Kielo wrap dress

Why did this take so long? Both this pattern and this fabric have been waiting for years!

This is Named Patterns Kielo Wrap Dress, made in a ITY knit from Gorgeous fabrics with a lot of stretch but great recovery.

Such a cleaver design.

Hours of fun tying it different ways..

It is just as lovely in IRL as if is when posing for blog photos in my front garden.

The gorgeous M from Nonsuch  and I heading out to the fabulous Adelaide Sewists Christmas Function

This is such a great pattern. I already have several more versions (knee length, with sleeves, in a linen…) in my imaginary wardrobe.

Ditzy floral meets Eve

Felicity looks so good in my Sew Over It Eve dress that I made her one of her own.

And this time I used a drape-y viscose. See how nicely it hangs?

I was either lazy or efficient (you decide) and used the pattern pieces in my size with just the shoulders trimmed by 2 cm. I’m sure this breaks all sorts of pattern adjustment rules.

Hey I figured the ties would sort out the waist adjustments that were needed and all the blousing through the bodice would hide a multitude of sins.

And it does.

I promise I’ll cut out the right size and do a FBA on the next version. But this one is acceptable don’t you think.?

The wrap front is genius. Hugs your body even when bending forward.

Some clever drafting by Sew Over It going on here. Plus the stay tape keeping the bias under control.

I cut the front skirt a little less full due to fabric restrictions – I folded out about 10 cm at the hem through to zero at the waist in two long wedges.

I don’t think the slightly narrower skirt is a problem

And the final change was to add pockets.

Because. Pockets.

 

Lovely pattern but with not quite the right fabric: Sew over it Eve dress

You know how sometimes you get the match making a bit off between pattern and fabric? No? Doesn’t happen to you?   It does to me. Sometimes,  I even quite like the mismatch. But that usually requires a brief time out.

This was one of those times.

Seduced by the cool vibes in London in September I purchased a couple of indie patterns: Sew over it’s Eve dress and a Merchant and Mills coat pattern.

Later in the trip we were in Leicester and just happened upon Crafty Sew & So. They had the most delightful triple crepe. Perfect for Eve or some other drape-y dress.

Back home I decide I should trial that Eve dress pattern before cutting into precious souvenir fabric from Leicester. Also, the pattern suggested I needed more than the 3 metres I had of crepe. Seemed unlikely. Lets see about that.

Months passed. Now it was very hot and I had 4 metres of a navy print cotton voile I wanted to sew. M made a shirt for K out of it, and I love it. A dress in navy print could fit into my sort of summer corporate SWAP. Perfect fabric for a trial version. Well, hello, not really. Its cotton. Even though its voile, its still cotton and not very drape-y. But summer holiday brain didn’t get this far.

I cut it out anyway. No problem fitting it on 3 metres. So far, so good.

Beautiful fabric to sew. Drafting was excellent. Instructions detailed and clear. Sewing on the stay tape to the bias cut neckline worked very well. Bodice fit was checked and all was well. Continued with the sleeves. Skirt went onto bodice just fine. I like the hi-low hem. What can I say. Child of the eighties.

Had a ‘duh’ moment turning the ties the right way out. It took 20 minutes doing it the wrong way and 20 seconds doing it right. You know which one I did first.

Time to try it on. Yes, this style does not instantly shrink my waist. Yes, this is not the style I like the most on me. Yes, the non drape-y nature of the cotton voile isn’t the most elegant rendition of this pattern.

But, such lovely fabric. So nice to wear. Perfect hot weather dress.

And its a wrap dress but with a no gape neckline.

Wardrobe malfunctions unlikely with the skirt either!

A very happy ending.

I’ve worn the dress several times already, and there was enough left over to make a shell top. Both garments get lots of compliments. It seems everyone like navy and dandelion prints!

For the record, I cut out a 16 and made no adjustments. The pattern includes finished garments measurements, and they were spot on.