A Year of Selfish Sewing--March, the Washi Dress

The infamous Washi Dress. What is it? Rae Hoekstra, of Made by Rae designed a fantastic sewing pattern that has taken the sewing world by storm. If you read any sewing blogs at all, everyone seems to be making this dress! It's a digital download that you can get here. It's so popular, in fact, that she sells a separate expansion pack.

​Why did I choose to sew it? Three reasons:

1) I wanted to see why it is so popular (relatively easy to sew, it flatters many different figures.)

2) To practice shirring, and to work with cotton voile.

​3) I wanted a new Easter dress.
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​You can see the way the dress is blowing in the breeze on the mannequin that the drape of cotton voile is lovely. It's a thin, but gorgeous fabric to work with.
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​Cap sleeves that are quite flattering.
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A new-to-me seam finishing technique: bias tape that only encases the bottom edge of the armhole. It was confusing until I sewed it, and then it's brilliance was quickly made clear. Very very clever finishing technique.
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​Subtle front pleats to camouflage the "mom bits."

​Elastic shirring in the back to define the shape, but also provide easy on/off without any closures like a zipper or button placket. I wasn't sure how flattering this would be when all was said and done, but I love the way it fits!

I'm a fan! Will you do me a favor? Send me a picture if you sew one yourself!