It’s been a long while since the sight of a new pattern made me audibly gasp.

But that’s just what the Harmonic Set by Pattern Fantastique did to me. I saw it on instagram and I just had to have it. It looked so unique and stunning.

And, so, so, so many elastic channels later, here is my review of the Harmonic Set, in all its blue-on-blue colour blocked, swirly linen goodness.

The Harmonic set is a 70s inspired skirt and top combination. You receive the pattern for both garments. The Harmonic Set can be made either with or without the unique colour blocking along the wavy lines.

My Harmonic Set

The Harmonic Set is available in sizes 6-30. Size 30 caters for a maximum bust size of 141 cm (55 1/2″), waist of 122 cm (48″) and hips of 148cm (58″).

I would point out that while it caters for sizes 6-30, the skirt pattern for the Harmonic Set is a big ol’ rectangle which only comes in three different sizes – with each size representing a group of sizes across the size 6-30 range. You then adapt for your specific size based simply on the length of the elastic you use to gather the skirt. This means that, depending on where you fall across a size range, your skirt will have different levels of gathering.

My Harmonic Set is a size 16, which was the recommended size based on my body measurements. I’ve sewn this version here in a lightweight linen I purchased as coupons from Zyga Paris.

The pattern specifies that you need to keep the fabric weight light to successfully sew the Harmonic Set. That is one of those instructions you should actually listen to (unlike “make a muslin!”). The way the elastic gathering is done just won’t work on heavier fabrics, even a more midweight cotton or linen.

First things first, I came into this project a little bit scared. The only other Pattern Fantastique pattern I have sewn before is the Phen Shirt and you can read in that blog post how I found the instructions rather difficult to follow.

Nonetheless, I was so attracted to the Harmonic Set that I knew I needed to endure it anyway!

While the Harmonic Set instructions are still not the “hand-holding, let-me-teach-you-how-to-sew” type and you won’t get a diagram for each step, I found them a distinct improvement from the Phen Shirt instructions and I have no complaints. I didn’t find them challenging to follow.

Which doesn’t mean, of course, that I didn’t create additional challenges for myself.

Like misreading the perfectly clear instructions!

Errors and omissions

The sleeves of my top in this Harmonic Set are exactly 8 cm too short. Did you notice?

Hint: the only acceptable answer to that question is “of course I didn’t notice”. If your response is anything else, please kindly keep it to yourself 🙂

The instructions clearly said that you needed to fold up to your marked line and I somehow read that as fold at your marked line.

I should have realised when I started sewing my channels where the elastic would go that something was off. My elastic channels were dissecting the waves of my sleeves, meaning that I had to change thread constantly across the waves. In fact, I was feeling rather proud that I’d shown the sewing fortitude to continually change my thread colour to match the fabric as I sewed in an out across the waves.

But, no, instead of this making me realise something was off, I just kept going, thinking that the pattern was kind of annoying, not that I’d messed anything up.

In fact, I didn’t realise my error until I had then sewn all the elastic channels and put in my elastic. In other words, until I had completely finished the top!

I say “realise” as though I can take credit for an actual dawn of realisation. What I actually meant is that a kind-hearted fellow sewist (it was the lovely Blogless Anna) responded to my instagram story, very gently and diplomatically sent me a photo of her own version that made me see that I’d done it wrong!

You’ll understand from my next “challenge” under discussion that once that elastic was in though, it wasn’t coming out again.

So I tell myself that this lovely lightweight linen is the kind of garment I will reach for on days when it is warm enough for bare forearms.

Design choice!

That’s what I have to try to convince myself of. Or else I may want to cry over the fact that I’ve actually destroyed half the visual feature of the sleeve cuff by making it too short. And since there’s no room for that kind of disappointment in my life right now, I’m going for breezy relaxed design choice.

Apart from failing to understand the meaning of the words “up to”, the main thing I found challenging about sewing the Harmonic Set was getting the elastic into the channels at the waist and the sleeve cuff.

I think that this was primarily an issue of equipment failure. The Harmonic Set uses a narrower than usual (for me) elastic – 8mm – of which my local fabric store had only one variety.

But I just found this particular elastic colossally difficult to use. It was too narrow for me to poke my safety pin through it – it just frayed completely and disintegrated. So, in order to secure the elastic to the safety pin to thread it through, I was tying it in multiple knots around the pin. But, more often than not, these notes simply unravelled and my elastic would just come off the pin part way though threading.

And when I say, part way, I mean nearly always when I was nearly at the end!

For both my sleeves and waist, I was generally having to thread each row of elastic through its channel about 3-4 times before I would succeed in getting it all the way through through, as it would brazenly untie itself from my safety pin!

For the waist this eventually improved when I started tying a crazy number of knots (like 5 or 6!) and then I also started unpicking my opposite side seam (half way along) to check on my safety pin and re-tie the elastic on at that point.

My other elastic-related challenge is that using the recommended elastic lengths were way too long for me – the skirt was inches too big. I had to significantly shorten my elastic lengths at the waist. But in order for it to feel secure, I have had to cut my layers of elastic at the top of the skirt so short that they are then stretched out to the maximum over my waist.

I’m actually quite scared that they are going to snap. The tension just doesn’t feel right. But I think it is an issue of the only elastic available to me not having the necessary properties for this project.

The overall look and texture created by this use of multiple channels of elastic is fantastic – I just hope it manages to keep the skirt around my hips without any snapping!

The good bits

OK, onto some happier sewing moments.

As much as hated the elastic, I loved in equal measure the steps of sewing the curved parts of the Harmonic skirt and top. It felt so satisfying to match up the curves and sew along this magical wave.

And then the magic of seeing the wavy piece of colour blocked goodness I had created!

Definitely a sewing highlight.

I also really liked the way that the side-seam pocket is finished and secured, using bias tape to create a very slight indented opening at the side seam, and with the pocket itself secured into the waistband.

Feels like Pocket Magic.

So the Harmonic Set definitely ended up feeling like it took my forever to sew! Two whole garments! And all those elastic woes!

But, if I may say so myself, it looks frickin’ amazing. Even in these out-of-focus there’s no damn light in Northern Europe in January photos. And even if there should have been 8cm more sleeve for you to marvel in wonder at!

Despite this project having its challenging moments, I am really proud of it.

The end product looks like one of the most unique outfits I have ever sewn and it was worth every moment of that cussing and swearing at my Houdini elastic!