The Classic Wrap Dress

I have been wanting to make another version of Vogue 2000 ever since I made one in a Halloween themed print in 2024.

The only thing stopping me was finding the right fabric.

I am convinced that the right knit fabric will make or break this design.  As was used for the true vintage versions from the 1970s, a non-spandex textile is really best for this style, and will give the most flattering result.

The pattern is also a bit of fabric hog, so not only did I have to find fabric that I liked, but hopefully something that wouldn't break the bank.  Turns out, someone at the most recent fabric swap that I attended left this fabric behind.  It was out on a table at the end of the swap, at which point we were free to take anything that looked interesting.  I had spotted the print earlier that day, but dismissed it as a bit too much for my taste.  But the more that I looked at it, the more the graphic print looked like the perfect choice for a seventies style wrap dress . . . and so the fabric came home with me.

There were only 3 yards to work with, and the shortened version of the pattern requires almost 4.  But this fabric was 64" wide, and I knew that I would want to shorten the skirt slightly so that it hit more below the knee than mid calf.  It was also possible to cut this in a multi-directional layout because the print doesn't seem to have any specific top or bottom that I could find.

The serger hasn't had much use lately, but it is certainly nice to have around for knit projects to keep those edges from curling.

My one complaint with the instructions is the way that the side opening is handled.  I thought that I would try something a little different for this dress.  I did test it out on a scrap of fabric first, though.

Instead of just leaving a section of the side seam unstitched, I created a mini-facing for the opening.  This fabric is perhaps just a tiny bit thick for this sort of thing, but in the end I am pleased with the results.  And the ties themselves completely cover the area, so while my top-stitching isn't quite perfect, no one but me will ever see it.

Per the instructions, the front neckline is stabilized with seam binding.  And I just love any excuse to pull out the rayon seam binding!

I did have a small kerfuffle with the sleeve cuffs.  From working with the pattern previously, I knew that I wanted to narrow the sleeves considerably . . . which means that the cuffs also need to be narrowed.  No problem.  Or at least, it shouldn't have been a problem.  

Even though I removed what I thought was the same amount of fabric from the sleeve hem and the cuff, the cuffs somehow turned out at least an inch too narrow.

Lucky for me, those pieces are not that large, and I was able to cut out another pair.  I am still baffled by how or why they turned out a different circumference than the sleeves.

Facings were interfaced and finished with a serged edge.

And the front neckline was top-stitched as suggested by the pattern instructions.

Coincidently, I can confirm that this top-stitching mirrors the top-stitching on a true vintage version of the design.

And here is where the dress begins to really take shape.

I do love a classic wrap dress!

I do not, however, love how my serger reacts to a single layer of knit fabric.  But I do have a roll of fusible something or other that is cut on the bias and is about 1" wide.  My solution is to cut that product in half and apply it to the hem edge.

This gives a nice finish and a bit more oomph to the bottom edge of the skirt.

And even though there is a fair amount of visible top-stitching, I do prefer the look of a hand stitched hem.

The final touch is to add buttons to the cuffs to simulate the look of a cuff link.  While I have boxes of buttons, I someone only had two possible options that worked.

In the end, the two-toned buttons were my favorite.

And that's a wrap!