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Heather's Killer Kielo

Get ready for your new favorite dress pattern! The Kielo Wrap Dress by Named Clothing was so much fun to make and even more fun to wear! After I saw one of our teachers wearing it, I was obsessed and couldn’t get it out of my mind. I decided to make one for my cousin’s fall wedding in New Hampshire. I was going to make it out of black cupro until the new raw silk noil arrived in-store. I picked my color (Olive) and got to work!

Named Clothing Kielo Wrap Dress

Pattern: Kielo Wrap Dress by Named Clothing
Materials: Raw Silk Noil in Deep Olive Green
Size Made: 14
Modifications: Raised armholes 1 ½ - 2”

Kielo Dress Two Ways

The pattern is great because you can make it with either a knit or woven fabric.  I chose a woven. I had to make the largest size in order to fit my bust measurements. It fit perfectly on the bust and next time if I go with another woven, I will grade the pattern and use a smaller size on the bottom. There ended up being just a bit too much fabric on the bottom when it came time to wrap the dress around me. I think I might also play around with dropping the neckline just a bit.

Kielo Wrap Dress Detail

The front is all one piece so you need to make sure that your width-of-fabric is enough for the size you are making. My width ended up being about ⅝” too short so I had to get a little creative to make it work. If you use a knit, you shouldn’t have to worry about it since most are at least 50” wide, but keep it in mind!

Back view of Kielo with leg slit

The back is two pieces because of the fun little vent slit in the back. It also incorporates contour darts which help to create a beautifully tailored shape for the back of the dress. This was my first time doing them and they were so fun. Such a tiny bit of work to do to get a magical result!

Heather in her Named Clothing Kielo Dress

When it came time to sew the front and back together, I am glad that I put it on full of pins before I did any sewing. I saw that I needed to raise the armholes 1 ½ - 2”. You also get to the point where you have to maneuver a Y-seam when applying the armhole bias since the front is all one piece. I shortened it just a tiny bit by adding a bit more seam allowance to the hem because I wanted to wear it with my Birkenstocks instead of heels.

Heather in a Named Clothing Kielo Dress and Gold Standard Shrug

I finished it in time to wear for the wedding and it was great! The silk was nice and warm for an outdoor New England autumn wedding and I paired it with one of my flannel Gold Standard Shrugs that I make for my business, Golden Bee Studios.

Unwrapped Kielo Wrap Dress

I already have my eye on a few of our new knits in black to make my next Kielo!

Comments on this post (2)

  • May 16, 2022

    Marilyn – Thank you for the response to our blog on the Kielo! This dress was not lined. The silk noil a pretty solid fabric that does not require lining. Thank you so much!

    — Jen at Fancy Tiger Crafts Co-op

  • May 04, 2022

    So beautifully made and adorable on you. I have a question — did you underline the silk noir? If yes, what did you underline it with?

    Thanks and happy wearing!

    — Marilyn S Winograd

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