A review of the Elodie wrap dress sewing pattern by Closet Core Patterns

It is lovely to be back on the blog today after a bit of a break. Time has flown by and although I have been sewing, I have not been writing about my sewing as much.  So I thought it was time to rectify this.  And in my opinion, the Elodie wrap dress pattern is very much worth writing about.  In fact, I consider it the perfect pattern to review on my return to the blog.

So read on for my full review of this pattern and to find out all of the details about my version…!

The pattern

Closet Core Patterns released the Elodie wrap dress pattern in August 2020 – a perfect time of year for introducing this lovely summery pattern.  Closet Core describes the pattern as a modern take on a classic wrap dress.  I think this is what drew me to it.  I’m not traditionally a big fan of wrap dresses, but I loved the cool details on the Elodie. 

Elodie features a wrap bodice with pleats to the waist at both the back and front, which gives a lovely relaxed, blousy effect and a grown on sleeve.  The skirt is swishy and floaty.  There are no zips or fastenings; a waist tie secures the wrap dress.

The Elodie wrap dress is a versatile pattern with lots of options built in, as I have come to expect from Closet Core. There are two sleeve options – a short sleeve and longer, billowier elbow length option.  There are also three skirt lengths – above the knee, midi and maxi.  Optional patch pockets can be added to the skirt.

For my version I decided to make the short sleeve version in a midi length.  I think the short sleeve is a bit more relaxed than the more formal elbow length option.  (I think the elbow length option would be perfect for a wedding guest outfit but I don’t have any of those coming up!).  And midi length is a length I’ve really started to embrace over the past year or so.

The fabric

The Elodie wrap dress can be made in a variety of light to medium weight woven fabrics, from drapey options like viscose challis and silk to fabrics with a bit more body and structure like linen or cotton poplin.

I really liked the idea of using a drapey fabric, to give lots of movement and softness to the dress.  I found that I actually had a perfect fabric to make the dress in my stash.  This is unusual for me as I don’t have a large stash, but this fabric seemed made for the Elodie!

The fabric I chose is a lovely lightweight viscose challis from Rainbow Fabrics.  It has a black base and a really pretty floral print on it with little strawberries too.  I think that the pink and yellow flowers interspersed with cute strawberries give this fabric a really summery vibe. I thought it would be perfect for making a summery wrap dress that I could float about in on holiday.

Sizing

Closet Core Patterns are available in two size bands: a US 0-20 and a US 14-32, from bust 31 inches up to bust 60 inches. The 0-20 size range is drafted for a B-cup and the 14-32 size range is drafted for a D-cup.

My measurements are bust 32 waist 26 hips 36.  Based on the sizing chart this would put me as a size 2 for bust, a size 4 for waist and a size 6 for hips.  I decided to go for a straight size 4.  The reasons for this are:

• Looking at the finished garment measurements, there is plenty of ease at the hips so I thought it would be fine to size down there.
• When I examined the pattern pieces it looked like it might be tricky to grade between sizes between the waist and bust.  So I thought I would opt for the size 4 as there is not a lot of ease on the waist measurement, so I didn’t want to risk sizing down there. 
• This meant I went up one size on bust measurement. However, I thought a little extra fabric around the bust would be fine as I was planning to make the dress in a drapey fabric.

I am very happy with how this sizing turned out on me.  There is plenty of room at the hips as I expected.  I’m glad I didn’t size down on the waist as the size 4 fits me perfectly.  And I also really like the extra room at the bust – I think it gives the bodice a pretty flowy effect without feeling too loose.  The wrap bodice also has a nice secure fit across the bust with no gaping.

I did make a few non-sizing related adjustments to the pattern as outlined below.

Adjustments

I made the following adjustments for my version of the Elodie wrap dress:

Neckline finish – The neckline of the Elodie bodice is finished with a facing per the pattern.  I decided to finish the neckline instead with a visible bias binding.  I prefer a bias bound finish over a facing generally and I thought making the binding visible would add a pretty detail. 

In order to make this adjustment, I had to remove the neckline seam allowance from the bodice pattern piece, so that I could then simply enclose the raw edge with double fold bias binding.

Skirt length – I added two inches to the midi length pattern pieces for a slightly longer midi look.  I did this as when I held up the midi length skirt pattern pieces against myself initially, the midi length felt a bit shorter than I preferred for my version.

Sewing process

The Elodie wrap dress pattern is described as suitable for confident beginners. 

I think this seems like a very reasonable rating.  The pattern is fairly simple and comes together pretty quickly for a woven dress pattern.  There are a few fiddly bits like attaching the facing (or bias binding in my case!) and inserting the waist ties.  However, Closet Core’s instructions are very good and the whole process is described very clearly. I always enjoy working my way through a Closet Core sewing pattern.

I think the fabric you choose will also have an impact on how challenging this pattern is to sew.  It will definitely be easier if you opt for a more stable fabric, for example linen, cotton lawn or cotton poplin.  A more drapey fabric like a viscose challis or silk will be more slippery and shifty to sew with.  This means more care will need to be taken over the more fiddly steps such as inserting the facing.

As I was sewing with a viscose challis, I made sure to engage my walking foot. I find this really helps to make sure the layers of viscose being sewn together are fed through the machine evenly and don’t shift as much.

Overall the Elodie wrap dress was a very enjoyable sew.  It is such an elegant, beautiful dress but the pattern is deceptively simple! 

Summary

The Elodie dress is a gorgeous wrap dress pattern with lovely details.  It’s a versatile pattern that could look very different depending on which options and fabric you choose. 

I really enjoyed sewing my first version and found it to be a satisfying sewing project that took less time than I had expected.  My version is a really comfortable, pretty, floaty summer wrap dress and I can’t wait for the weather to warm up so I can wear it out.

I would love to make another Elodie wrap dress at some point.  The pattern will definitely be a strong contender if I have any summer weddings to dress up for in the future.  That would certainly give me a great excuse to revisit it!