Rua tee & dress

With its many options and styles, the Rua tee and dress is perfect all year round. Featuring a semi-loose fitting bodice, a scoop neckline, two sleeve designs (a short puffed sleeve with cuff band, or a classic sleeve with a lightly gathered sleeve head), three sleeve lengths, and the choice of cropped tee, banded tee, hip-length tee, or dress. Lots of possibilities to mix and match!

Make the cropped tee with a waistband to wear as a tee or a jumper with high-waisted trousers, skirts, or over dresses. It goes perfectly with 1940’s style pants and 1950’s circle skirts!

The cropped tee without a waistband also works great as a tee or a jumper. How about a short sleeve tee to wear with skinny jeans? Or a long sleeved variation for when the weather’s a bit colder?

The hip-length tee features curved side seams and a hem facing, to give a neat and clean finish. With a looser fit around the bust and waist, and a slightly closer fit around the hips, it’s a great option made up in a cotton knit for casual weekend wear, or in a viscose jersey for an office-ready top.

And as for the dress - summer, winter, whatever the season, it’ll work perfectly! The Rua dress features an elasticised waist for a comfy fit, an optional sash belt, and in-seam pockets on a classic A-line skirt. Make it up in a merino or wool knit for a cozy winter dress, or pick a lightweight cotton jersey for summer.

Details

Rua is a PDF pattern with both print-at-home and print-at-copyshop options, delivered straight away to your inbox on purchase. (Please note that the pattern file is a .zip format and will need to be opened on a laptop or desktop. Smartphones and tablets are unable to open .zip files.)

The Rua print-at-home pattern comes with a layers feature, making it easy for you to print the size (or sizes) you want. (You can find a tutorial on how to use the layers feature here.)

Sizes

Rua is in Muse sizing 28 - 48, which correspond to high bust sizes 28" - 48" and full bust sizes 30" - 50".

Suggested fabrics

Rua is best suited to light-medium weight knit fabrics with at least 20% stretch. Try Rua in a cotton jersey, french terry, merino, wool blend, or rayon knit.

Fabric requirements

Fabric requirements are based on size 48. Extra fabric may be required to match patterns or stripes. Smaller sizes may be able to be cut out of less fabric, however the amount below is the most you will need for the given variation in a fabric with no print direction.

Note: if making the cropped tee with waistband in a size 46 or 48, you will need 140cm / 55” wide fabric to successfully fit the waistband pattern piece on.

Notions

• All variations - cotton tape or clear elastic to reinforce shoulder seams
• Dress - 1cm / 3/8” wide elastic for waist (long enough to fit comfortably around your waist - this will be approximately your waist measurement less 10%))
• Dress - four strips of lightweight interfacing, measuring 1.5cm x 14cm / 5/8” x 5 1/2”

Sample garments

Nicola is wearing the cropped tee with waistband and puffed sleeves in a size 42 (paired with the Philippa skirt). The tee is made in an acrylic blend knit.

Gill wears the dress varation with 3/4 length sleeves, and the cropped tee variation with long sleeves, both in a size 34. The dress is made in a polyester knit. The cropped tee is made in a medium weight merino fleece.

Jenn wears the hip length variation of the tee with short sleeves, and the cropped tee with waistband and short sleeves, both in a size 36. The hip length tee is made in a rayon blend knit. The cropped tee is made in a cotton tshirting and is paired with the Tahi skirt.

Photography

Photographs were taken on the South Coast of Wellington by Gareth White Photography.