Please note: The pattern previously known as “Washi” has been renamed “Trillium.” Read about the name change here. It’s the same lovely pattern, just with a new name!

I’m so excited to be a part of the Observer fabric blog tour today! I’m showing off this lovely voile indigo-shibori print from my dear friend April Rhodes’ latest line of fabric for Art Gallery fabrics, Observer. After having a chance to try shibori dyeing in Palm Springs earlier this year, I was so excited when I saw this print in the lineup! This print really looks like it could have been hand-dyed.

I felt that a print of this scale deserved a garment large enough to show it off, so a maxi dress was a natural choice. Jess had made a boatneck maxi version of the Trillium Dress last summer that I absolutely loved (I haven’t blogged it yet, but I will!), and I really wanted to copy that design with this fabric, so we used the same pattern adjustments for mine.

I realize it is a bit crazy to call this a Washi Dress, since it bears so little resemblance to its Mother-Garment, but the Washi dress pattern pieces were indeed the starting point. I’ll share tips on how to modify the Washi Dress bodice so you can make your own boatneck version when I post Jess’ dress. Stay tuned!

The bodice of the dress is lined, and since any voile with a light background is fairly sheer, I do wear this with a slip (note to anyone else dreaming up garments with this lovely print!). Another option would be to line the skirt, but that creates more bulk, so I opted for just the bodice lining.

I’ve always loved Art Gallery’s fabrics, and this voile is so lovely and silky and light that wearing it is a dream. This fabric would also be absolutely perfect for pillows or breezy curtains or a gathered skirt. I would die to have a sheet set out of this print!!

One other little thing to add: since there is some symmetry in this print, strong angular lines, and alternating light and dark areas (love!!), I personally prefer not to center the axis of the print directly over the central axis of the body; in other words, placing the print off-center seems like a good idea so that certain areas don’t get accentuated accidentally…ahem. This can be an issue when you’re trying to wear any large-scale print, so keep that in mind! You’re welcome.

The entire Observer collection from April is absolutely brilliant, and includes a handful of knit fabrics as well as a great selection of quilting cottons. April also sent over one of the knit prints from the collection to, so if you come back this afternoon for my Observer Bonus Round you can see the dress I made out of that one too! PS. I was feeling a bit like an overachiever, and almost didn’t post both, but then yesterday Christine posted two outfits for her stop on the tour, so that just goes to show that I’m not. Or we both are. Probably the latter.

Truly, though, one of the things I love about April’s designs is how clearly you can see April’s aesthetic shine through them. She is a talented and passionate artist who pours her heart and soul into her art, and it’s so incredibly inspiring to see her clear point of view communicated in her beautiful collections. I’m so grateful to call her a friend. Thanks so much for inviting me on your Observer tour, April!

You can find the whole list of stops on the Observer fabric tour here, or see what’s happening on Instagram. Noodlehead is the next stop on the tour on Monday, September 26. I can’t wait to see what Anna’s dreamt up for Observer!

Observer Maxi Dress

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