Gemma’s Saguaro Set

The Saguaro Set by Friday Pattern Company is definitely doing the rounds at the moment and Gemma thought it was the perfect pattern to pair with July’s Luxury Box fabric. Sadly we couldn’t get hold of our exclusive Lady McElroy fabric in time so Gemma used the original colour way of “Indie Rock” florenza crepe.

Usually I’m not one to jump on a ‘trend’ when something popular comes out (more likely I get into it once it’s no longer trending!) but when Friday Pattern Company released The Saguaro Pattern I was very intrigued! 

I’ve always been a fan of a co-ord set, and it seems their time has come this summer, as they are in pretty much every high street store. The Saguaro set is perfect for creating this look, featuring roomy trousers that have pockets and optional drawstring, and a pull over top that can be worn either forwards or back! It is designed for woven fabrics and the possibilities are endless when it comes to which fabric you can use depending on the vibe you want to go for with your set – a lightweight linen or double gauze for instance would be a great casual day time look, whereas a slinky viscose would take you into night out territory.

I was a little apprehensive at first as the top is designed to be quite cropped, and as a curvier lady I wasn’t sure how comfortable I would be with it that short. Until you have tried a pattern for yourself or seen others fairly similar, it is hard to gauge, but it was actually Tamlyn that finally convinced me to give the pattern a go! She highly recommended it after she tried it, so I just needed the right fabric to give it a try, and when I received the crepe in this month’s box it was just what I needed. It’s such a great textured fabric, and I knew instantly it would give a really good look to the pattern.

Printed by Lady McElroy, I have the original colourway which very much reminds me of ice cream! I decided to break up the colour a bit as I was worried that wearing it as a full outfit might clash with my hair, and used a plain black crepe for the waistbands. 

I always love adding different details like this to makes, as it really ups the personal factor. You do have to be careful when working with this kind of fabric though – it does like to move around! 

I made a size 18 in both the top and trousers, and initially went with the ties on the top, however once sewn the seams were quite bulky and heavy, so I decided to remove them. I also moved the wrap fronts in a little more than the pattern, so they didn’t show off the boobs quite so much!  

I was surprised at how simple this pattern is to make, as it certainly looks a lot more involved, but I had both parts sewn up over a couple of days. I did find the fabric a little tricky to sew as it moved around so much, and I had to really concentrate, but otherwise a really enjoyable make!

I’m so glad I’ve jumped on a bandwagon for once, as I’m chuffed with both the pattern and fabric. The fit is really comfortable and makes an amazing looking outfit. I love that it is so versatile, both in terms of fabric choice and outfit combinations, as you can mix and match both parts with other garments. 

The fabric is a great choice, and how cool is it that Hayley has an exclusive colourway! I’m already addicted to this set and will be making lots more of this pattern – as it goes I’ve already made another 2 sets and am currently sewing a top by the time you read this!