December 15, 2014

Pickup sticks wrap dress


Brrrrr it’s cold here! I think these are probably the last outdoor shots you’ll be seeing at Cashmerette for quite some time. Now if only I had a blank wall in my apartment…  In the meantime I braved frostbite to take some photos of my latest make in the lovely Boston Public Library courtyard.

The fun here is all about the fabric (yep the pattern is the Christine Jonson wrap again): it’s a Theory knit that I got a few months ago from EmmaOneSock, and it appears to be a photographic print of bits of black gaffer tape.. very unusual! Linda had nearly run out of it, so she shared the last 4 panels with me, which, as luck would have it, was just enough for a border-print wrap dress and one sleeve. It was printed rather off grain – so much so in fact (maybe 20% off?), that I think it may have been intentional – but I didn’t have much option but to follow the pattern. As a result, it sits just slightly oddly.. not terrible, but I can see that it doesn’t drape as nicely as my usual wrap dresses.

What do we think of the one sleeve asymmetric look? It’s about as edgy as I go.. and I’ll admit that I had a back-up sleeve in white all prepared as backup! 
Due to the sheer nature of the knit, I followed the original instructions and made a self-lined bodice for extra opacity – the only downside is that it has a little bit of gape compared to my normal neckline-band finish. I wore a slip to make sure it was also opaque in the skirt. 
So another wrap dress for my stable: I breed them like racehorses. This one’s definitely a bit more at the edge of my style, but I think it’s going to grow on me over time. 
And thanks as ever to my photography and styling crew... this pic can also help you appreciate how cold it actually was! 

35 thoughts on “Pickup sticks wrap dress

  1. Margo B says:

    Beautiful!! I love the slightly edgy look of the one printed sleeve. Ahhh the elements we brave for a good outfit pic!!! You look great as always.

  2. Gail says:

    Oooh, I love this one!!

    1. Jenny says:

      It’s growing on me!

  3. I love the print of your dress! I also cant believe you went out in a thin dress in jacket and hat weather!!

    1. Jenny says:

      Ha ha the foolish things we do! Luckily I was only sans-tights and coat for about 10 minutes 🙂

  4. Jenny, this dress is great. Sometimes really great things happen when we get on the edge of our style, and you knocked this one out of the park! Border print…yes, asymmetric sleeve…yes, and the black tie to break the dress up…just beautiful! Love it!

    1. Jenny says:

      It is funny how sometimes lack of the right fabric leads you to doing more interesting things!

  5. Very chic – not many people can wear white well – you pull it off beautifully.

    1. Jenny says:

      Thank you, that’s kind 🙂 I don’t usually wear white, but here you go!

  6. Ginger says:

    Love your dress! It looks great. The asymmetrical sleeve is perfect.
    I finally made myself a CJ wrap dress and I now see what the fuss was about. I wish I had a dozen more. After Christmas I’m going to make another one.

    1. Jenny says:

      Oh I’m glad to hear you’re another fan! You probably should make another 11, quickly 🙂

  7. Sara A. says:

    I think you need some oxblood tights to go with this dress.

  8. You can knock these dresses out girly!!!! I absolutely love this on you. I have purchased the CJ pattern and need to sit down and just do it! You are such an inspiration, I love your style… I want to be just like you….

    1. Jenny says:

      Yeah, give it a go… once you start making them you can’t stop 🙂

  9. mags says:

    This one looks really classy and quite dressed up, amazing as it’s gaffer tape! It’s a real success and definitely better for the sleeve!

    1. Jenny says:

      Hi mags – yeah, isn’t it strange?! I *think* it’s gaffer tape but it’s hard to tell. Either way, it’s a fun print.

  10. Threadie says:

    This wrap dress is really great on you ! I love the fabric
    I’m a fan af wrap dresses too.
    I’m on the vogue 8379 team but I think I’ll try the CJ pattern.

  11. dammit! comment eaten!!!! the print placement is genius & i’m glad you braved the cold for us, these shots are gorgeous :))

    1. Jenny says:

      Nom nom nom tasty comment.

      And: thanks!

  12. Such a great make…love, love, love how you included each of the elements. Incredibly clever! And though I don’t really “get” the cold weather thing I appreciate your shots immensely. (West coast, towards the south…not so cold. Ever.)

    1. Jenny says:

      Come on up, we have plenty of cold for you!

  13. Katy Laney says:

    Love this fabric. Love this dress. Swoon

    1. Jenny says:

      Mwah mwah darling

  14. magistra says:

    Oh wow, you made such a smart move when you grabbed that fabric! And you envisioned how to use it to perfection” I am really just blown away by this one. I think it’s my favorite dress that I’ve seen this year. It is so stylish, fashion forward, and flattering on you! And yes, the gorgeous professional photo shoot doesn’t hurt either, for sure! I can’t believe you’re out in the cold like that but, if it helps, I would say it was totally worth it 🙂 magistra13 at yahoo dot com
    Beth

    1. Jenny says:

      It definitely sung to me when I saw it on EmmaOneSock! My friends Katy and Ashley will be pleased that they have professional level photography 🙂

  15. Annamari says:

    it looks great on you, really!

  16. Gaff tape!! Hilarious! This looks super cool on you! I hear you about photos… I don’t have a clear wall, either, and my apartment is really dark, so I just pop outside and take photos in about 45 seconds when it’s cold. Yuck! The library location is gorgeous and makes for wonderful photos!

    1. Jenny says:

      Yeah, I’m almost considering re-decorating my house just to try to find one! But my place is pretty tiny and even being able to get far enough away is a challenge! I’ll just continue with the super-quick freezing ones for now 😉

  17. tanahmerah says:

    LOVE the asymmetric sleeve (and my perennial fave, your hair cut!). Fantastic fabric and dress choice.

    I’ve been reading your blog this year and it’s certainly given me a lot of great inspiration and things to think about with my own sewing projects. Thank you for your dedication to curvy sewing on this blog, such a wonderful resource.

    1. Jenny says:

      Thanks! Glad you enjoy reading.

  18. poppykettle says:

    What a striking knit! Perfect for a wrap dress, and despite the crazy grain issues, it looks lovely in the photos. But Brr! I would never have known it was that cold had you not mentioned it… the photos look fabulous 🙂

Let me know what you think!