Karen’s Saguaro set!

A little late in the year for this type of outfit, but it’s one I am really looking forward to wearing again when we go into the summer months next year. This is the Saguaro Set by Friday Pattern Company which has taken the sewing community by storm this year.

Initially I wasn’t sure this pattern was for me because of the cropped style of the top, but after seeing so many gorgeous versions on all sorts of body types, it gave me the inspiration to try it out for myself.

I first made a wearable toile of this set before I went on holiday in July using some fabric that I already had, because I wanted to check the fit before cutting into this beautiful Sage fabric from Felicity Fabrics.

When the fabric arrived, I thought it might be tricky to sew with because of its slippery nature, but it actually sewed really well and was very easy to handle – I didn’t even need to use any spray starch!  The fabric has a slight stretch to it too, so I knew it would be perfect to pair with this pattern.  Even though the trousers are quite wide, it’s nice to have the comfort of bending and sitting down without any restrictions.

This set is deceptively quick and easy to make and the instructions that are provided by Friday Pattern Company are always very clear to follow. I made a size M for both the top and trousers, but just overlocked the outer and inner side seams of the trouser legs, without cutting any fabric away, to give me a little more ease than the pattern provided. I didn’t want to make the larger size because I didn’t want the trousers to be too wide in the leg.

The only part I had a problem with, was when I was sewing the bias strip around the neckline. As this fabric doesn’t crease, it was very difficult to press and sew the bias strip accurately and I found it was stretching out and that last thing I wanted was a gaping neckline.  In the end I made another bias strip from some cotton fabric and sewed that into place, which worked much better.

For the top I added the optional ties to give me some modesty and I really like that detail.  I love the grown-on sleeves too. For the elastic waistband I didn’t use the measurement that the pattern tells you to use, I just measured some elastic around my waist and cut it to size. You topstitch at both the top and bottom of the band to secure the elastic in place as without doing this I found that the elastic wanted to twist around. It also gives a really nice effect.

For the trousers I added 1” to the length as I found my toile came up a little short and I sewed the trouser hems using some bias binding to add a little bit of weight to the bottom, as this fabric is very floaty. For the elastic waistband I did the same as I did for the top, measuring it around my waist first and then cutting it to size.  I ensured I added some interfacing to the reverse of the front waistband piece before sewing the buttonholes and that worked perfectly. I always do a test of my buttonholes first to check I’m happy with the size of them too.

This fabric has made this set feel very luxurious to wear and will be perfect for some hot summer days. It does have a tendency to want to stick to your legs because of the polyester content in it, but nothing a bit of moisturiser doesn’t fix 😉.

I hope I have inspired you to have a go at making this set for yourself.

Thanks for reading.

Karen x