An accidental summer dress

You'll recall a week or so ago I was moaning about wanting to add to my work-from-home/casual-clothes wardrobe? And that the Washi dress was going to be one of my attempts to fill the 'tidy yet comfy' holes?

So, I've made my first Washi! I'm only about the 5000th person to make the Washi dress (seriously, search for it on Google images if you don't believe me), and I'm about 3 years later than everyone else, but better late than never right??

I was worried I'd end up looking preggers in this dress, but I don't really think that I do (phew). Don't get me wrong - it could easily be worn in the early stages of maternity wear if one needed such a thing (or if you happened to have a giant Sunday lunch, as in my case!) but I don't think it sticks out so much that people will be looking twice and giving me the side eye of speculation.

I really like this dress. I made it up in some gorgeous John Kaldor fabric I got at the Sew Essential meet last weekend. When I bought it, I thought it was a viscose linen blend, but it's actually something called ramie viscose. Ramie is - so the interwebs tell me - a plant based fibre that's pretty ancient (ancient like Egyptian mummy shrouds!!). The fabric itself is quite lovely. Super easy to sew as it presses like a dream, but it has a sort of bouncy/floaty quality to it. Being similar to a linen it does crease like an absolute bastard...you can finger press a pretty sharp crease, so I'll look pretty unkempt when I wear this, but I don't think that I care tbh. It wasn't planned to be a summer frock, but it really will be a total dream to wear in summer - it's so breathable and soft and lineny. Plus the print is great! I know it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but I love the 60s retro print and colour.

The hem is level, I assure you. I apparently am just incapable of standing so that things hang straight. Also sorry for the squinty eyes. Damn sunshine ;-) 

Nyx wanted in on the photo action. 

So, the pattern. I did actually make a toile of the bodice which is quite unlike me, but I need to start doing that more often (one of the down sides to becoming a better sewist is that you realise how badly earlier garments fit!! Must start dropping darts by an inch as a standard adjustment). To my considerable surprise (and delight) the Medium fit me perfectly. My upper bust and full bust measurements put me bang in the middle of the range for Medium, and it fits brilliantly straight out of the packet. That pretty much never happens as I'm always on the cusp of a FBA. The only adjustment I made to the final dress is taking about another centimetre of the width on both sides between the bottom of the shirring and the pockets - just felt a tad baggy there. In the future I think I could afford to make the pleats a tad deeper as there is still quite a bit of ease here (acres of it really).

Oh my, but this dress is SO comfy. And this particular fabric just makes me feel like I need to be wearing it while wandering down a beach in Spain, or meandering through a gorgeous hot Italian city eating gelato (obviously sans tights and brogues, and with summer sandals instead!). Due to the creasing, I'm not sure it's going to become a standard 'round-home' wear, but it'll definitely be worn. And there will definitely be more Washis in my future, of that I am sure!

I'm so very happy to have such a satisfying make - easy to sew, easy to fit = happy to wear! Win.

And now, if you will excuse me, I need to go and search for holiday deals to Italy...!

Ciao my lovelies xx