Chevron Washi Tunic

Has anyone else caught the Made by Rae Washi Dress/Tunic fever?!  I know I have!  This tunic is my second Washi pattern item, the first was a Washi dress, and I think I love it even more than the dress!

And I just learned that Rae has added a pattern piece for adding long sleeves!  I can't wait to try that out.

If you recall from my post on making the Washi dress, I didn't make a muslin before I jumped right in and made the real thing.  The fit of that dress was quite good, but there were a few things I wanted to do differently when I put together the tunic.

First of all, I lowered by about a half inch the dart for the bust.  In order to do this, I just traced the pattern bodice piece again and adjusted the dart location accordingly.  This made the bodice of the top fit better on me for sure.

Secondly, I started the rows of shirring about 3/4" to 1" lower than where the pattern specified.  This adjustment also provided me with a better fit by preventing the back from having that "riding up my back" feeling.

Next, I used Rae's video tutorial on how to line the bodice of the top instead of using facings.  I pretty much knew how to do this already, but I watched it completely because you never know when you might learn a new trick or two! For my bodice lining, I used some basic muslin fabric.  It's very soft and matched the light colored chevron on my fabric.

I don't remember Rae's tutorial including under stitching of the lining along the neckline, but I added this in order to help keep the neckline seam nice and smooth.  

I'm not a big fan of hand sewing, so if you are one of those people that wants the inside of a garment to look as lovely as the outside, then you better skip this next picture!

From now on, I'll definitely be lining the bodice instead of using facings.  This method was just as quick and easy, but in the end, you don't have to worry about the facing pieces trying to pop out the neck opening.

And the final adjustment I tried to make didn't work out like I had hoped. When I made the dress, I went with the U-shaped cutout along the neckline, but I felt like the top was constantly gaping open.  For the tunic, I decided go with the basic scoop neckline and cut the shoulder width and neckline by the XS size of the pattern while using the M size for everything else.  Sadly, this didn't resolve my problem as you can see in some of the pictures.

If anyone has any suggestions on what I should try next, please leave me a comment!  The gaping is not a huge problem, but I am definitely aware of it, especially when I have to bend over.

When I wore this top and the dress at Sewing Summit, I had people constantly saying they loved it and asking me if I made it.  This time, I was proud to say, "Yes, I made it!", and I know for a fact that a few people immediately pulled out their phones or ipads and looked up the pattern!

All in all, this is a great pattern and a great top--no doubt!  The Washi tunic only took me a couple of hours to sew, and I just love wearing it!  Can't get much better than that.

So you'll definitely be seeing more Washi dresses and tops from me in the future--most likely very soon!  I've got some beautiful voile fabrics that I've been hoarding, and I'm going to be totally selfish and make myself a long-sleeved Washi tunic with it.