Madras Kielo Wrap Dress

The Kielo Wrap Dress from Named Patterns has been on my wish list almost since I started my handmade wardrobe. I love the simple design and shape, but it never jumped to the top of the queue until I saw this madras print fabric. It was a slight gamble since I’ve never worked with this type of stretch woven before, but I really wanted to try it and am really happy I did.

*This fabric was provided to me for free. All views and opinions are my own.

A woman in a sleeveless Kielo wrap dress sewn from purple, green, and yellow madras plaid, against a white wall

Pattern

This is my first Named pattern and I think they definitely live up to their reputation of having clean, simple designs with interesting details. This dress isn’t difficult to make, but it definitely makes an impression. The pattern was simple to work through and I’m already dreaming up different versions. This is a pattern I will definitely come back to.

Close-up of the bodice and wrapped waist of a purple, green and yellow plaid dress, the wearer's hands on her hips

Size

I made size 34 and shortened it by cutting where the slit starts and redrawing the side seam to match the original hem. I then re-added the slit in the back. In the future, I don’t know if I’d redraw the side seam again because it narrows the shape more than I intended. I’ll likely cut it at the length I want and not worry about redrawing the side seam. The sleeveless style fits me well and I don’t have to worry about gaping anywhere.

A woman holding out the wide side wings and long ties of an untied purple, green and yellow plaid wrap dress

Fabric

This is the Summer Nights Madras stretch woven from the Fabric Fairy. I chose it specifically with this dress in mind even though I hadn’t seen very many makes with it. A lot of the Fabric Fairy’s stretch wovens are used for workout shorts, but that wasn’t something I was looking to make so I decided to think outside the box. I’ve never worked with fabric like this before, but it sounded pretty ideal for the Kielo which calls for a “light and drapey fabric with approximately 20 – 60% stretch.”

I would definitely recommend this fabric when you’re looking for something airy with slight stretch. It’s soft and smooth, easy to work with, and completely opaque. This dress is being adding to my summer wardrobe and I can’t wait to wear it more.

A woman wearing a sleeveless purple, green and yellow plaid Kielo wrap dress tied at the front waist, looking down
Back view of a woman in a sleeveless purple, green and yellow plaid Kielo wrap dress with ties knotted in a bow

Did you know this can be tied in the front or back? I don’t know know why it took me so long to realize that, but that just adds to the versatility of this pattern.

Have you made the Kielo Wrap Dress yet? What are your favorite wrap dresses?

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