I thought it was about time to take the Washi Dress into fall with this lovely print by Melody Miller. Perfect for layering under a sweater. And guess what?
SLEEVES!
Works great with tights and boots.
Sometimes it makes me a little sad that my kids won’t grow up with records or tapes. I remember listening to a kid-sized (maybe fisher price?) record player when I was a kid. My dad had a really nice turntable and scads of vinyl that slowly got replaced with CDs in the 80s. CD’s are disappearing. Elliot thinks it’s a novelty when we get a book on CD from the library and he gets to put it in the tray and press “play.” I think that’s part of the reason I love this print so much. Melody has this way of taking vintage items with nostalgic appeal and making them modern and fresh and exciting. This print is part of her Ruby Star Vinyl (sometimes called Ruby Star Spring 2012) collection which is in shops now. I bought it at Nido and I know it’s in stock at Pink Castle, Fabricworm, and Pink Chalk. At least two of those shops have it on sale right now (click on the sidebar for links).
More on that sleeve….soon!
UPDATED: You can find the free sleeve pattern piece and tutorial right here.
54 Responses to Ruby Star Washi Dress
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about Rae
Hi! I'm Rae, Head Boss Lady of Made By Rae Enterprises. I love to sew. This blog is a showcase for my crafty stuff.
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I need to know how to make these sleeves ASAP! This dress looks amazing Rae! Love love love
I actually recently got my kids that same fisher price plastic record player that I had as a kid. They still sell it in their retro line. It’s AWESOME.
Can’t wait for the sleeves details!
I was already in love with Washi, but with sleeves and a scoop neck! Oh My!!!
You had me at sleeves. I love this iteration…and your cardi, too.
Nice! I really love those sleeves. And I’m impressed that you can fit those sleeves into your sweater without them getting all bunched up. That always happens to me.
Yeah…this sweater has slightly larger sleeves, but I still end up sticking my hand up to my elbows and pulling it down. It’s not so bad once it’s in place though. Definitely works better to do the sleeveless washi with a sweater, but you do what you have to do…
I was trying to explain to my nephew about VCRs and cassettes, and rewind/fast forward/etc. He says “I kind of get it. I think I need to see it to understand it. It doesn’t sound like it makes sense.”
Also? Pay phones. I’m glad he’ll never have to ask a stranger for a quarter for a phone call, but still….
lol that is too funny!! YES!
Another gorgeous version of the dress, love the whole outfit. I am really excited about the sleeve add-on. I bought the pattern recently but really wanted a long sleeve one for winter. Now I won’t have to attempt it myself
Ooh and I recently found a hoodie in the thrift shop with a ghetto blaster pattern on it, managed to get a pair of sweatpants for both my boys out of it. Bet our kids won’t see many of those either.
Lovely! As for the toys – I got my kids a tape player at a garage sale and they love the novelty of it.
ooh I would love to find a tape player!!
Stop being so cute Rae. Stop it!
You are gorgeous dahling!!! Love, love, love the sleeves and the print with those tights are AWESOME!!!!
It looks SO AWESOME!! I love the sleeve version. Definitely the perfect Fall dress
Perfect timing Rae! I was just looking at the flickr pool this morning trying to decide if this was the right pattern for the purple viyella that I scored at a fabric swap last weekend. 3 metres of a mostly royal purple with tiny flowers and branches pattern for $10! I`m going to buy the pattern as soon as I get home from work and look forward to the sleeves tutorial soon.
Can’t wait for the sleeve pattern! I am about halfway in making my first (there will be more!) Washi. I spy an elastic casing rather than shirring in the pics. Nice option.
…or is that just two lines of shirring? It looks nice either way!
No you’re totally right Lorna! Instead of doing the shirring, I made a partial back lining (cut it 1/2″ below the lowest shirring line), and folded it under and stitched it down to make a casing. It has a less “fitted” look in the back, but I like it…it changes up the look a bit so that it doesn’t look exactly the same every time.
omg Rae, this is PERFECT!!! I just went back to work after being a SAHM for 7 years, and I have no idea how to dress. The office is casual, but I can only wear jeans and tees so much. I have to make this, and the sleeves are amazing. I love it!
