Two-Piece Set-Acular
Like Sophie, I’ve been a big fan of the coordinating sets that have been popping up. I’m not a huge romper or jumpsuit fan (getting naked to pee, and all) but I love the idea of two pieces that work together or can be worn separate. I loved her idea of a Two-Piece Set-Acular in August and got excited planning my idea. Prepare for a boatload of photos, my friends!
I figured such a fun piece needed a fun backdrop so we walked out to the end of a breakwater here in town and took pictures where we walk the dog every day. She came along too, of course and helped out by sniffing around and looking generally adorable.
I could not be happier with how these pieces turned out! I love them together, how they look like a well-fitting dress and there’s just a peek of midriff when I move around, and I’m already imagining countless outfits with them separate as well! I also made these in one of my all-time favorite fabrics: rayon challis. It’s so floaty and soft and cool! And so much cheaper than silk! It can be a bit fiddly, but I used my walking foot to sew it and that worked out wonderfully. You may have seen my planning on Instagram (@shedabbles) and I think the end result turned out quite like the drawing!
So what are these pieces, you ask? Let’s get to the nitty gritty.
Shirt Details:
Pattern: Kanerva Blouse by Named Patterns
Size: 36 at the bust graded to a 38 at the waist
Fabric: Anna Maria Horner Pretty Potent Rayon
Alterations/Changes: I made the sleeves short (due mostly to inadequate yardage. I got the end of the bolt and only had 2.25 yards). I also made the back darts slightly smaller for a bit of extra ease in the waist. I waited to hem it until I had made the skirt so it is a bit shorter than the pattern called for. I finished the neckline and the waist hem with bias tape.
Skirt Details:
Pattern: Flora Dress by By Hand London
Size: Same size adjustments made here
Fabric: Same as shirt
Alterations/Changes: Let’s do the most obvious first, shall we? I made it a skirt! The By Hand London girls have a tutorial for this but I did it a different way. I pinned out the pleats on my pattern pieces and traced the curve of the waistline. I then used this curve to draft a waistband that would be 1″ wide. I repeated this for the front and the back, cut two of each, interfaced one, and sewed them to the skirt using this tutorial to attach them to the invisible zipper. I also used Morgan’s tutorial for adding a bias binding to the inner waistband. (I spent much more time on the insides of this skirt making them pretty than I usually do.) I used the same high-low skirt pattern as before, but removed 1.25″ from the center back length and added the same amount to the front length so the difference is much more subtle now. I added inseam pockets (as usual), and finished the hem with a neon green ribbon for fun and a little extra stability. Phew!
Guts:
