by our amazing sponsors for this years #sewtogetherforsummer challenge. (If you missed my previous post, CLICK HERE for the low-down on this years’ ‘Sundress’ themed sewing challenge, including some amazing discount codes!) As in previous years, all of the prizes listed here are handed out on a random basis;…

#SEWTOGETHERFORSUMMER is Back! 2021 Community Sewing Challenge!

And it’s back! You may recall last year, we dropped our yearly #sewtogetherforsummer challenge theme as the reality of the global pandemic hit; deciding to go ahead with a pared back #sewtogetherloungewear mini-challenge instead. (How apt that turned out to be). But with a new summer on the horizon, Suzy (@sewing_in_spain), Monika (@rocco.sienna) and I, (@sewsarahsmith) are back with a whole new…

Happy Crafting : Sewing Luna Lapin

Hello again! If you read my last post, you’ll know that my sewing took a back seat last year. But entering a this year and the final arrival of a new Spring, I got the irrisistable urge to make something. Of all the projects that vied for my attention, this one kept bobbing up and nibbling away demanding to be made! It was seasonally appropriate, I guess haha! Meet my take on Luna Lapin, that…

All Sewn Up – A Personal Reflection on the last 12 months

Hello Sewing Friends, despite the best of intentions my posting here – whilst never routinely scheduled – does seem to have spluttered along like a car with a backed-up exhaust over the last 12 months or so; all fits and starts! Life has had its ups and downs – a pandemic certainly creates a unique backdrop to life, doesn’t it. Now that I find myself in a more stable and happier place, I thought…

New Sewing Tools : My Latest Favourite Gadgets!

Hello, lovely sewing people … I’m back with a perennially favourite topic of mine : a roundup of my latest sewing tools and gadget loves! Although a somewhat eclectic mix of stuff, they’ve all passed the Indispensable Test – not only have I really enjoyed using them, they’ve all achieved ‘How Did I Ever Manage Without Them?!’ status to become absolute essentials in my sewing kit. In no…

Statement Sleeves; Sewing the Adrienne Blouse by Friday Pattern Co.

Hello my lovely Sewing Friends,

I admit I’ve found it a bit hard to put metaphorical pen to paper recently but I really wanted to show you my two versions of the Adrienne Blouse from Friday Pattern Co.I’ve seen so many stunning versions of this whilst scrolling through my Instagram feed that I eventually succumbed! I also knew it would be an easy, quick sew and it seems…

New Product : Personalised Sewing Machine ‘Chalkboard’ Wall Decal!

Hello lovely sewing friends! Today I’m beyond excited – and just a little bit terrified! – to share with you something I’ve been working on for a little while. I first made one for my own use … and it quickly became one of my favourite things in my sewing space! Realising just how much I was using it, I shared it with a couple of sewing friends…and they loved theirs too! In order to continue to…

Perfecting Fit : the Sew Over It Whitley Top Redrafted

Hi sewing buddies, I’m back with yet another Sew Over It ‘Whitley Top’. The reason? It’s all about perfecting fit!

If you read my previous post on this pattern, you will remember that I was pretty pleased with how the pattern fit straight ‘out of the envelope’, loving how it can be seen as something of a ‘block’, i.e. a basic shape that lends itself well to pattern redrafting and hacking. The…

Sewing new Machine Mats and matching Cushion – Tutorial

Regular readers will know (because I keep blathering on about it!) that I received a new sewing machine for my birthday this year to replace my much used, much loved starter machine. One of the (many) reasons I opted for the Pfaff Quilt Ambition 630 is the amount of arm room the machine has…but this meant the sewing machine mats I quilted a few years back no longer fit. Time for new…

Sewing A Colour-blocked Sweater Dress : FibreMood Lexi from Issue 11

Hello hello hello!

Today I’m sharing my ‘hot-off-the-sewing-machine’ FibreMood Lexi; a colour-blocked sweater dress from Issue 11 (out now); I was sent a preview copy of the pattern by the mag so I could sew one up to showcase to time with the publications’ release. Let me say from the off though, this dress very nearly didn’t make it…

FibreMood Lexi – pattern available HERE