Now, to find the TIME to make it. Never thought that would be a problem.
Lovely!! The back looks different…what did you do? I would love to try it! It would be nice to have a new back on dress number 5
Oh Rae, this version is awesome. Maybe I do need to pick up this pattern!
LOVE!! Fits perfect. I’m working on one right now that I put the tova sleeves on. I like yours with the elastic!
Love the sleeves… I’m itching to make washi #2 now! P.S. it’s nice to know you’re human…. Kristin for sure is a robot. I don’t know how that girl cranks stuff out all the time!! Ugh!!!!
haha TOUCHE!
LOL! It’s called major caffeine addiction (and sewing addiction?). Anyway….bleep bloop!
Robot, as in like…the best kind of robot there is, don’t worry. I am pretty much in awe of you and your robotics.
Ok Ok OK! Bought the pattern. Stop torturing me. Can I have the sweater and glasses too?
I am so excited about sleeves for this dress! I was on the fence about buying it before. I am an experienced novice
but drafting and attaching my own sleeves to an existing pattern is a lot out of my comfort zone. Now I need to pick out my fabric and buy some printer paper. Yay!
LOVE this version so much, Rae, and the photos are great too. Can’t wait for that sleeve tute! I’ve got washi #3 fabric waiting for me, burning a hole on my fabric shelf.
Love this version so much!!
I love your whole outfit. Nice job. I wish I had enough confidence to make this!
I’ve just finished my first Washi Tunic….LOVE!
I’m getting ready to cut out a Washi Dress for autumn, planning to style it with boots and tights and a cardi and was thinking how cool it would be with sleeves…..
I simply cannot wait for the sleeves tutorial…but I shall!
Thank you!
love the sleeves! I will one day get this pattern
Okay, your pattern just jumped to the top of my to-buy list! Completely in love with those sleeves! Note to self: MUST figure out PayPal and buy this!! And some of that wonderful fabric!
do you think you will ever release this pattern in the normal way? i don’t have a printer so can’t use PDF patterns, but i’d love to make this dress. :/
Yes, please see previous post.
I haven’t bought this pattern yet, but the sleeves may just put me over the fence.
OK, I caved. Picture the background music all “I can’t fight this feeeeelin’ anymoooore” as I click through the checkout. Guess I will find out soon enough if washi can be made nursing friendly! My new sewing machine has me sewing like a madwoman and lovin’ every stitch (although not really blogging it yet) so at worst I sew myself something that I don’t wear much for the next year or so. It will fight right in with half the stuff in my closet, then.
hahah this kills me. SORRY!
I. Love. This. Dress.
Ella asked if I would make her another miniwashi…with sleeves!
I’ve been planning to put sleeves on a Washi for a while, but haven’t quite found the right fabric. I’m already wearing my denim one with boots and sweaters. I need one for every day of the week!
I LOVE the sleeves on this version! I am a bit concerned about the weird “tips” to the darts on the front. Is there a tutorial to avoid these somewhere out there?
haha yes. I was in such a rush to get outside and take these pictures that I neglected to properly press the darts. I have included instructions in the pattern on how to sew them properly to help avoid this, but the biggest difference in my experience is if you use a pressing ham when pressing them. I get nice smooth darts when I do that (which I did not do here).
Thanks Rae!
I think I might finally have to invest in a ham.
So we totally bought a record player last year at Christmas. And by we I mean I strongly hinted to my dad that my husband would LOVE one. And then I bought records for him, of my favorite music. HA! I love the way that it sounds. I love picking up a really random record at the thrift store and bringing it home to listen to it. And I love that my husband turns it on every single day when he gets home from work. (Also, I totally had the fisher price record player when I was little.
sweeeet!!!
[...] Ruby Star Washi Dress [...]
I loved meeting you and this amazing dress at QM this weekend, I totally had to find you on the interwebs and add you to my reader. <3
it was great to meet you too Arleen!!!
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