Washi Dress in Voile

I finally made a Washi dress!  I say finally because I have followed Rae's blog since I started sewing a couple years ago, and I absolutely loved the pattern when it came out but since Amelia was a newborn at the time I was not really in a place to make it for myself, it's not totally nursing friendly.  But I saw a paper copy when I was at Alewives fabric and snatched it up, longing for the day I could make it!  While she is still nursing, she's old enough and nursing infrequently enough that I can totally wear it.  In fact, in hindsight I could have just made it in one of its many forms as a top, but I just really had my eye on making the dress with the cap sleeves.  It is such a flattering dress, I love anything that makes me look small on top and hides my post-kids belly in an attractive way.  And it has pockets!  Who doesn't love a dress with pockets?

I am a big fan of Rae's patterns, I've made the Charlie tunic and dress and just purchased the Parsley pants pattern which I'm pumped to make for Claire.  And I also have my eye on her new Ruby dress pattern.  The Washi sewed up really well, I made it in this Anna Maria Horner Loulouthi voile that I had seen everywhere and loved.  Voile can be a little more slippery to work with, and I felt like I had some issues with the shoulder seams, but I just plowed through and it turned out okay.  Which was a good learning experience for me, in that it pays to really slow down and take your time with clothing you're going to wear yourself.  It's one thing to have a wonky seam on a pair of kids pants, the fit is so much less important and people never notice.  And while the 'wonkiness' on my Washi neckline and shoulder seams are slight, it bugged me like crazy when I put it on.  I needed my mom and Greg to assure me 'You can't even tell!' like fifty times.  I just realized that if you're going to spend 5+ hours sewing something for yourself it better fit and look great or you're just not going to wear it.  I could also use more practice sewing bust darts.... mine do pucker a little bit, maybe it's the voile's fault.....  One thing I love about this pattern too is the shirring in the back!  It makes for a very forgivable and comfortable fit, and I had never done it before, but it is so easy!  I love sewing techniques that look mysterious and difficult but are actually so straightforward

 It fits great (I sewed up a size medium) and feels really light and comfortable and I loved wearing it this summer.   I did make a muslin as Rae suggests, just out of some old scrap fabric, and only of the bust, I am glad I did this.  I had plans to make like a million more, but sewed this at the end of a spring sewing binge and I felt like giving it a bit of a rest afterwards.  My sewing is so seasonal though, I have the itch again and I have been purchasing fabric and patterns again and am inspired left and right in sewing blogland... next up... Parsley pants for Claire are cut and ready to go!

Apple Picking

We enjoyed apple picking on a beautiful fall day!  They're not quite old enough to actually pick the apples, but we got a ton and plan to make applesauce, which we're still eating from last year.  There's nothing better than the beginnings of a wonderful fall tradition on an amazingly warm day so late in September.