Matching Two-Piece Set Sewing Patterns: Co-ords from One PDF

A two-piece set sewing pattern gives you a top and a bottom drafted to go together, in one download, so the hem of the top lands where it should on the skirt or trouser waistband and the two pieces share the same ease. That is the difference between a co-ord and two patterns you hope will match. The sets below are all from the Sewly catalog, graded XS to 5XL, and they are ordered by how much work the bottom half asks of you: shorts first, then a skirt, then wide-leg trousers, then a tailored vest and palazzo pants.

Why sew a set rather than two separate patterns

Three reasons. The proportions are decided for you: a cropped top is cropped to the exact point where the high-waisted skirt begins, which is hard to get right when you combine two unrelated patterns. You cut both pieces from one length of fabric, so the colour matches perfectly and you buy once. And every set here is designed to be split up, so the top goes with jeans and the skirt with a T-shirt once the summer is over.

The one thing a set does not do is force you into one size. Each size is a separate file in these patterns, so you can print the top in your bust size and the bottom in your hip size.

Top and shorts: the fastest set

Summer Minimalist Linen Top and Shorts Co-ord Set is the place to start. The top is boxy, with no darts and no closures, and the shorts have a drawstring waist, so there is no zip anywhere in the outfit. The pattern page suggests linen for both pieces, with linen blends, cotton lawn, chambray and lightweight viscose as alternatives, and describes it as a good choice for advancing beginners.

What you learn: a drawstring casing, and how a boxy top needs careful pressing at the hem because there is no shaping to distract the eye.

Crop top and skirt: the classic co-ord

Two sets pair a short top with a skirt, and they teach different things.

• Linen Two-Piece Set: Square Neck Crop Top and A-Line Skirt has a square neckline that frames the collarbone and an A-line midi skirt. The square neck needs an inside corner clipped and pressed flat, and the A-line skirt is two or three pieces and a waistband. Linen, linen blends, cotton lawn and chambray all hold the clean lines.
• Two-Piece Set: Cropped Top and Half-Circle Long Skirt swaps the A-line for a half-circle skirt that falls to a long length. This one wants a fabric with movement: the pattern page lists viscose, rayon challis, crepe, linen blends and lightweight cotton sateen, and a soft twill for cooler months. A half-circle hem is long and curved, so let the skirt hang overnight before you level and hem it.

Of the two, sew the square neck set first. The A-line skirt is more forgiving at the hem, and the top uses less fabric if the neckline goes wrong on the first try.

Top and wide-leg pants

Trousers add a crotch seam and, in a wide-leg cut, a lot of fabric. Two sets keep the rest simple.

• Linen Set: Tunic Top and Wide-Leg Pants pairs a V-neck tunic with wide-leg pants on an elastic waist. The tunic skims rather than clings and the pants fall straight from the waist, so the whole set is a size decision and four long seams. Linen, linen blends, washed cotton or a soft rayon give the drape it is drawn for.
• Two-Piece Set with Back Button Peplum Top and Wide-Leg Pants is the dressed-up version: a fitted bodice that closes at the centre back with buttons, a peplum below the waist, and relaxed wide-leg trousers to balance it. The page recommends mid-weight fabrics with a soft drape, linen and linen blends for warm weather, cotton poplin, chambray, viscose or crepe for a more fluid finish.

The back-button top is the first piece in this list with a row of buttonholes. Mark their positions with a ruler before you sew any of them.

Vest and palazzo pants: the tailored set

Minimalist Linen Set with V-Neck Vest and Palazzo Pants is a different kind of project. The vest has a V-neckline and a structured shape, the trousers have pleats at the waist and fall into a long, fluid leg, and the pattern page suggests mid-weight linen, a linen blend with a little body, or a lighter suiting or viscose twill. Pleats and a lined or faced vest take patience rather than skill, but sew one of the sets above first so that the trousers are not your first pair.

Choosing sizes for two pieces

Measure bust, waist and hip and compare them with the size chart on the pattern page rather than your shop size. Then:

• Choose the top by your bust measurement.
• Choose a skirt or trousers with a fitted waistband by your hip, and check the waist against the chart; one size difference is normal and is easy to adjust at the side seams.
• Choose elastic-waist or drawstring bottoms by your hip only.

If that gives you two different sizes, print both files. Every women's pattern on Sewly uses the same measurement chart, so a top in one size and a bottom in the next are drawn for the same body, and nothing is wasted because you print only the pieces you need.

One length of fabric for both pieces

Buying one length for a set is efficient, but cut in the right order. Lay out the bottom first, because the skirt or trouser pieces are the largest and the least flexible about where they fit on the fabric. Cut the top from what remains, and keep the grainline parallel to the selvedge on every piece so the two garments hang the same way.

Pre-wash linen and cotton before cutting; linen shrinks 3 to 5 percent on the first wash, and a top and skirt that shrink differently because one was washed and one was not will never look like a set again. For 140 cm wide fabric, a boxy top and shorts in a size M take roughly 1.8 to 2.2 metres, and a crop top with a long half-circle skirt 3 to 3.5 metres because the skirt pieces are nearly as wide as they are long. Print the pattern and lay the pieces out before buying if you are at the top of the size range or using a directional print.

Which set to sew first

Top and shorts, then the square neck crop top and A-line skirt, then one of the wide-leg sets. If you have never sewn a top before, read Easy Linen Top Sewing Patterns for Beginners first; the tops in these sets use the same necklines and closures, in the same order of difficulty. All of the sets above are PDF patterns you print at home, with an A0 file for a copy shop, and the complete list of women's sets is in the Sewly catalog and on the patterns page.