Soaking up summer in this little number!!! Since August in Texas like living on the surface of the sun, I had to squeeze this two piece sew in before the temperatures start to drop…in a month or two 😉 HA!

Mimi G first posted a little peek at her new patterns with Simplicity back in the spring but my sewing plans were so full, I just now got to it. I have been a long time fan of Mimi G and her contagious creativity but before this had only sewn her FREE Jessica dress pattern. I haven’t touched a paper pattern since my early sewing days (10 years ago probably) but I couldn’t resist ordering this one. I adore the tie top front, as it’s a style all over Pinterest and Instagram this summer!

Now, let’s talk about the pattern, the fabric and see the final look:

The Pattern

As I mentioned, this is a paper pattern available from Simplicity patterns. I got my copy from a shop on etsy since my local Joann’s is an hour away. My pattern set includes sizes 6-14 and runs true to the size chart on the back of the envelope. The two piece set has two different skirt lengths and two different ways to lay out your fabric for some fun stripe detail.

I chose to sew the plain bodice, not rotating the direction of the stripes for each side of the front bodice. I did sew the shorter option of the skirts and since I had a stripe fabric, I did cut the side panels on the bias to create a really fun detail just like on the pattern cover.

Based on my measurements, I cut a size 8 for the top front, size 10 for the top back and size 12 for the skirt with a size 10 waistband. I graded the top of the skirt to fit the smaller size waistband. The fit was great, a little more fitted than what I typically wear…but as the pattern intends.

The Fabric

I really loved the stripe placement from the pattern cover, and had a great blue stripe Tencel twill from Fabric.Com on hand so it was the perfect combination! If you aren’t using a stripe, you can cut your top and skirt pieces all in the same orientation.

Tencel (brand name for Lyocell) creates such a gorgeous drape and smooth hand to fabric, and has become one of my favorite fibers. It hardly wrinkles, it’s sturdy and not slippery while sewing and is super breathable. It makes for a cool feel to the fabric, which is perfect for the end of a Texas summer.If you haven’t used Tencel or lyocell, I highly recommend you try it for a summer sew!

The Finished Look