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.

My First Washi Dress

A few weeks ago, I joined the Made by Rae Washi Dress Pattern craze!  I just couldn't stand it anymore.  I mean, I loved the look of the dress the very first time I saw it, but I don't normally sew for myself or spend that much money on a pattern!  That is until now!

Everywhere I looked, people were posting their pictures and blogging about their versions of the Washi dress, and there are no telling how many times I kept visiting Rae's Washi pattern page and Flickr group to mull over the idea of whether or not this dress would be something I could successfully make for myself.  I don't remember which post or picture did the trick for me, but I finally couldn't stand it anymore and ordered the pattern!  So glad I did!

I read through the instructions, took my measurements, and determined my size.  Next, I picked some Lisette sateen fabric from my stash that was enough yardage to make the dress version with sleeves.  Then I began printing, taping, and cutting out the pattern pieces.  Now I will say that is one thing I don't particularly like about pdf patterns for adult clothes--there are so many pieces of paper to put together.  After this laborious task, I cut out the fabric and began the fun part:  sewing!

Things progressed pretty quickly with sewing the pieces together.  Rae's instructions were spot on and her hints/tips were very useful.  I definitely suggest that you read through the entire set of instructions before beginning to make sure you are familiar with what comes next!

Since I already know how to shir, that wasn't a big deal at all.  What did slow me down was pinning on the sleeves and then attaching the bias tape around the armholes.  I'm not sure if I didn't  cut out my bias tape to the correct width to begin with or if I didn't iron it to the instructed width, but when I edge stitched it around the armhole opening, I thought the seam width was way too wide.  I'm pretty sure this was an error on my part somehow and had nothing to do with the instructions, so in the end, I ended up removing the bias tape and redoing the work using a smaller seam allowance.  I was much happier now!

I finished sewing the dress in an afternoon and wore it the next day.  If you are like me, when you get something new you want to wear it right away!  I love the look of the dress on, and I received so many compliments (from both men and women) the first time I wore it!  Plus, it is super comfy!

Since this was my "test" dress, I decided there were a few things I wanted to slightly alter for the next version (and yes, I immediately knew there would be many more dresses and tops made using this pattern).

• First of all, I am not crazy about facings, and although the facings for the dress work well, I decided I wanted to line the top next time.  Lining the top would also eliminate the need to use bias tape around the armholes.  Plus Rae has a video tutorial for how to go with the lining option.  
• Secondly, I wanted to lower the dart for the bust by at least a half inch to give me a better fit.
• I also felt like the back was trying to ride up some because the shirred back was sitting a little high on me.  Next time, I will shift the rows of shirring down by at least a half inch if not more.
• Lastly, the neckline of the dress seems to gape open more than I would like.  I'm not sure yet how to resolve this, so if anyone has a suggestion, please leave me a comment!

Curious about Ella's dress?  I'll be blogging about it soon!

Overall, the Washi Dress pattern is well worth the investment.  The instructions were clear and helpful, and the dress itself was fairly simple to sew.  Always a plus in my book!  I can foresee me using this pattern for years!  Thanks for a great pattern, Rae!