sewing

I’m in Love! Kielo Wrap Dress

Seriously, it was love at first fitting. I put it on and thought, I want to make a thousand more of these!

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This is, of course, the Kielo Wrap Dress, a favourite of the sewing blogosphere since it was released by Named Clothing in Spring of 2014. I think this is a classic design, and, judging by the variety of sewists who’ve modelled it online, it’s universally flattering.

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The first time I wore it out was for my parents’ 60th wedding anniversary dinner. 60 YEARS! Amazing. Here’s my family on that evening. My poor niece — as we were lining up for this picture she went to stand in front of me and I was all like, ‘oh no, girlfriend, you canNOT stand in front of this dress!’ lol

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While we’re talking about my parents’ anniversary, let me just show you a couple of pics of how great they looked on that day in 1957:

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My mom is such a beautiful bride! ❤

So back to this Kielo wrap dress. The fabric is an ITY knit (I think) that I found a couple of years ago at Designer Fabrics in Toronto. I love the floral / roman ruins motif. I made an oversized (rhymes with ill-advised) tunic thingy out of it a while ago, which was a bit of a disaster. This poly fabric does not deal well with underarm sweat. Ick. I remember polyester shirts from the 70s like that but why are we still making fabrics like that in the 2010’s? Nonetheless, the print and the dreamy drape of the fabric, along with a sleeveless design, made it great to use for this dress.

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I love that you can tie it in front or in back. Tied in front, you can hide your overindulgence at dinner, and tied in back, you get a sleeker look in front.

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So my one regret with this make is that while I pattern-matched horizontally across the front and back pieces, it didn’t occur to me to pay attention to what was happening vertically. So there’s a weird repeat at the back seam, and those brown leaves are rather dangerously placed on my bum.

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Ah well, I still adore this dress!

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The second time I wore it was to go out for dinner with my husband on our 16th wedding anniversary recently. It was a rainy night, so we took a cab to the restaurant. As I stepped out of the car, a woman on the sidewalk said “I love your dress! It’s gorgeous.” I said a demure “thank you!” while internally I was jumping up and down and fist pumping with glee. I just love when you’re wearing something you made and a stranger compliments you on it.

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Here’s the obligatory picture of the untied dress.

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I’m not usually a fan of maxi-length skirts or dresses, so I contemplated shortening this. However, after having a look at some Kielos online that had been shortened, I decided that the long length is what really makes the design of the dress shine. The waist ties create angled lines that drape from the waist almost to the ankle, and I think interrupting those lines kind of spoils the look.

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I have a feeling this won’t be the last Kielo I make. It’s easy to sew, easy to fit with the adjustable waist ties, and so elegant on. What about you? Have you made the Kielo? Or are you thinking about it?

Thanks so much for stopping by.

— Lori

 

35 thoughts on “I’m in Love! Kielo Wrap Dress”

  3. So cool that dress and why don’t I have it (me, pattern hoarder and major fabric stashed)?
    Love the fabric and it looks terrific on you.
    Immediately I found all the versions of this dress…must buy it.
    And, yes your Mother a beautiful bride.

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  5. It’s gorgeous! I’ve been contemplating the Kielo for a while. I’m a little afraid of it because I’m not exactly in the long and lean category. Or even the short and lean category…

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    1. I’ve seen it on some curvy gals and I think it looks great. Maybe try it in a bargain bin fabric to see if it suits? It’s easy to sew so if you don’t like it, it won’t have been a huge commitment.

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  7. Love the dress on you ! I don’t see anything wrong the design placement & think people are getting a little obsessive/nutty about this lately. A fabulous fabric find for you . And yes, I love getting compliments on my outfits too !!

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  11. This dress looks brilliant on you – congratulations on such a fantastic version. (Definitely wouldn’t worry about the pattern matching/placement.) And your parents look amazing in their wedding picture too.

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  12. Fab- and well-timed too, I just took the plunge and cut one out [black jersey with panelled lace overlay] It’s waiting to be sewn up as I type…I think today’s the day! PS: you are the spitting image of your mum!

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  13. I love your version of this pattern! (And yes, an untied shot is definitely obligatory when making Kielo!) You’re so right that it seems to flatter everyone who makes it. I’ve made one and love it–it’s unlike anything else in my wardrobe.

    PS: Congrats to your parents on such a wonderful milestone! They both looked fabulous on the day, and still look plenty happy in that family photo. Inspiring AND aspirational, for sure. =)

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  14. Lori, I love this dress 💕 yes I plan on adding this to my ever growing make list. Now to source some perfect fabric. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Jane x

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  15. Love the dress, Lori. You wear it beautifully. Hmmmm, I thought to myself – that fabric looks familiar! Is that the fabric she bought…when we… and after some digging found that it is! Yes! You picked the perfect pattern. I wonder what it would hang like if there were no ties? Have you tried it that way too? Ilike the pattern a lot, must get one.
    Beautiful Mom and Dad and family.
    Do you have your very own Banksy in Toronto?

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    1. Hi Barbara! Nice to hear from you. Isn’t that funny — yes, you were indeed there when I found this gorgeous fabric! I haven’t tried it untied but I’ll have a look at that option next time I put it on.
      It looks like we do have a Banksy wannabe here in Toronto, doesn’t it?

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  16. Now I’m in love, too. Tempted to try the pattern, but I fear I wouldn’t be happy with the dress unless it was EXACTLY like yours.

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  19. This is gorgeous! This pattern is on my list of potentials for my 35th high school reunion next summer but I’m pretty new to sewing so I’m not confident enough to tackle it yet. I just discovered your podcast and I’m learning so much already. And so lucky for me that you are from Toronto so I can actually go to the stores where you shop.

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    1. Thank you! Nice to hear from a fellow Torontonian. The good news about the Kielo is that it is a pretty simple pattern — no closures to deal with. And since it’s a knit, fitting is easy. Grab some inexpensive knit fabric and give it a whirl! Then you can confidently make your reunion dress after that. Let me know how it turns out.

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