Made By A Fabricista: FROM FABRIC TO FASHION: - The Saguaro Set with Fabric Mart Fabric

The weather in Southwest Florida is finally starting to warm up. With the warm air and bright sunshine, I have been thinking about refreshing my “at home” wardrobe with some fun easy pieces this year. I have wanted to make The Saguaro Set for some time now. When I saw the beautiful selection of rayon challis on the Fabric Mart website, I knew now was the perfect time to get it started.

THE FABRIC

I researched a lot to see which fabric would work the best for this pattern. I chose the Deep Amaranth Pink 100% Rayon Twill Challis for my project. It is a beautiful color that to me looks more coral. The fabric is light to medium weight and has beautiful drape. The care instructions said gentle wash or hand wash. I prewashed the fabric in cold water on the delicate cycle. However, after drying it on the delicate cycle, the fabric had an almost vintage distressed look. I was a bit concerned, but as I began to layout the pattern, I liked the overall look. (Whew, so glad that worked out)

I would recommend to anyone interested in getting this fabric to prewash a small piece first to make sure you like the finished look of the fabric.

THE PATTERN

The Saguaro Set is a relaxed easy fit top with elastic. The pants are high waisted with elastic and drawstring. Both pieces are easy to cut and sew. I recommend checking your measurement size with the finished garment measurements located on the pattern. The pattern comes from size XS to size 7X. There are websites and tutorials to help with construction and adjustments. The only adjustment I made was to the length of the pants. Next time I may raise the neckline crossover. The ties do a great job of giving a bit of coverage. I plan to wear this only at home or perhaps over a bathing suit by the pool. I think another Saguaro Set in a tropical print would be beautiful. There are several beautiful tropical prints rayon challis on the Fabric Mart website that I already have placed in the shopping cart.

THE PROCESS

The sewing process was easy. There are no special closures, buttons, or zippers on this one. This pattern and fabric would be great for a confident beginner to sew. Again, I would recommend washing a small piece of fabric to make sure you are happy with the fabric finish. I used a fresh needle for this project. When pressing I used a warm iron and pressing cloth with no steam. The fabric seemed to like that better. Sewing this set was fun. There are two rows of top stitching on the elastic bands of the top and waistband which is a fun detail.

THE FINISHED LOOK

At first I thought I might be too old to wear this. But I love the finished look! I love that it looks great with low heel sandals or sparkly flip flops. The pieces can be worn together or separately. The top can also be worn with the V neckline to the back. Two piece sets are on trend this year. This one is easy to wear. I am pleased with the fit and dare I say….I feel pretty in it.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This was a fun easy pattern and I will sew it again in a tropical print fabric I have already chosen from Fabric Mart. At the time of this writing, the Amaranth Pink Rayon Twill Challis is still available. I really liked this fabric for this pattern. Check out Fabric Mart Fabrics great fabric selection and prices for your next spring top, dress, or trendy two-piece set.

CARMEN | @carmensalome

Made By A Fabricista: Revisiting a Pattern After Five Years

Have you ever used a sewing pattern and then immediately vowed never to sew it again? Well, I have. It all began in the spring of 2020 at the start of the pandemic lockdown. I tackled sewing projects that were more challenging to help me grow as a seamstress. There was one pattern in particular that almost did me in, the Seamwork Penny shirt dress. The Penny dress pattern has a classic button-up dress shirt style bodice with a gathered skirt and pockets. It is a beautiful take on a shirt dress, and my sister and I loved it. The only downside is that it was recommended for intermediate-level sewists and I was only an adventurous beginner back then. I think I had only ever made one button-up shirt before attempting this Penny Dress and it didn’t even have a collar! Despite all of this, I thought “Why not try it, what’s the worst that can happen?” Thankfully the worst didn’t happen, and the dress turned out surprisingly wearable, but I had some intense frustration at the end. I...

Made By A Fabricista: A Simple Frock for Spring

Hello friends! I’m really into sewing and wearing tent dresses at the moment. A tent dress is basically a wide A-line style gown. For this month’s project, I’ve opted to try out The Assembly Line’s Square Neck Dress. This style is a little avant-garde in its enormity and shape, and boasts the squared neckline it’s named after, plus some cute hem side slits. All that volume is fun to move around in, plus there’s loads of air circulation which is cooling. This dress’s main feature–its wide and high squared neckline–really piqued my interest recently, and I added it to my Make Nine plans for 2025. I find it so satisfying to check off those boxes as I sew! This beautiful shirtweight linen is a color I simply adore; a muted medium blue. Stormy skies, worn-in denim, and ocean waves all come to mind, and that is exactly what I want to be all wrapped up in. While I think a wild or large print would be amazingly on display in this big canvas of a dress, I also thought that a subtle ...

Made By A Fabricista: Bold Aspen Dress for Spring

As I write this in mid-April, central New Jersey weather is showing small signs of spring. My neighbor’s daffodils are blooming and our magnolia tree is trying to unfold its vibrant magenta petals. I am in the midst of preparing my wardrobe for the warmer months, even if we are still huddling against windy 30 degree days. For me, warm weather means linen. I love breathable, floaty linen sundresses and drapey, loose linen wide-leg pants. My vision for a spring piece was something bold and bright, inspired by the natural colors of blooming flowers, but also something that could transition well between the warmer and cooler months. When I saw Fabric Godmother’s Apsen Dress, I knew that it had the sensible transitional opportunities I was looking for while also providing a blank canvas for fun prints, patterns and colors. With the pattern in mind, I then turned to the stunning linen collection that Fabric Mart always has on hand to see what colors or patterns would best suit my visio...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog